April 3, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky junior left-handed pitcher/first baseman A.J. Reed – the Southeastern Conference leader in homers, RBI and slugging percentage – has been named midseason National Player of the Year by Perfect Game USA, it was announced on Thursday morning.
A native of Terre Haute, Ind., Reed was tabbed the midseason national player of the year by Perfect Game USA, joining LSU right-hander Aaron Nola as the midseason pitcher of the year, South Carolina righty Wil Crowe as the midseason freshman of the year and Houston’s Todd Whitting as the midseason coach of the year.
A first-team preseason All-America selection by Baseball America, Reed has hit .343 in 2014, ranking as the SEC leader in homers (nine), RBI (33), slugging (.676) and total bases (69). He has added five doubles, one triple and a .481 on-base percentage at the plate, scoring 29 runs. On the mound, Reed ranks third in the SEC in wins, sporting a 5-1 record and a 2.20 ERA in seven starts. He has tossed 49 innings, allowing 40 hits and walked 14, striking out 29. Reed owns wins over No. 1 Virginia, No. 1 South Carolina and at No. 5 Vanderbilt among his five victories on the bump.
In Reed’s decorated three-year career, the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder has hit .3300 (155-for-516) with 22 doubles, three triples, 26 homers and 128 RBI, owning a .400 on-base percentage. Reed has 12 wins in his career with a 3.11 ERA, working 185 innings, walking just 38 and striking out 132.
A member of the 2014 preseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List, Reed was a consensus first-team freshman All-American as a freshman in 2012. Reed hit .300 in 2012 with nine doubles, four homers and 43 RBI, owning a 5-3 record and a 2.52 ERA on the mound. As a sophomore, Reed ranked fourth in the SEC in homers (13) and RBI (52), while hitting .280 with a 2-8 record and a 4.04 ERA on the mound in 14 series-opening starts. Following the 2013 season, Reed was named first-team All-SEC, spending the summer splitting time with the USA Collegiate National Team and the Cape Cod League.
Kentucky (20-9, 4-5 SEC) will return to action on Friday, hosting No. 12 Florida at 6:30 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium in the opener of a three-game series.
