Awarded for | Amateur baseball's best regular season player |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Presented by | USA Baseball |
History | |
First award | 1978 |
Most recent | Dylan Crews, LSU |
Website | Golden Spikes Award |
The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. [1] The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to an amateur player who best exhibits and combines "exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship". [2] [3] The award is considered the most prestigious in amateur baseball. [4] [5]
Ten winners of the Golden Spikes Award are members of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, [6] including Bob Horner, the inaugural winner in 1978. [7] In that same year, he was the first overall MLB draft pick and proceeded to win the Rookie of the Year Award. [8] [9] [10] Seven Golden Spikes Award winners went on to become the first overall MLB draft pick. [8] Only Horner achieved the MLB Rookie of the Year Award in the same year (although Jason Jennings and Buster Posey were voted the top rookies of the National League several years after winning the Golden Spikes Award). [9] Jim Abbott, Jered Weaver and Tim Lincecum are the only award winners to pitch an MLB no-hitter, [11] while Horner is the only one to hit four home runs in one MLB game. [12] Furthermore, 17 players won the Dick Howser Trophy (considered to be the Heisman Trophy of college baseball) [13] [14] alongside the Golden Spikes Award. [15] No player has won the award more than once, and no Golden Spikes recipient has yet been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The winner has been announced annually during a live broadcast of ESPN's SportsCenter since 2014. [16] Immediately following the announcement, the award winner and the other finalists are honored at a banquet in Los Angeles. [16] The most recent recipient of the award is Ivan Melendez of the University of Texas Baseball. Although it can be given to any amateur player, the award has always been given to a college baseball player.
Year | Links to the article about the corresponding baseball year |
---|---|
Player | Name of the player |
Position | The player's position(s) at the time he won the award [lower-alpha 1] |
School | The player's college when he won the award |
Italics | Player was the first overall MLB draft pick in the same year |
^ | Player won the Rookie of the Year Award [lower-alpha 2] |
§ | Player also won the Dick Howser Trophy in the same year |
† | Member of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame |
‡ | Player is active [lower-alpha 3] |
The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The award is named after former collegiate and Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Dick Howser, who died of brain cancer in 1987 at the age of 51. In that same year, the award was established by friends of Howser and presented to Mike Fiore, the inaugural winner. It is considered to be the Heisman Trophy of college baseball.
Rickie Darnell Weeks Jr. is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays. He was named an MLB All-Star in 2011.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team competes as part of NCAA Division I, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska plays its home games at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park, built in 2001 to replace the aging Buck Beltzer Stadium. The program began intercollegiate play in 1889 and has been coached by Will Bolt since 2020.
The Clemson Tigers baseball team represents Clemson University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers are currently coached by head coach Erik Bakich and play their home games in Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The program has reached the NCAA tournament in all but three seasons dating back to 1987. Clemson has made 12 appearances in the College World Series with an all-time record of 12–24 in Omaha.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Georgia Tech athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Yellow Jackets play their home games in Russ Chandler Stadium and they are currently coached by Danny Hall.
The Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represents the University of Kentucky in NCAA Division I college baseball and competes in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The current head coach of the Wildcats is Nick Mingione.
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is an American former professional baseball catcher. He spent his entire twelve-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Francisco Giants, from 2009 until his retirement at the conclusion of the 2021 season. In September 2022, Posey joined the Giants' ownership group.
Bryce Aron Max Harper is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior to his arrival in Philadelphia, Harper played for the Washington Nationals from 2012 through 2018.
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete as a unit, the term is used in United States team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889. In 1950, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) selected its first All-American baseball team. It has since chosen All-American teams and a player of the year for each division. Collegiate Baseball selects All-American, Freshman All-American and High School All-American teams. Baseball America selects pre-season and post-season All-American teams and College Player of the Year honorees.
Anthony Michael Rendon is an American baseball third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the Washington Nationals and was a member of the Nationals' 2019 World Series championship team.
Michael Nelson Trout is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an eleven-time MLB All-Star, three-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP), and is a nine-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award. He also captained the United States national team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889. In 1950, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) selected its first All-American baseball team. It has since chosen All-American teams and a player of the year for each division. Collegiate Baseball selects All-American, Freshman All-American, and High School All-American teams. Baseball America magazine selects pre-season and post-season All-American teams and College Player of the Year honorees.
Michael Accorsi Zunino is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, and Cleveland Guardians.
Kristopher Lee Bryant, nicknamed "KB", is an American professional baseball third baseman and outfielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Prior to playing professionally, Bryant attended the University of San Diego, where he played college baseball for the Toreros.
Andrew Joseph Reed is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox. He played college baseball at Kentucky and was drafted by the Astros in the second round of the 2014 MLB draft.
Andrew Sebastian Benintendi is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, and New York Yankees.
Kody Alec Clemens is an American professional baseball infielder and outfielder in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He previously played for the Detroit Tigers. Clemens is the son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens.
Andrew Clayton Vaughn is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Vaughn played college baseball at California, and won the Golden Spikes Award in 2018.
Kevin Richard Kopps is an American professional baseball pitcher in the San Diego Padres organization. He previously played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas, competing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In 2021, he won the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy, National Pitcher of the Year Award, and Stopper of the Year Award.
Ivan Melendez, nicknamed "The Hispanic Titanic", is an American professional baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns, winning the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy in 2022.
General
Specific
Alex Gordon, a third baseman for the Royals until last year, is now among baseball's elite outfielders...[H]is switch from third base to the outfield in 2010 went amazingly well.