College Player Of The Year Watch (4/5/19)

Image credit: Photo by Bill Mitchell

As college baseball this week reaches the halfway point of the season, it is time for an update to the Player of the Year race.

Since the first update two weeks ago, four names on this list have changed. East Carolina first baseman Spencer Brickhouse, Georgia righthander Emerson Hancock, Texas Christian lefthander Nick Lodolo and Minnesota righthander/outfielder Max Meyer have moved on to the list, while Michigan lefthander Tommy Henry, Missouri outfielder Kameron Misner, Nevada-Las Vegas shortstop Bryson Stott and Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson have fallen off.

There’s still plenty of season left before we have to make a decision on the 2019 Baseball America Player of the Year. We’ll have another update to the watch list in two weeks.

Hunter Bishop, OF, Arizona State: Bishop is the nation’s home run leader with 16 in 27 games. He’s hitting a blistering .417/.552/1.010 with 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts and is soaring up draft boards.

JJ Bleday, OF, Vanderbilt: Bleday has continued to mash at the heart of the Vanderbilt lineup. He’s hitting .353/.444/.716 with 12 home runs.

Spencer Brickhouse, 1B, East Carolina: Brickhouse was sidelined by an injury for five games early this season but has come back strong. He’s hitting .377/.510/.714 with six home runs for the American Athletic Conference leaders.

Tanner Burns, RHP, Auburn: Burns, a sophomore, has smoothly taken over atop the Auburn rotation from Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Burns is 4-0, 1.40 with 59 strikeouts and 10 walks in 45 innings.

Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville: Detmers is having a breakout sophomore season as Louisville’s ace. He is 5-1, 0.92 with 76 strikeouts and eight walks in 48.2 innings. He ranks second in the nation in WHIP (0.66) and strikeouts.

Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia: Hancock is establishing himself as a potential top-10 or better pick in the 2020 draft. He’s leading the Bulldogs’ rotation and is 6-1, 0.98 with 49 strikeouts and 11 walks in 46 innings.

Nick Lodolo, LHP, Texas Christian: Lodolo has emerged as the best college pitcher in this year’s draft class and has been exemplary at the front of the Horned Frogs’ rotation. He is 4-2, 1.13 with 63 strikeouts and 10 walks in 48 innings.

Max Meyer, RHP/OF, Minnesota: Meyer began the year as Minnesota’s closer but has moved to the front of the rotation, while also continuing to be a key presence in its lineup. He is 2-1, 1.46 with two saves, 45 strikeouts and six walks in 37 innings on the mound and is hitting .312/.369/.351.

Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State: The top prospect in the 2019 draft has put together a spectacular first half for Oregon State. He is hitting .417/.592/.774 with eight home runs, 39 walks and 19 strikeouts while also providing strong defense behind the plate.

Andrew Vaughn, 1B, California: The 2018 Golden Spikes Award winner has cooled a bit from his sensational start but is still hitting .360/.530/.721 with nine home runs, 27 walks and 16 strikeouts.