Today we have the second match in a row that pits a General against a Brave…

  • Julian Ridings (Waynesboro 2012), a sophomore at Western Carolina at the time, came to Waynesboro and was one of the most impressive hitters in a summer full of them. In 172 at-bats, Ridings hit .419/.454/.657, with 45 runs scored, 14 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 39 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. His .419 batting average is still one of the best recorded in league history. He was ATVL’s 2nd best hitter (behind only Jimmy Yezzo). After his junior season at Carolina, Ridings was picked in the 18th round of the 2013 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays and spent two seasons in their system, hitting a total of .258/.290/.367 in 458 at-bats, with 22 doubles and eight triples. He topped out in High-A Charlotte of the Florida State League.
  • I think it’s safe to say that James Vasquez drove in runs. In fact, in 2013, he knocked in 43 runs in 42 games, and when he returned to the VBL in 2014, he drove in 22 more in only 17 games. (During the home run derby in 2013, when Vasquez got off to a slow start, I turned to a VBL coach and said, “Maybe we should put a couple runners on base to help him?” The coach didn’t get the admittedly bad joke.) To drive in all those runs, all he did in ’13 was hit .307/.424/.490 in 153 at-bats, with 31 runs scored, 14 doubles, one triple, four home runs, and a 31/33 BB/K ratio. He was ATVL’s 3rd best hitter in the league (behind Thomas Smith and Jordan Tarsovich). In 2014, he hit .348/.365/.551 in 69 at-bats, with 10 runs scored, five doubles, and three home runs. The Reds popped him in the 25th round of the 2015 draft after his four years at Central Florida, and he had three seasons in the minors, hitting a combined .254/.327/.406 in 1,136 at-bats (and 180 RBIs). He was released after the ’17 season, but he spent one more year in pro ball in the Mexican League.

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And by the way, if you want to read a ton about either the 2015 or 2019 VBL season, be sure to check out this post on the 2019 Valley League Annual!

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Vasquez
Ridings