Kyle Lewis Named AL Outstanding Rookie By MLBPA
10/22/2020 2:44:00 PM | Baseball
Kyle Lewis has been voted by his peers the AL Outstanding Rookie
MACON, Ga. – Former Mercer standout Kyle Lewis has claimed his second honor following the 2020 season. Lewis was named the American League Outstanding Rookie for the Player Choice Awards presented by Topps, the MLB Players Association announced Thursday. Â
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The Players Choice Awards are held in high regard by players because the winners are selected in balloting among their peers. This year's balloting, presented by Topps, was conducted online by ElectionBuddy and took place throughout the major leagues in mid-September.
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"We are extremely proud and happy for Kyle," remarked Head Coach Craig Gibson. "His contributions were a pivotal part of the Mariners success this season, and it has been a joy to watch. Kyle is an outstanding baseball player and even a better person. He is a great representative of Mercer, and I am glad to see him having success in the MLB. He is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential."
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The Seattle Mariners outfielder was the easy winner in the survey of 92 AL Players for Sporting News' Rookie of the Year. Lewis, who led the Mariners in hits (54), homers (11), walks (34), on-base percentage (.364), and total bases (90), was named on 55 baloets. He is the first Mariners player to win Sporting News Rookie of the Year honorssince Rafael Soriano in 2003 when Sporting News gave awards to both a rookie pitcher and a position player in each league.
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In his first at-bat of the 2020 campaign, Lewis, the 2016 winner of the Golden Spikes Award, hit a home run off Justin Verlander. The next night, Lewis followed with an opposite-field home run. Late in the season, Lewis took a grand slam away from Ramon Laureano of the Oakland Athletics in a robbery that reminded Mariners fans of Ken Griffey Jr.
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Lewis is the most decorated student-athlete in Mercer history. In June 2016, Lewis won the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. He also became the highest pick in Mercer and Southern Conference history, being selected 11th overall by the Mariners in the MLB Draft.
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In his final year at Mercer, the Snellville native led the Bears to their second-consecutive SoCon regular season title and a seventh-straight season with at least 35 wins. In addition to his 20 homers and 72 RBI, he ranked in the top-five nationally in walks (66), on-base percentage (.535) and runs (70) and in the top-15 nationally in batting average (.395). These numbers earned him recognition as a consensus All-America first-team selection, Baseball America National Player of the Year, American Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist. He was also named the SoCon Player of the Year for the second straight season.
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Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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The Players Choice Awards are held in high regard by players because the winners are selected in balloting among their peers. This year's balloting, presented by Topps, was conducted online by ElectionBuddy and took place throughout the major leagues in mid-September.
Â
"We are extremely proud and happy for Kyle," remarked Head Coach Craig Gibson. "His contributions were a pivotal part of the Mariners success this season, and it has been a joy to watch. Kyle is an outstanding baseball player and even a better person. He is a great representative of Mercer, and I am glad to see him having success in the MLB. He is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential."
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The Seattle Mariners outfielder was the easy winner in the survey of 92 AL Players for Sporting News' Rookie of the Year. Lewis, who led the Mariners in hits (54), homers (11), walks (34), on-base percentage (.364), and total bases (90), was named on 55 baloets. He is the first Mariners player to win Sporting News Rookie of the Year honorssince Rafael Soriano in 2003 when Sporting News gave awards to both a rookie pitcher and a position player in each league.
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In his first at-bat of the 2020 campaign, Lewis, the 2016 winner of the Golden Spikes Award, hit a home run off Justin Verlander. The next night, Lewis followed with an opposite-field home run. Late in the season, Lewis took a grand slam away from Ramon Laureano of the Oakland Athletics in a robbery that reminded Mariners fans of Ken Griffey Jr.
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Lewis is the most decorated student-athlete in Mercer history. In June 2016, Lewis won the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. He also became the highest pick in Mercer and Southern Conference history, being selected 11th overall by the Mariners in the MLB Draft.
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In his final year at Mercer, the Snellville native led the Bears to their second-consecutive SoCon regular season title and a seventh-straight season with at least 35 wins. In addition to his 20 homers and 72 RBI, he ranked in the top-five nationally in walks (66), on-base percentage (.535) and runs (70) and in the top-15 nationally in batting average (.395). These numbers earned him recognition as a consensus All-America first-team selection, Baseball America National Player of the Year, American Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist. He was also named the SoCon Player of the Year for the second straight season.
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Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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