Aaron Whitefield named Australian Baseball League's defensive player of the year

Aaron Whitefield named Australian Baseball League's defensive player of the year
16/04/2020
The Adelaide Giants and Minnesota Twins Class A center fielder showcased some of his defensive magic during the WBSC Premier12 2019.

Aaron Whitefield has been named the best defensive player of the Australian Baseball League. The center fielder of the Adelaide Giants became the first outfielder to receive the Brett Sports Defensive Player of the Year Award.

The 23-year-old showed some of his defensive magic while he represented Australia during the WBSC Premier12 2019.

"People say outfield is the easy part because you’re only got to catch the ball," Whitefield told Baseball Australia. "But I take pride on trying to make catches that shouldn’t be caught."

Whitefield added that defensive play has always been one of his top priorities: "It's really something you can control. The plays where you’ve got to dive, take that extra step, or run into the fence with your face, they’re the plays that make you stand out."

The 2019 season was Whitefield's fifth in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Minnesota Twins farm system. He appeared in 112 games at the Class A advanced level.

Whitefield didn't make an error in 23 playing opportunities for the sixth place Australia during the Premier12 2019.