The most coveted award for Suffolk County high school baseball players is the Carl Yastrzemski Award. Every year players lace up their shoes in March with their eyes on this prize, being handed the award in front of 700+ guests at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook, vindicating their success and hard work that led them to this point. Here is a ranking of the past 10 winners.
10. Jesse Berardi, 2014
Key Stats: .423 AVG, 13 extra base hits, 25 runs scored
This has nothing to do with the lack of production, but the sheer talent of this list. Berardi was a standout player during his career at Commack where he led the Cougars to the League I title his senior year. He went on to honor his scholarship at St. John’s despite getting drafted in the 40th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. In his freshman year with the Red Storm, he batted .200 over 65 at bats with 14 RBI. He did draw 11 walks and got hit with two pitches against only 12 strikeouts. He turned 13 double plays in the field. He will most likely play a key role for the Red Storm in 2016.
9. A.J. Nunziato, 2007
Key Stats: .466, 42 hits, 8 doubles, 3 triples, .581 OBP, 15/15 stolen bases
It’s hard to believe now given their recent success, but Ward Melville went through some lean years. They had not won a League I title since 1975 and never had a winner of the Yaz Award. Enter A.J. Nunziato, who proceeded to walk in and turned the program around. He put up absurd numbers and was a three-time All-County player. Since his debut, the program has been among the elite on Long Island. He went on to play at Division-II Lander University. He also played two years of independent ball in 2011 and ’12.
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| Photo Credit: Newsday |
8. Steven Matz, 2009
Key Stats: 6-1 record, 0.25 ERA, 14 hits, 54 IP, 74 K’s, .
Offensively: .408 AVG , 6 HR
The New York Mets starting pitcher first made a name for himself six years ago when he could not be touched by any team in Suffolk County. He allowed two runs the first game of the season and then was untouchable the rest of the way. It was a truly dominant stretch and one that was only outdone by the next player on this list. By adding 6 home runs, he showed that he was not just a one-dimensional player. He had a full scholarship to Coastal Carolina, where he planned to play first base as well as pitch, but of course the Mets selected him 72nd overall in the draft and the rest, as they say, is history.
7. Matt Crohan, 2013
Key Stats: 6-1 record, 44 straight scoreless innings, 47 innings, 104 k’s, .060 AVG,
Offensively: .408 AVG, 2 HR, 12 RBI
Back-to-back no-hitters and nearly a third one. That was the stretch this southpaw put together two years ago. He finally gave up a hit in the sixth inning of the third game, as he attempted to become the first player to fire three straight no-hit, no-run games. He settled for a 0.59 ERA and 104
strikeouts. He was utterly overwhelming for many hitters and he added some pop at the plate. He is the only player from Riverhead to win the award.
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| Photo Credit: St. Louis Athletics |
6. Alec Sole, 2011
Key Stats: 6-2 record, 1.25 ERA
Offensively: .505 AVG, .578 OBP, 28 RBI, 29 R, 6 triples, 11 SBs
Sole, currently a minor leaguer in the Tampa Bay organization as a middle infielder, led Sachem North to a Suffolk County Class AA title in 2011. He dominated on both sides and led the Arrows to their first Suffolk title since the 80s.
5. Mike O’Reilly, 2012
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| Photo Credit: Robert O’Rourk |
Key Stats: 8-3 record, 1.24 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 84 IP, 46 hits, 19 walks, 141 K’s
Offensively: .467, 17 doubles, 21 runs, 4 HR, 23 RBI, .789 SLG %, 42 hits, 6 K’s, 2 walk-off homers
O’Reilly, from a small-town school like Shoreham-Wading River, really needed to do some heavy lifting to win over the critics who thought this award should go to a Class AA player. He proved his worth by dominating all season and taking his play to the next level in the postseason where he hit
two walk-off homers and also threw a 10-inning shutout. He was the second player to win the award in program history, joining former big leaguer Keith Osik.
4.James Briggs, 2010
Key Stats: .554, 39 runs, 5 triples, 39 rbis, .683 OBP, 30 walks, 26-1 record Class AA state title
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| Photo Credit: Daily Gazette |
Briggs made a name for himself in 2009 by winning the Silver Slugger Award by hitting 13 homers and driving in 33 runs for a powerful Lindenhurst team that knocked out my Centereach squad in the playoffs. He followed that up with a phenomenal 2010 season that was culminated in Lindenhurst
winning the Class AA NYS Championship with a 26-1 record. They are the last Long Island Class AA team to do so. What made this even more impressive was the fact that Briggs played the entire season with a torn meniscus in his knee and torn labrum in his shoulder. He didn’t practice or participate in any running drills all winter or during the season. Because of the injury, not many schools expressed interest in him.but he did play at New Paltz where he played two seasons.
3. Marcus Stroman, 2008
Key Stats: 8-1 record, 1.85 ERA, 64.1 IP, 96 K’s, 37 hits, 18 walks
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| Photo Credit: MSG Varsity |
Offensively: 30 stolen bases, .400, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 28 runs
By now, everyone knows the story of the Pat-Med grad. He was always the undersized pitcher that threw hard but was constantly doubted as to whether he could succeed at the next level, whichever level that may have been. Well, there still isn’t a level that’s proven to be too difficult for him,
whether it be League-I, the ACC, Cape Cod league, any of the World teams in the Olympics, the minor leagues or even the Major Leagues. In 2008, he burst onto the scene with a dominant high school season. He constantly was throwing in the 90s and causing havoc on the bases. It was the first moment that he showed the baseball community that he arrived.
2. Glenn Gibson, 2006 
Key Stats: 8-1 record, 0.29 ERA, 11 hits, 2 ER, 11 walks, 145 K’s
Offensively: .416, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 1 HR, 10 SB. 25-4 career record, 4 no-hitters, 285 k’s 183 innings
Being that his father is former big leaguer Paul Gibson, many people knew of his abilities since he was young. He validated that by exploding for a ridiculous year during his senior season at Center
Moriches. He was Steve Matz before Steve Matz. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals, but he never progressed past high-A ball. After sitting out two seasons, he returned to playing last year with Bridgeport of the Atlantic League.
1. Nick Fanti, 2015:
Key Stats: 7-1, 0.67 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 87 K’s, 52 IP, 14 hits, 19 walks, 6 pickoffs, 2 XBH.
Offensively: .541, .571., .689, 40 hits, 35 runs, 27 RBI, 9 steals
It’s hard to have a better year than the 6’2″ left hander did on either side of the ball. He could’ve made a case for the award if he was just a hitter. He led his Hauppauge Eagles to the League 5 title, and then he became the first player drafted in the program’s history, he has gone on to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was assigned to the Gulf Coast League, In his only appearance, he struck out the side while allowing one hit. Keep an eye on the southpaw as he begins his journey to the big leagues.
