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Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Sebastian 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. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 170 pounds (77 kg), he bats and throws left-handed.

Outfielder
Born:July 6, 1994Cincinnati,Ohio
MLB debut
August 2, 2016, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics (through September 17, 2019)
Batting average.278
Home runs51
Runs batted in259
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Amateur career

Benintendi receiving the Dick Howser Trophy in 2015

Benintendi receiving the Dick Howser Trophy in 2015

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 Mustangs 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 high school career with an Ohio-record 199 career runs scored.[2][3] He also played high school basketball, earning 2011-12 Cincinnati Enquirer Division III Co-Player of the Year honors and setting school records in career points (1,753) and season points (638), career 3-pointers (180), and points per game in a season (25.5).[4] Benintendi was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 31st round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft,[5] but he did not sign.

Benintendi enrolled at the University of Arkansas to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team. As a true freshman, he played in 61 games, with 60 starts and hit.276/.368/.333 with one home run and 27 RBI.[6][7][8]

In 2015, Benintendi led the Southeastern Conference in batting average (.380), home runs (19), on-base percentage (.489), slugging percentage (.715), and walks (47). He was named the SEC Player of the Year.[9] He also won the Baseball America College Player of the Year Award,[10] the Dick Howser Trophy,[11] and the Golden Spikes Award.[12] 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.[13] He signed with the Red Sox, receiving a $3.6 million signing bonus.[14] Benintendi made his professional debut with the Lowell Spinners of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League.[15] Andrew finished the 2015 season playing 19 games for the Class A Greenville Drive going 26/74 (.351) and posting an OPS of 1.011. 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.[16]

2016

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.[17] He made his major league debut on August 2, against the Seattle Mariners as a pinch hitter, and recorded his first major league hit off of Hisashi Iwakuma on August 3.[18] Benintendi recorded both his first major league triple and home run against the Detroit Tigers on August 21 in a 10–5 loss.[19]

On October 6, in Game 1 of the 2016 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians, Benintendi hit a home run in his first postseason at bat, off of Indians' pitcher Trevor Bauer. With the feat, Benintendi became the youngest Red Sox player to hit a home run in a postseason game.[20] However, the Indians won the game by a score of 5–4 and swept the series in three games. Benintendi ended the 2016 season with a.295 batting average, 31 hits, 14 RBIs, two home runs, and one stolen base in 34 games played.[4]

2017

Benintendi started the 2017 season as part of the Red Sox' Opening Day roster, batting second as Boston defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 5–3.[22][23] On July 4, against the Texas Rangers, Benintendi went 5-for-5 with 6 RBIs, two home runs, and a double in the 11–4 victory.[24] He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, despite receiving no first-place votes due to Aaron Judge winning unanimously.[25] Overall, during the 2017 Red Sox regular season, Benintendi batted.271 with 20 home runs and 90 RBIs in 151 games played. In the ALDS against the eventual World Series champions, the Houston Astros, he batted.250 (4-for-16) with a home run and two RBIs in four games.

2018

For the 2018 Red Sox, Benintendi was again on the Opening Day roster. Through the first half of the season, he was the team's regular left fielder, usually batting second, behind Mookie Betts. On July 8, Benintendi was named as a candidate in the American League's All-Star Final Vote, for a spot in the 2018 MLB All-Star Game.[26] At that point in the season, Benintendi had a slash line of.293/.379/.515 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs. In the Final Vote, fans selected Jean Segura of the Seattle Mariners.[27]

In the 2018 MLB playoffs, Benintendi recorded the final outs to seal victories for the Red Sox in Games 4 and 5 of the 2018 American League Championship Series, the first of the two a diving effort to prevent a bases loaded hit in a two run game.[28] The Red Sox won the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving Benintendi his first championship title.[29]

2019

Benintendi began the 2019 season as Boston's regular left fielder.

Manager Alex Cora initially made him the team's leadoff hitter,[30] until the start of June when Cora moved Benintendi to second in the order with Mookie Betts batting first, as was the team's usual order in 2018.[31] Through the end of May, Benintendi batted.257 with six home runs and 25 RBIs. On June 11, he was ejected for the first time in his MLB career, for a comment he made about the home plate umpire (Ángel Hernández) that was heard by the first base umpire (Vic Carapazza).[32]

Personal life

Benintendi's paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from Italy.[33] He grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan.[34]

Benintendi resides in St. Louis, Missouri, during the offseason, and during the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, he voiced his support for the St. Louis Blues as opposed to the Boston Bruins.[35]

References

[1]
Citation Linkarkansasnews.com"Arkansas Baseball Signee Named Player Of The Year". Arkansas News. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[2]
Citation Linkusatodayhss.com"30 Years of Honoring The Future: Former POY Andrew Benintendi on a major power surge". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[3]
Citation Linkwww.cincinnati.com"Madeira grad Benintendi's blazing, leads NCAA in HRs". Cincinnati.com. April 18, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[4]
Citation Linkm.mlb.com"Andrew Benintendi Stats, Fantasy & News". Boston Red Sox.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[5]
Citation Linkarchive.cincinnati.com"Reds select Madeira's Andrew Benintendi in MLB draft".
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[6]
Citation Linkwww.baxterbulletin.comNate Allen, nallensports@att.net (May 5, 2015). "Allen: Weights, change of stance pay off for Benintendi". The Baxter Bulletin. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[7]
Citation Linkwww.nwaonline.com"Beefed-up Benintendi gives Hogs more bang". NWADG.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[8]
Citation Linkwww.hotsr.com"Hot Springs Sentinel Record – Benintendi blasting off for Arkansas". hotsr.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[9]
Citation Linkwww.secsports.com"SEC Baseball Awards" (Press release). Southeastern Conference. May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[10]
Citation Linkwww.cincinnati.comDyer, Mike (June 11, 2015). "Andrew Benintendi named Baseball America National Player of the Year". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[11]
Citation Linkm.mlb.comRed Sox pick Benintendi wins Howser Trophy, MLB.com. Published June 12, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[12]
Citation Linkwww.arkansasonline.comJones, Matt (June 23, 2015). "Benintendi wins Golden Spikes Award". Arkansas Online. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[13]
Citation Linkwww.bostonglobe.comSpeier, Alex (June 9, 2015). "Red Sox draft Arkansas OF Andrew Benintendi seventh overall". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[14]
Citation Linkwww.gloucestertimes.comWillis, David (August 12, 2015). "Red Sox first round pick Benintendi showing why he dominated college baseball world". Gloucester Daily Times. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[15]
Citation Linkwww.masslive.comMcCaffrey, Jen (August 11, 2015). "Boston Red Sox prospects: Andrew Benintendi impressing at Class A Short-Season Lowell". masslive.com. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[16]
Citation Linkwww.milb.comPeng, 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.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[17]
Citation Linkwww.boston.comWilbur, Eric (August 2, 2016). "Here comes Andrew Benintendi, stamped with 'rush delivery' to the Red Sox". Boston.com. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[18]
Citation Linkwww.baseball-reference.com"Boston Red Sox at Seattle Mariners Box Score, August 3, 2016 - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[19]
Citation Linkwww.espn.com"Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers - Box Score - August 21, 2016 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM
[20]
Citation Linknesn.comHartwell, Darren (October 6, 2016). "Watch Andrew Benintendi Hit Huge Homer In His First Postseason At-Bat". Retrieved June 2, 2017.
Sep 23, 2019, 6:10 PM