He was voted Most Valuable Player in the National League in both 19.
For eight years running, he drove in more than 100 runs a year, and his 660 home runs put him in third place for the all-time home run record. Mays's 7095 putouts are the all-time record for an outfielder, but Mays excelled as a hitter as well. Joe DiMaggio said Mays had the greatest throwing arm in baseball. “The Say Hey Kid” was best known for his slugging power in the bigs, as well as, his almost constant appearance in the All-Star game year in and year out. Mays displayed multiple gifts for multiple sports including basketball (averaging 17 points per game which was a record in the 40s), football (he could punt the ball more than 40 yards and excelled at quarterback) and of course baseball where he began his career in the Negro League while still in high school.
His professional career precedes him, and his legacy still lives on to this day as one of the all-time greats.Ĭonsidered one the greatest all-around players in the history of the game, Mays also became one of the most decorated players in the game.īut it was his early prodigal talent that afforded him such great feats later in his career. Jackson defied the color barrier with his skill set due to the interest of Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama who were willing to branch beyond that barrier, but Jackson wound up playing for Arizona State. 550 on Cheltenham’s baseball team, as well as, throw seven no-hitters the next year.
He wound up defying those odds, by hitting. In a football game, Jackson shredded his knee and was told he probably wouldn’t ever play football again, only to finish the year in the last game-a game where he wound up fracturing five cervical vertebrae which led doctors to then say he may never walk again. Jackson was already a standout player in baseball, football, basketball and track as a high school student, but during his time at Cheltenham High School, Jackson faced never playing football and sports on more than one occasion. Sometimes prodigy is also defined by how many odds you defy, especially while growing up. 505 with nine home runs, 36 RBI and 35 steals in 35 tries in 33 games.Īlso to his credit during that time, A-Rod was selected as the USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year and as Gatorade's National Baseball Student Athlete of the Year.Ī-Rod’s prodigal list is probably best supported by the fact that he is the youngest player to ever try out for Team USA back in 1993.Ī-Rod was not only slated to play baseball for Miami in college, but he was also expected to play quarterback-none of which ever occurred, as A-rod skipped college ball altogether and entered the bigs at the ripe age of 18 for the Mariners. 419 with an amazing 90 steals in just 100 games, and A-Rod was the first team prep All-American as a senior as he hit.
We also know of his incredible speed, his unmatched defense and for just simply being one of the best baseball players in history.īut A-Rod’s journey began as a high school student, and in case some of you didn’t know, A-Rod was in fact a prodigy.Īt Miami's Westminster Christian High School, A-Rod batted.
I also dug up a few obscure players who did some pretty amazing things, which technically categorizes them as a prodigy, since their natural skill set was a part of them from the get go.Įveryone knows A-Rod for what he has done in New York as well as for being the youngest player to hit 500 home runs since Jimmy Foxx (1939). I chose this specific list based on individual accomplishments both as a rising star and how it translated in the bigs. To give a few ground rules, I already know there are a ton of players throughout history who could technically qualify here, so these are simply my 25 LIST-this is not a power ranking. OK, the idea here is we are looking at 25 amazing baseball prodigies. Prodigy : Noun – 1 a : a portentous event : omen b : something extraordinary or inexplicable 2 a : an extraordinary, marvelous, or unusual accomplishment, deed, or event b : a highly talented child or youth or individual The word prodigy is sometimes a confusing term often lending itself to open debate and/or argument.īut the definition of prodigy is an indelible adjective that can be safely used to describe the following 25 players I have for you today.