Bryce Harper wins Golden Spikes Award

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Harper wins Golden Spikes Award
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- No. 1 draft choice Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals won the Golden Spikes Award on Tuesday, given to the country's top amateur baseball player.

Harper hit a school-record 31 home runs and batted .443 with 98 RBIs as a freshman at the College of Southern Nevada. The 17-year-old slugger left high school two years early and later enrolled in junior college.

Harper is the second junior college player to win the award. Alex Fernandez did it in 1990. Harper and Fernandez are also the only two non-NCAA Division I players to get the award.

The other finalists were: Central Florida outfielder Chris Duffy, Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal, Mississippi left-hander Drew Pomeranz and Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale.

Harper is the second catcher in three years to take the award, joining Buster Posey in 2008. Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg won it last year.