The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to an amateur player who best exhibits and combines "exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship". Along with the Dick Howser Trophy, the Golden Spikes Award is considered the most prestigious in amateur baseball.
Ten winners of the Golden Spikes Award are members of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, including Bob Horner, the inaugural winner in 1978. In that same year, he was the first overall MLB draft pick and proceeded to win the Rookie of the Year Award. Seven Golden Spikes Award winners went on to become the first overall MLB draft pick. Only Horner achieved the MLB Rookie of the Year Award in the same year (although Jason Jennings and Buster Posey were voted the top rookies of the National League several years after winning the Golden Spikes Award). Jim Abbott, Jered Weaver and Tim Lincecum are the only award winners to pitch an MLB no-hitter, while Horner is the only one to hit four home runs in one MLB game. Furthermore, 17 players won the Dick Howser Trophy (considered to be the Heisman Trophy of college baseball) alongside the Golden Spikes Award. No player has won the award more than once, and no Golden Spikes recipient has yet been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The winner has been announced annually during a live broadcast of ESPN's SportsCenter since 2014. Immediately following the announcement, the award winner and the other finalists are honored at a banquet in Los Angeles. The most recent recipient of the award is Daniel Jackson of the Georgia Bulldogs. Although it can be given to any amateur player, the award has always been given to a college baseball player.
Winners
+KeyYearLinks to the article about the corresponding baseball yearPlayerName of the playerPositionThe player's position(s) at the time he won the awardSchoolThe player's college when he won the awardItalicsPlayer 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 yearMember of the National College Baseball Hall of FamePlayer is active
+WinnersYearPlayerPositionSchool3BArizona State3BCal State Fullerton1BArizonaOFFlorida StateSSNew Orleans3BAlabamaOFArizona State1BMississippi StatePFlorida StatePMichigan3BOklahoma StatePLSUPMiami-Dade Community CollegeOFArizona State3BCal State FullertonPWichita StateCGeorgia TechOFCal State Fullerton1BSan Diego StateOFFlorida State3BMiami (FL)PBaylorPSouth CarolinaPSouthern CaliforniaSSClemson2BSouthernPLong Beach State3BNebraskaPWashingtonPVanderbiltCFlorida StatePSan Diego StateC/OFCollege of Southern NevadaPUCLACFlorida3BSan Diego1B/PKentuckyOFArkansas^OFMercer1B / PLouisville1BCaliforniaCOregon StateNot awardedPArkansas1BTexasDylan CrewsOFLSUCharlie Condon1B/OFGeorgiaWehiwa AloySSArkansasDaniel JacksonCGeorgia
Winners by School +WinnersSchoolAmountMost RecentAlabama11983Arizona11980Arizona State31991Arkansas32025Baylor11999Cal State Fullerton31995California12018Clemson12002Florida12012Florida State42008Georgia22026Georgia Tech11994Kentucky12014Long Beach State12004Louisville12017LSU22023Mercer12016Miami (FL)11998Miami-Dade College11990Michigan11987Mississippi State11985Nebraska12005New Orleans11982Oklahoma State11988Oregon State12019San Diego12013San Diego State22009South Carolina12000Southern12003USC12001Southern Nevada12010Texas12022UCLA12011Vanderbilt12007Washington12006Wichita State11993
See also
List of college baseball awards
Notes
References General
Specific