Courtney Hawkins (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Courtney Hawkins |
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Hawkins with the Lexington Legends in 2021
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| Free agent | |||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 12, 1993 Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 30, 2023, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | |||
| NPB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| Batting average | .000 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Courtney James Hawkins, born on November 12, 1993, is an American baseball player. He plays as an outfielder. An outfielder is a player who fields in the outfield. He is currently a free agent. He also played in Japan for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
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Early Baseball Days
Courtney Hawkins went to Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. In his final year, he was named the best high school baseball player in Texas. This award was the Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year. ESPN also ranked him as one of the top five high school players. He had planned to play baseball at the University of Texas at Austin.
Starting His Pro Career
Joining the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox picked Hawkins in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 13th player chosen overall. Hawkins began his professional journey with the Bristol White Sox. He played 38 games there, hitting three home runs.
Later in 2012, he moved up to the Kannapolis Intimidators. In 16 games, he hit four home runs. He finished his first season with the Winston-Salem Dash. Overall, he hit eight home runs and had 33 runs batted in (RBIs) in 59 games.
At the start of the 2013 season, Hawkins was seen as the White Sox's top young player. He spent all of 2013 with the Winston-Salem Dash. He hit 19 home runs that year. Hawkins played for Winston-Salem again in 2014, hitting 19 home runs and 84 RBIs. He then played for the Birmingham Barons in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, he played for a few different teams. The White Sox released him in April 2018.
Playing for the Sugar Land Skeeters
In April 2018, Hawkins joined the Sugar Land Skeeters. This team is part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played 88 games for them. During this time, he hit 18 home runs and had 72 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases.
Time with the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds bought Hawkins' contract in August 2018. He finished that year with the Daytona Tortugas. He hit two home runs in 17 games. In 2019, he played briefly for the Chattanooga Lookouts and the Louisville Bats. The Reds released him in May 2019.
Back with the Skeeters
Hawkins returned to the Sugar Land Skeeters in May 2019. He played only three games, hitting two home runs.
With the San Francisco Giants
In May 2019, the San Francisco Giants bought Hawkins' contract. He was sent to the San Jose Giants. In August, he had an amazing game. He tied team records for hits (5) and home runs (3) in one game. He also had 6 RBIs in that game. For the season, he hit 21 home runs and had 59 RBIs in 88 games. He became a free agent in November 2019.
In July 2020, Hawkins played for the Skeeters again. This was in a special league created because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was chosen for the league's all-star team.
Success with the Lexington Legends
On May 4, 2021, Hawkins signed with the Lexington Legends. This team is also in the Atlantic League. In the championship series, Hawkins was a star. He hit three home runs in one game, helping the Legends win their first league championship. He was named the most valuable player of the series.
In 2022, Hawkins had a fantastic year with Lexington. He played 127 games and hit 48 home runs. He also had 125 RBIs. He was named an Atlantic League All-Star. He also won the Atlantic League Player of the Year award. Baseball America also named him the 2022 Independent Player Of The Year.
Playing in Japan
On December 21, 2022, Hawkins signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He played three games for the Hawks in 2023. In December 2023, the SoftBank Hawks announced that Hawkins would not return to the team. This made him a free agent again.
Recent Teams
In April 2024, Hawkins signed with the Pericos de Puebla in the Mexican League. He played seven games for them before being released in May 2024.
On May 17, 2024, Hawkins joined the Charleston Dirty Birds in the Atlantic League. In 16 games, he hit five home runs and had 14 RBIs. Hawkins became a free agent after that season.
