The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

LUCIUS Fox and Chavez Young both saw their clubs clinch playoff berths in their respective leagues after winning first half pennants.

Fox and his Montgomery Biscuits finished atop the division in the Double A Southern League North with a record of 44-26 while Young and the Dunedin Blue Jays led the field in the Florida State League North at 41-24.

In the Southern League, the first and second half winners in each division will meet in a best-of-five series. The first half winners will host the first two games of the series while the second half winners will host the remaining games of the series.

The Biscuits won the First Half Championship for the first time in their 16-year history with a 4-2 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts. They earned a playoff berth a team-record fifth-straight season.

In 65 games through the first half of the season, Fox hit .220 for Peoria with a .331 OBP, a .699 OPS.

The 21-year-old shortstop had 49 hits including 12 doubles, three home runs, collected 20 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and 37 runs scored.

Last season, Fox spent 27 games with the Biscuits in his debut Double A season and hit .221 with a .284 OBP, four stolen bases, 23 hits, three doubles, one triple, nine RBI and 14 runs scored.

For Young and Blue Jays, the Florida State League playoffs format features winners of both halves within the division against each other in a best of three series for the Division Championship. The first half winners will be given the choice of hosting game one or games two and three. The Division Champions will move on to the League Championship Series.

In 54 games in the first half of the season, Young hit .228 with 46 hits and 23 RBI. He also had a .645 OPS, slugged .356 with 10 stolen bases, 27 runs scored, nine doubles, and five home runs.

Dunedin won at least 40 games in the first half for the first time since 2014 when they went 46-23.

Strong pitching highlighted the Blue Jays’ first half run, as well as an explosive offence that scored runs in bunches throughout the half.

In the first 68 games of the year, Dunedin put up 10 or more runs eight times.

Dunedin fielded one of the best offences in the league with 295 runs (1st), 263 RBI (1st), 249 BB (1st), .333 OBP (1st), .705 OPS (1st), 113 doubles (2nd), and .249 AVG (4th).

Young was listed as the Toronto Blue Jays’ No.23 prospect in the preseason and the franchise’s farm system was listed as No.5 overall. Last season, Young led the Class A Lansing Lugnuts in batting average, runs scored and stolen bases. It was a season of milestones for the 21-year-old outfielder as he was named a Midwest League All-Star. In 125 games, Young hit .285 with 134 hits and 57 RBI. He also had an .808 OPS, slugged .445 with 44 stolen bases, 88 runs scored, 209 total bases, 33 doubles, nine triples and eight home runs.

He finished tied for second the Midwest league total bases, second in both doubles and triples, tied for third in stolen bases and his 134 hits ranked sixth.

Defensively, playing in centre and right field, he totalled 15 outfield assists along with 290 putouts and a .984 fielding percentage.