Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Benintendi

Benintendi during his tenure with the Boston Red Sox in 2016
Boston Red Sox – No. 40
Outfielder
Born: (1994-07-06) July 6, 1994
Madeira, Ohio
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
August 2, 2016, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Batting average .295
Hits 31
Home runs 2
Runs batted in 14
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Andrew S. Benintendi (born July 6, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas. The Red Sox selected Benintendi in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.

Amateur career

Benintendi attended Madeira High School in Madeira, Ohio. As a senior, he batted .564 with 12 home runs, 57 runs batted in (RBIs) and 38 stolen bases for the school's baseball team, and was the ABCA/Rawlings National High School Player of the Year and Ohio Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.[1] He finished his career with an Ohio record 199 career runs scored.[2][3] Benintendi was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 31st round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft,[4] but he did not sign with the Reds.

Benintendi enrolled at the University of Arkansas to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team. As a true freshman at Arkansas, Benintendi played in 61 games, with 60 starts. He hit .276/.368/.333 with one home run and 27 RBIs.[5][6][7]

In 2015, Benintendi led the Southeastern Conference in batting average (.380), home runs (19), on-base percentage (.489), slugging (.715) and walks (47). He was named the SEC Player of the Year.[8] He also won the Baseball America College Player of the Year Award,[9] the Dick Howser Trophy,[10] and the Golden Spikes Award.[11] Benintendi was considered one of the top prospects for the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.

Professional career

Benintendi was drafted by the Boston Red Sox with the seventh overall selection in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.[12] He signed with the Red Sox, receiving a $3.6 million signing bonus.[13] Benintendi made his professional debut with the Lowell Spinners of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League.[14] He began the 2016 season with the Salem Red Sox of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, and received a promotion to the Portland Sea Dogs of the Class AA Eastern League on May 15.[15]

The Red Sox promoted Benintendi to the major leagues on August 2, 2016 straight from Double-A, only 421 days after being selected in the draft.[16] He made his major league debut on August 2 against the Seattle Mariners as a pinch hitter and recorded his first major league hit on August 3. Benintendi recorded both his first major league triple and his first major league home run against the Detroit Tigers on August 21.

A day after Benintendi hit his first MLB home run, the rookie outfielder made a sensational catch against the Tampa Bay Rays during an away game at Tropicana Field August 22, 2016. With his team down 0-3 to the Red Sox, Rays right fielder Steven Souza Jr. came up with no outs in the bottom of the eighth and hit a fly ball that looked to be a two-run home run to left field. Benintendi leapt over the wall to deny the homer in what many believe will be the "catch of the year".[17][18] Benintendi said of it: "I think that’s the best catch I’ve made. I’ve never really had the opportunity to take one back, and I was fortunate enough that I could. I was just trying to time up my jump, and I was fortunate enough to catch it. I saw the wall out of the corner of my eye and timed up my jump well. My first step was good. I knew I was probably going to have to jump at some point, and I chose the right time to do it."[19]

On October 6, in game one of the 2016 American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians, Benintendi hit a home run in his first postseason at-bat off Indians' pitcher Trevor Bauer. The Indians won the game 5-4 and the series 3-0. He ended the season with a .295 batting average.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Arkansas Baseball Signee Named Player Of The Year". Arkansas News. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  2. ↑ "30 Years of Honoring The Future: Former POY Andrew Benintendi on a major power surge". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Madeira grad Benintendi's blazing, leads NCAA in HRs". Cincinnati.com. April 18, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ Reds select Madeira's Andrew Benintendi in MLB draft
  5. ↑ Nate Allen, nallensports@att.net (May 5, 2015). "Allen: Weights, change of stance pay off for Benintendi". The Baxter Bulletin. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Beefed-up Benintendi gives Hogs more bang". NWADG.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Hot Springs Sentinel Record – Benintendi blasting off for Arkansas". hotsr.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  8. ↑ "SEC Baseball Awards" (Press release). Southeastern Conference. May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  9. ↑ Dyer, Mike (June 11, 2015). "Andrew Benintendi named Baseball America National Player of the Year". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ Red Sox pick Benintendi wins Howser Trophy, MLB.com. Published June 12, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ Jones, Matt (June 23, 2015). "Benintendi wins Golden Spikes Award". Arkansas Online. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  12. ↑ Speier, Alex (June 9, 2015). "Red Sox draft Arkansas OF Andrew Benintendi seventh overall". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  13. ↑ Willis, David (August 12, 2015). "Red Sox first round pick Benintendi showing why he dominated college baseball world". Gloucester Daily Times. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  14. ↑ McCaffrey, Jen (August 11, 2015). "Boston Red Sox prospects: Andrew Benintendi impressing at Class A Short-Season Lowell". masslive.com. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  15. ↑ Peng, Michael (May 15, 2016). "Red Sox promote Benintendi to Double-A: MLB.com's No. 22 overall prospect put together 23-game hit streak". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  16. ↑ Wilbur, Eric (August 2, 2016). "Here comes Andrew Benintendi, stamped with 'rush delivery' to the Red Sox". Boston.com. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  17. ↑ McGinnes, Meagan (22 August 2016). "Did Red Sox rookie Andrew Benintendi just make the catch of the year? It's at least in the conversation.". Boston.com. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  18. ↑ Reiss, Jaclyn; Smyth, Sean (22 August 2016). "Red Sox rookie Andrew Benintendi makes outstanding catch". Boston Globe Media. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  19. ↑ Silverman, Michael (23 August 2016). "Silverman: Rookie Andrew Benintendi makes 'The Catch' [+video]". Boston Herald. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  20. ↑ "Andrew Benintendi Stats, Fantasy & News". Boston Red Sox. Retrieved 2016-10-27.

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