A.J. Pollock
Falmouth 2008
Outfielder
Notre Dame
For a while back in 2008, it looked like No. 16 on this list — Grant Green — would be a shoo-in for league MVP honors.
But no one counted on A.J. Pollock sneaking in.
Pollock didn’t come to the Cape with as much hype as Green and he didn’t leave with as much, either. But along the way, he out-did Green and authored one of the best MVP seasons we’ve seen in quite some time.
Pollock, a Connecticut kid who shined in the NECBL in 2007, picked up where he left off upon returning to New England. From day one, he was in the lineup as Falmouth’s leadoff hitter and center fielder. He got himself in his base in his first 10 games, bringing it to a crescendo on July 2 when he went 5-for-5 in a win over Wareham.
From that point on, you couldn’t forget about Pollock anymore. He became one of the league’s biggest stars and continued to shine through the end of the season. While some other players saw their numbers dip, Pollock slugged through the all-star game, moved to the three-spot in the batting order and stayed consistent until the season’s last day, when he went 2-for-5 with two RBI in a win over Hyannis.
Pollock helped lead the Commodores to a play-in game win over Bourne, before they were edged by Cotuit in the West Division finals.
After the Cape
Pollock’s big summer greatly enhanced his draft stock and after a strong junior season at Notre Dame, he was taken by the Diamondbacks with the 17th pick in the 2009 draft. He was assigned to Class A South Bend, where he hit .271 in 63 games.
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In addition to a solid pro debut at the plate (.271 in the Midwest League as a 21 year old is a strong first showing), I think I was more impressed with A.J.’s defense. His first step is incredible, and he would track down balls in the gap with relative ease.
I’d expect his average to go up in the hitter friendly California League in 2010. I’d like to see him run a bit more on the basepaths, but that’s more coaching style than it is a knock on A.J. He’s a solid ballplayer all the way around.