Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson named finalist for Player of Year
The nation has taken notice of Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson. The Bulldogs’ junior catcher has added to his postseason accolades.
Jackson was named a finalist for Baseball America’s Player of the Year Award on Wednesday. Jackson is coming off a regular season in which he won the SEC’s triple crown.
He led the conference in batting average, .391, home runs with 27 and runs batted in with 79. Jackson also had 25 steals.
That makes the junior one of just six players (and first catcher) in NCAA Division 1 history to have at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. He is the first SEC player to ever have a 25-25 season.
Georgia’s players have a respect for Daniel Jackson’s underrated stardom
His teammate Caden Aoki called Jackson underrated earlier this month. Jackson’s work behind the plate and at the plate make him one of the country’s most complete players in the eyes of Aoki.
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“If the Golden Spikes winner can be underrated, that’s Daniel Jackson,” Georgia pitcher Caden Aoki said. “I mean, behind the dish, he just doesn’t get the love that he deserves. He’s a true catcher. This is my first year with him, and he’s just been a superstar since the fall. I really believe that he’s a true catcher, and he’s going to catch for a long time in the major leagues… Since the moment I got here, he’s been really professional and an amazing catcher.”
Jackson hasn’t looked at the stats. He’s worked to try and take things day by day on the way to his massively productive junior season. Even still, Jackson felt he had the ability to accomplish everything that he had this season.
“I definitely kind of willed it into existence,” Jackson said on May 14. “A lot of it comes from just belief and confidence, putting in the hard work, and then believing in that and kind of just trusting yourself to go from there.”
