Stanton Named 2010 Davis Award Winner

Post date: Aug 24, 2010 2:12:36 PM

Outfielder Mike Stanton honored as the A's 'Top Prospect' for 2010

The Philadelphia Athletics FBC today announced that the club's current right fielder, rookie Mike Stanton, has been named as the recipient of the organization's 2010 Lawrence 'Crash' Davis Award as the top prospect. This marks the first time in team history where a player was given the award while actually playing for the big league club and not solely in the Minors or the amateur ranks.

Stanton was part of one of the most controversial trades in the Athletics history when the club dealt away long time centerfielder and popular fan favorite Grady Sizemore, one of the leaders of the 2008 WFBL Champions, to the California Barracudas at the Winter Meetings in January of this year. In return, the A's received Stanton and a pair of Amateur Draft picks, one of which they used to secure the selection of their top pick in this past Ammy Draft, shorstop Manny Machado.

The big, powerful right fielder spent the first 2 1/2 months of the season banging balls all over the AAA parks, especially down in Wildwood, New Jersey at the home of the Waves, the A's top farm team. Through April, May and into the first week of June, Stanton batted .313 with a .442 on-base percentage and a 1.171 OPS at Wildwood. He bashed 21 homers, drove in 52 runs, and scored 42 runs.

Since his callup, Stanton has played regularly in the A's outfield, beginning in left field and eventually now taking over full-time as the right fielder at Liberty Bell Park where it is anticipated he will call his home for years to come. In 7+ weeks with the A's, the 20-year old Stanton has crushed 14 homeruns in his first 252 plate appearances. He is batting .256 with a .328 obpctg, 39 rbi, 29 runs, and has even chipped in 4 stolen bases.

Mike now joins the following list of previous Davis Award winners: 2009 - Stephen Strasburg, 2008 - Jeff Clement, 2007 - Jay Bruce, 2006 - Billy Butler, 2005 - Russ Martin, 2004 - Casey Kotchman, 2003 - Jose Reyes, 2002 - Mark Prior, 2001 - Sean Burroughs, 2000 - Pat Burrell, 1999 - Jack Cust, 1998 - Brad Penny

NOTE: A's outfield prospect Desmond Jennings was named as the recipient of the 2010 John Vukovich Award as the WFBL's Top Prospect. Stanton was ineligible for the honor, which only considers players with no MLB service time. This marks the 2nd straight season that an A's prospect has taken the Vuke Award, with pitcher Stephen Strasburg honored last year.