| Awarded for | Best catcher in NCAA's Division I |
|---|---|
| Sponsored by | Kamerion Wimbley Foundation |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Wichita Sports Commission |
| History | |
| First award | 2000 |
| Most recent | Walker Janek, Sam Houston State |
The Buster Posey Award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, was created in 2000 to honor college baseball's top catcher in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The award is administered by the Wichita Sports Commission and presented after the conclusion of the College World Series.
Originally named for Johnny Bench, it was renamed in 2019 after Johnny Bench announced the creation of his own national award for amateur catchers. The commission reviewed the statistics of the prior winners and unanimously chose to rename the award after Buster Posey. [1]
Schools nominate their catchers during the season to create the official watch list. A select committee of 20 individuals narrows the watch list down to the semifinalists. Two rounds of voting by Division I head coaches determine the three finalists and eventual recipient of the Buster Posey Award. The current holder of the award is Walker Janek.
| Year | Links to the article about the corresponding baseball year |
|---|---|
| Player | Name of the player |
| School | The player's college when he won the award |
| Class | The player's year in college when he won the award |
| ^ | Player won the MLB Rookie of the Year Award [lower-alpha 1] |
| § | Player also won the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy in the same year |
| ‡ | Player is active in MLB [lower-alpha 2] |
Johnny Lee Bench is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from 1967 to 1983, with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of the Reds team known as the Big Red Machine that dominated the National League in the mid-1970s, winning six division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series championships.
The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The award is named after former collegiate and Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Dick Howser, who died as the result of brain cancer on June 17, 1987, at the age of 51. In that same year, the award was established by friends of Howser and presented to Mike Fiore, the inaugural winner. It is considered to be the Heisman Trophy of college baseball.
Jeffrey Burton Clement is an American former professional baseball player. Clement was a catcher and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Kurtis Kiyoshi Suzuki is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Angels.
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is an American former professional baseball catcher. He spent his entire 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Francisco Giants, from 2009 until his retirement at the conclusion of the 2021 season. In September 2022, Posey joined the Giants' ownership group.
The Florida State Seminoles baseball team represents Florida State University in the sport of college baseball. Florida State competes in NCAA Division I, and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Jeremy Tyler Wise is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher and first baseman in minor league baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Wise attended Louisiana State University and later the University of Oklahoma. At both, Wise played baseball and won multiple accolades over his four-year combined stint. In 2009, Wise won the Johnny Bench Award, an annual award given out to the nation's best college catcher. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft and started his professional career in their organization with the rookie-league Ogden Raptors.
Bradley Garrett Cresse is an American former professional baseball catcher. He attended Los Alamitos High School and Marina High School, where he was recognized as one of the better high school baseball players in Orange County. He then attended Louisiana State University (LSU), where he played college baseball for the LSU Tigers. As a senior, Cresse won the Johnny Bench Award, given to the top collegiate catcher.
Edward Michael Easley is an American former professional baseball catcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2015.
Salvador Johan Pérez Díaz, nicknamed "El Niño" and "Salvy", is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball catcher and first baseman for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a nine-time MLB All-Star, five-time Gold Glove Award winner, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and received the World Series Most Valuable Player Award when the Royals won the 2015 World Series over the New York Mets. He represents the Venezuelan national team on the international level.
John Bryan Holaday is a former American professional baseball catcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on June 6, 2012, with the Detroit Tigers. He also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Prior to his professional career, Holaday played college baseball at Texas Christian University (TCU) for the TCU Horned Frogs. In his senior season at TCU, Holaday won the Johnny Bench Award, given to the best collegiate catcher for the season.
Mark Jacob Lowery is an American professional baseball coach and former baseball catcher who is the manager for the Fredericksburg Nationals. Prior to playing professionally, Lowery played college baseball for James Madison University.
The Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic is an annual six-team college baseball tournament held in Houston and hosted by the Astros Foundation. The 15th annual tournament was held at Minute Maid Park in March 2015. It was initially called Astros College Classic from 2001 through 2002, the Minute Maid Park College Classic from 2003 through 2007, and the Houston College Classic from 2008 through 2015. In December 2015, the Astros Foundation and Shriners Hospitals for Children announced a multi-year naming rights agreement for the tournament, rebranding the event the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic.
Randy Stuart Turner is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds in 2017. Prior to playing professionally, he played college baseball for the Ole Miss Rebels and won the Johnny Bench Award. He is now a coach for Eunice High School in his home town.
Andrew John Susac is an American former professional baseball catcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates. Susac played college baseball at Oregon State University.
Garrett Patrick Stubbs is an American professional baseball catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros. Stubbs attended the University of Southern California (USC), and played college baseball for the USC Trojans. While there, he won the 2015 Johnny Bench Award as the nation's best collegiate catcher.
Matthew Whatley is an American professional baseball catcher in the Texas Rangers organization.
Joseph Andrew Bart is an American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants.
Patrick Bailey is an American professional baseball catcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at North Carolina State University and was selected 13th overall by the Giants in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in May 2023.
Matheu Adam Nelson is an American professional baseball catcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He played college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles.
