Courtney Hawkins | |
---|---|
![]() Hawkins with the Lexington Legends in 2021 | |
Free agent | |
Outfielder | |
Born: Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. | November 12, 1993|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
NPB debut | |
August 30, 2023, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | |
NPB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
Batting average | .000 |
Home runs | 0 |
Runs batted in | 1 |
Teams | |
Courtney James Hawkins (born November 12,1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Hawkins attended Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi,Texas. As a senior,he was the Texas Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year. [1] He was the fifth ranked high school recruit in his class by ESPN and was committed to University of Texas at Austin. [2]
The Chicago White Sox selected Hawkins in the first round,with the 13th overall selection,of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. [3] [4] [5] Hawkins started his career with the rookie-level Bristol White Sox of the Appalachian League. In 38 games he hit .272/.314/.401 with three home runs and 16 runs batted in. On August 12,2012,he was promoted to the Low-A Kannapolis Intimidators of the South Atlantic League. [6] He hit .308/.352/.631 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in 16 games. He ended the season with the High-A Winston-Salem Dash after he was promoted on August 29,2012. [7] [8] Overall,he finished his first season hitting .284/.324/.480 with eight home runs and 33 runs batted in 59 games. Hawkins was ranked the White Sox #1 prospect at the start of the 2013 season. [9] He was also ranked as the #55 ranked prospect in baseball according to Baseball America and #68 by MLB.com. Hawkins spent the whole 2013 season with High-A Winston-Salem Dash. He struggled in his first full season,batting .178 with 19 home runs and 160 strikeouts in 383 at-bats. [10]
Hawkins returned to Winston-Salem in 2014, [11] batting .249 with 19 home runs and 84 RBIs. He spent 2015 with the Double-A Birmingham Barons,batting .243 with nine home runs and 41 RBIs,and 2016 with Birmingham,posting a .203 average with 12 home runs and 60 RBIs. In 2017,he played for Kannapolis,Winston-Salem and Birmingham,posting a combined .205 average with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs in 91 total games between both teams. [12] Hawkins was released from the organization on April 18,2018. [13]
On April 26,2018,Hawkins signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Hawkins appeared in 88 games for the Skeeters and hit .285/.342/.505 with 54 runs,17 doubles,18 home runs,72 RBIs,and 12 stolen bases. [14]
On August 10,2018,Hawkins' contract was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. [15] Hawkins spent the remainder of the year with the High-A Daytona Tortugas,hitting .246/.310/.354 with 2 home runs,4 RBI,and 3 stolen bases in 17 games.
In 2019,he played in 3 games for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts before being promoted to Triple-A. However,he struggled to find his footing in 16 games for the Louisville Bats,hitting .167/.196/.352 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. [16] He was released by the Reds organization on May 3,2019.
On May 10,2019,Hawkins signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[ citation needed ] Playing in 3 games,he went 6-for-12 (.500) with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. [17]
On May 14,2019,Hawkins's contract was purchased by the San Francisco Giants and he was assigned to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Despite the assignment,he spent the year with the High-A San Jose Giants. In an August 26 game against the Stockton Ports,Hawkins tied San Jose records for hits (5) and home runs (3) in a game,tallying on 6 RBI as well. [18] In 88 games for the team,Hawkins hit .256/.314/.497 with 21 home runs and 59 RBI. He became a free agent following the season on November 4. [19]
In July 2020,Hawkins signed on to play for the Skeeters of the Constellation Energy League,a makeshift four-team independent league created as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,for the 2020 season. He was named to the league's all-star team. [20]
On May 4,2021,Hawkins signed with the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. [21] In Game 4 of the Atlantic League's championship series,Hawkins hit three home runs in the Legends 13–2 victory over the Long Island Ducks,clinching the franchise's first league championship. [22] Hawkins was named the most valuable player of the series. [23]
In 2022,Hawkins played in 127 games for Lexington,batting .298/.399/.655 with 48 home runs,125 RBI,and 6 stolen bases. Following the regular season,he was named an Atlantic League All-Star, [24] and the Atlantic League Player of the Year. [25] In addition,Hawkins was named the 2022 Independent Player Of The Year by Baseball America . [26]
On December 21,2022,Hawkins signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball. [27] In three games for the Hawks in 2023,Hawkins went 0–for–9 with one RBI. On December 4,SoftBank announced that Hawkins would not return to the team,making him a free agent. [28] [29]
On April 22,2024,Hawkins signed with the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League. [30] In seven games for Puebla,he went 4–for–25 (.160) with one RBI. On May 10,Hawkins was released by Puebla. [31]
On May 17,2024,Hawkins signed with the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. [32] In 16 games for Charleston,he hit .219/.265/.484 with five home runs and 14 RBI. Hawkins became a free agent following the season.