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Golden Spikes Award facts for kids

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Golden Spikes Award
The words "GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD" in gold on a brown polygonal background, with a pair of golden baseball spikes dangling from the last "S" in "Spikes". Above the lettering reads "USA" in white colour.
Logo for the Golden Spikes Award
Given 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 a very important award in baseball. It is given every year to the best amateur (non-professional) baseball player in the United States. This award was created by USA Baseball and first given out in 1978.

The award goes to a player who shows "exceptional on-field ability" (meaning they are really good at playing) and "exemplary sportsmanship" (meaning they play fair and are respectful). Many people think it is the most important award in amateur baseball.

About the Award

The Golden Spikes Award is a big deal for young baseball players. Ten winners of this award are now in the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. This includes Bob Horner, who won the very first award in 1978. That same year, he was the first player picked in the Major League Baseball draft. He also won the Rookie of the Year Award!

Seven Golden Spikes Award winners later became the first overall pick in the MLB draft. Only Bob Horner won the Rookie of the Year Award in the same year he was drafted. Other winners like Jason Jennings and Buster Posey won the Rookie of the Year Award later on.

Some award winners have also achieved special things in professional baseball. Jim Abbott, Jered Weaver, and Tim Lincecum are the only winners to pitch an MLB no-hitter. This is when a pitcher doesn't let any opposing player get a hit during an entire game! Bob Horner is the only winner to hit four home runs in one MLB game. That's a lot of home runs in one game!

Many players (17 of them) also won the Dick Howser Trophy in the same year they won the Golden Spikes Award. The Dick Howser Trophy is like the Heisman Trophy but for college baseball. No player has ever won the Golden Spikes Award more than once. Also, no Golden Spikes winner has been added to the National Baseball Hall of Fame yet.

The winner of the Golden Spikes Award has been announced live on ESPN's SportsCenter since 2014. After the announcement, the winner and other finalists are honored at a special dinner in Los Angeles. The most recent winner is Dylan Crews from the LSU Tigers. Even though the award can go to any amateur player, it has always been given to a college baseball player.

Award Winners

Here is a list of all the players who have won the Golden Spikes Award.

Bob Horner
Bob Horner won the first Golden Spikes Award in 1978. He was also the first player picked in the MLB draft and won Rookie of the Year in the same year!
Jered Weaver on June 27, 2012
Jered Weaver, who won in 2004, is one of three winners to pitch a no-hitter in MLB.
Tim Lincecum 2009
Tim Lincecum, the 2006 winner, won the Cy Young Award (for best pitcher) in 2008 and 2009.
Key
Year Links to the article about the corresponding baseball year
Player Name of the player
Position The player's position(s) when they won the award
School The player's college when they won the award
Italics Player was the first overall MLB draft pick in the same year
^ Player won the Rookie of the Year Award
§ Player also won the Dick Howser Trophy in the same year
dagger Member of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame
footnote Player is still playing baseball
Winners
Year Player Position School Ref.
1978 Horner, BobBob Hornerdagger^ 3B Arizona State
1979 Wallach, TimTim Wallachdagger 3B Cal State Fullerton
1980 Francona, TerryTerry Franconadagger 1B Arizona
1981 Fuentes, MikeMike Fuentes OF Florida State
1982 Schmidt, AugieAugie Schmidt SS New Orleans
1983 Magadan, DaveDave Magadandagger 3B Alabama
1984 McDowell, OddibeOddibe McDowelldagger OF Arizona State
1985 Clark, WillWill Clarkdagger 1B Mississippi State
1986 Loynd, MikeMike Loynd P Florida State
1987 Abbott, JimJim Abbottdagger P Michigan
1988 Ventura, RobinRobin Venturadagger§ 3B Oklahoma State
1989 McDonald, BenBen McDonalddagger P LSU
1990 Fernández, AlexAlex Fernández§ P Miami-Dade Community College
1991 Kelly, MikeMike Kelly OF Arizona State
1992 Nevin, PhilPhil Nevin 3B Cal State Fullerton
1993 Dreifort, DarrenDarren Dreifortdagger P Wichita State
1994 Varitek, JasonJason Varitek§ C Georgia Tech
1995 Kotsay, MarkMark Kotsay OF Cal State Fullerton
1996 Lee, TravisTravis Lee 1B San Diego State
1997 Drew, J. D.J. D. Drew§ OF Florida State
1998 Burrell, PatPat Burrell 3B Miami (FL)
1999 Jennings, JasonJason Jennings§^ P Baylor
2000 Bouknight, KipKip Bouknight P South Carolina
2001 Prior, MarkMark Prior§ P Southern California
2002 Greene, KhalilKhalil Greene§ SS Clemson
2003 Weeks, RickieRickie Weeks§ 2B Southern
2004 Weaver, JeredJered Weaver§ P Long Beach State
2005 Gordon, AlexAlex Gordon§ 3B Nebraska
2006 Lincecum, TimTim Lincecum P Washington
2007 Price, DavidDavid Pricedouble-dagger§ P Vanderbilt
2008 Posey, BusterBuster Posey§^ C Florida State
2009 Strasburg, StephenStephen Strasburgdouble-dagger§ P San Diego State
2010 Harper, BryceBryce Harperdouble-dagger^ C/OF College of Southern Nevada
2011 Bauer, TrevorTrevor Bauerdouble-dagger P UCLA
2012 Zunino, MikeMike Zuninodouble-dagger§ C Florida
2013 Bryant, KrisKris Bryantdouble-dagger§^ 3B San Diego
2014 Reed, A. J.A. J. Reed§ 1B/P Kentucky
2015 Benintendi, AndrewAndrew Benintendidouble-dagger§ OF Arkansas
2016 Lewis, KyleKyle Lewisdouble-dagger^ OF Mercer
2017 McKay, BrendanBrendan McKaydouble-dagger§ 1B / P Louisville
2018 Vaughn, AndrewAndrew Vaughndouble-dagger 1B California
2019 Rutschman, AdleyAdley Rutschmandouble-dagger§ C Oregon State
2020 Not awarded
—
—
2021 Kopps, KevinKevin Koppsdouble-dagger§ P Arkansas
2022 Melendez, IvanIvan Melendezdouble-dagger§ 1B Texas
2023 Dylan Crewsdouble-dagger OF LSU

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Premio Golden Spikes para niños

  • List of college baseball awards
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