It looks as though the Boston Red Sox used their first-round draft pick well.
The Sox selected Andrew Benintendi, a 20-year-old center fielder out of Arkansas, with the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft Monday. And just three days later, Baseball America named Benintendi its College Player of the Year.
Benintendi enjoyed a legendary high school career in the suburbs of Cincinnati before tearing it up in Fayetteville, Ark. He didn’t have the most impressive freshman year thanks to having surgery to remove the hamate bone in his right hand, but come sophomore year, he batted .380 with 19 home runs, 55 RBIs and 23 steals.
The “Ohio Hit King” has unorthodox speed and power for a kid who’s relatively small at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. But despite his resume, coaches say he keeps a good attitude.
“I mean, his teammates love him. They all pull for him,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn told Baseball America. “You can just tell. All he ever talks about is the team and winning. He’s pretty humble. And it’s good to see. And the players have appreciated how he’s handled (the draft), and they’re excited about it.”
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@JMastrodonato
