It’s bad enough that Vargas is a lefty, but the fact he throws absolute nasty stuff made him not only one of the top pitchers in Queens, but in all the PSAL. Vargas didn’t get the attention of others in more prestigious programs, but a 4-4 recor
Danny Rosenbluth Sr. P/1B Cardozo
He may have lost a bit of zip on his pitches, but Rosenbluth was still one of the most clutch players around. Last year’s TimesLedger PSAL Baseball Player of the Year was 6-0 with a 0.90 ERA with 56 strikeouts and only nine walks in 31 innings while batting .400 with four doubles and 14 RBIs. The Little Neck native will either play at Division II C.W. Post or Dominican next year.
Ricky Perez Sr. CF/P Grover Cleveland
The heart and soul of a tight-knit Grover Cleveland team that was one out away from upsetting perennial powerhouse John Adams in the playoffs, Perez batted .423 while playing an excellent centerfield and was 2-3 with a 3.18 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 33 innings. Perez was a member of the TimesLedger All-Queens second team last year.
Johnny Lluberes Sr. P/RF John Adams
Like Cleveland’s Perez, Lluberes dominated just about everywhere he played. Lluberes was a solid defensive rightfielder who batted .417 with two home runs and 13 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .729. On the mound, Lluberes was spectacular, going 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 34 innings for Adams, which lost in the PSAL semifinals.
Chiang-Yi Chang Sr. 1B Francis Lewis
Another player who has seemingly played every position during his high school career, Chang consistently was a hitting machine for Francis Lewis. After an early slump, he batted .341 with three doubles and 11 RBIs but more impressively, struck out just four times in 44 at-bats. Chang, who plays for the Long Island Cardinals during the summer, will play at Queens College next year.
Anthony McCarty Sr. P Bayside
McCarty followed up a spectacular junior season with a solid senior year, he batted .400 and was 3-3 with a 2.46 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 54 innings for the Commodores. McCarty will play for fellow Bayside native Craig Everett at Queensborough next year.
Mike Boothby Sr. P Grover Cleveland
While Perez garnered much of the attention, Boothby quietly excelled, giving Cleveland one of the best one-two pitching tandems around. The Queensborough Community College-bound senior, who batted .368, was 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA during the regular season, but lowered that to a minuscule 0.68 in the postseason.
Jason Martinez Sr. C Richmond Hill
Already the best catcher in Queens, in the PSAL at least, Martinez has yet to reach his full potential, Richmond Hill coach Greg Reo said, making him an absolute steal for Everett at Queensborough. “He has all the tools you can’t teach. He just gets better and better,” Reo said of Martinez who batted .444 with two homers and 14 RBIs.
Carlos Guzman Jr. SS/PJohn Adams
With the exception of Cardozo’s Bernie Estevez, Guzman is the best shortstop in the borough and should be one of the most sought after players in Queens next season. The sweet-swinging Guzman batted .429 with four home runs and 19 RBIs and threw absolute gas out of the bullpen for the Spartans.
Second team
Mike Errigo Cardozo 3B
Anthony Brisita John Bowne 2B
Louie Gioppo John Adams 3B
Jeffrey Batista John Adams 1B
Mike Guarnieri Francis Lewis DH, P
David Mercado Long Island City C
Jason Espinal Bayside SS/OF
Brett Cassidy Forest Hills C
Luis Santiago August Martin C
