'Snubbed!' Wetherholt Not Named a Golden Spikes Award Finalist

One of the nation's best players fails to get the recognition he deserves.

West Virginia's historic baseball season is in the books after being eliminated by Kentucky in the Lexington regional. Much of WVU's success stemmed from the unbelievable season that sophomore second baseman JJ Wetherholt put together.

He led the nation in batting average (.449), was tied for 3rd in hits (101), 9th in total bases (177), 10th in steals (36), 10th in slugging (.787) and 12th in OBP (.517). His consistency at the plate helped lead West Virginia to their first-ever Big 12 Conference regular season title. 

Wetherholt was named the Big 12 Player of the Year but WVU head coach Randy Mazey felt like he was more than just the best player in the conference. He was the best player in all of college baseball.

"Part of this season was having a guy that I feel is deserving of the Golden Spikes in JJ. It's the best season I've ever seen by a single player," Mazey said following the loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. "But beyond that, the type of teammate he is, the type of leader he is, what he does off the field is equally as impressive as what he does on the field. I've never been a part of a season like that. Kudos to JJ for being a Mountaineer."

Wednesday evening, Wetherholt was snubbed of a spot for the Golden Spikes Award, the equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in football. Instead, three SEC players, two from the same team, are up for the award - OF Dylan Crews (LSU), P Paul Skenes (LSU), and LHP/1B Jac Caglianone (Florida).

Crews is projected to be the first overall pick in this year's MLB First-Year Player Draft, so that's no surprise. Paul Skenes had a terrific year striking out 179 batters to just 17 walks in 99.1 innings pitched and has put himself in a position to be a top-five pick as well. However, Caglianone's spot for the award should be questioned. Wetherholt had a significantly higher batting average and on-base percentage, drew more walks, and struck out 26 fewer times than Caglianone did. But because he hit 31 homers and plays in the SEC, that bias creeps into play. 

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