Prep Ballplayer of the Week: Spalding’s Vermillion wins close, near-record vote

Our first “Prep Ballplayer of the Week” voting has been completed.

And it was one heck of a race – with a tremendous, almost record-setting, response.

First, our high school writer Sean Naylor picked three exceptionally worthy candidates: Arundel High’s junior pitcher Steve Sturlaugson, who dominated in his start last week; Archbishop Spalding senior infielder/pitcher Nick Vermillion, who hit two homers in two games and threw a complete-game shutout; and Centennial junior outfielder Jake Watson, who had a two-homer game.

Any one of the three could have taken home this week’s honors.

Ultimately, it was Vermillion, who was in a knockdown, drag-out battle with Watson all week.

The Spalding faithful eventually pushed Vermillion to “Prep Ballplayer” winning status with more than 22,000 votes – giving him 52.2 percent of our poll.

Watson, who was leading for a chunk of the week, picked up nearly 19,000 votes or 43 percent. And Sturlaugson received five percent overall and more than 2,000 votes – which is still an impressive tally for just three days of voting.

Overall, this was the second highest number of votes we’ve had for the “Prep Ballplayer” feature – a total of 43,548 votes tallied in a short week. That’s incredible. Keep at it each week.

Next week, we get back to our regular schedule – the Orioles’ Opening Day pushed us back a day – so we’ll announce our three “Prep Ballplayer” finalists on Monday and you can vote through Thursday night, with the winner announced Friday.

If you’d like to nominate a high school baseball player in the Baltimore area (and surrounding counties), please send his info, stats for the past week and a contact name to Sean Naylor at sean@baltimorebaseball.com.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

Congratulations to Vermillion (pictured above) for his excellence at the plate and on the mound, and to Sturlaugson and Watson for exceptional performances, also.

AddThis Website Tools
Dan Connolly

Dan Connolly has spent more than two decades as a print journalist in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Baltimore native and Calvert Hall graduate first covered the Orioles as a beat writer for the York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record in 2001 before becoming The Baltimore Sun’s national baseball writer/Orioles reporter in 2005. He has won multiple state and national writing awards, including several from the Associated Press Sports Editors. In 2013 he was named Maryland Co-Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. And in 2015, he authored his first book, "100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." He lives in York, with his wife, Karen, and three children, Alex, Annie, and Grace.

Share
Published by
Dan Connolly

Recent Posts

Rest in Peace, Henny
  • The Bird Tapes

Rest in Peace, Henny

In Year Two of the Bird Tapes, I’m adding a series of interviews with legendary…

August 20, 2025
Basallo’s game-winning dribbler, big outs from bullpen lift Orioles to 4-3 win over Red Sox in 11
  • Rich Dubroff

Basallo’s game-winning dribbler, big outs from bullpen lift Orioles to 4-3 win over Red Sox in 11

BOSTON--What happened? After the Orioles traded four key relief pitchers last July and lost closer…

August 20, 2025
Westburg, Rutschman, Basallo out of Orioles’ lineup
  • Rich Dubroff

Westburg, Rutschman, Basallo out of Orioles’ lineup

BOSTON—Third baseman Jordan Westburg and catcher Adley Rutschman are out of the Orioles’ lineup for…

August 19, 2025
  • Mailbag

Will Orioles extend Trevor Rogers? | MAILBAG

Question: I’ve seen enough. Trevor Rogers has earned a contract extension, and among the candidates…

August 19, 2025
  • Rich Dubroff

Rogers, Basallo team up, lead Orioles to 6-3 win over Red Sox; Westburg leaves with ankle injury

BOSTON--What happened? Trevor Rogers continued his string of impressive starts, giving up a run on…

August 19, 2025