BLITZ Baseball Player of the Year: Hampton Hutto

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The BLITZ Baseball Player of the Year goes to Hampton Hutto of Commerce. The junior was phenomenal throughout the Tigers’ historic run to the Final Four, and he proved to be the best player in the area.

POY Framed Print (11×17) – Hampton Hutto

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POY Framed Print (11×17) – Hampton Hutto

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

.400 AVG
7 Homeruns
52 RBI
32 R
15 Doubles

Those numbers speak for themselves. He was the area leader in homers, RBI, and doubles. Hampton Hutto slugged his was as a junior first baseman/DH to this distinction, and had a stat line of .400-7-52, adding 32 runs and 15 doubles. He led the Tigers to a region title (second in a row) and a Final Four appearance.

VOTING RESULTS

Hampton Hutto – 61.75 pts (9 1st-place votes)
Drew Bates – 50.5 pts (3)
Jake Johnson – 25.5 pts
Nick Mullinax – 20.5 pts (1)
Cruz Mullinix – 19.25 pts (2)
Connor Chastain – 18.5 pts (2)
Jase Peoples – 11 pts
Keilin Sanders – 5.5 pts

Voting included our 17-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts; 7th-8th 0.25 pts

Hampton Hutto secured nine 1st-place votes to cruise to the honors, though five different players got a top-place tally. Drew Bates secured a few, and two apiece for Cruz Mullinix and Connor Chastain, and one for Nick Mullinax.

HISTORY OF BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2022 – Hampton Hutto – Commerce JR 1B/DH
2021 – Brady Wilson – Rabun County SR C/P
2020 – Hudson Sapp – Dawson County SR OF/P
2019 – Hudson Sapp – Dawson County JR OF/P
2018 – Palmer Sapp – Dawson County SR SS/P
2017 – Kooper Briley – Stephens County SR SS
2016 – Tucker Maxwell – Dawson County SR OF
2015 – Joseph Mancuso – Union County JR P/1B
2014 – Spencer Adams – White County SR P/SS
2013 – Brett Westmoreland – White County SR 1B
2012 – Zach Wall – Hayesville JR P/SS
2011 – David Sosebee – White County SR P/3B
2010 – David Sosebee – White County JR P/3B

Hampton Hutto becomes the first Commerce player to ever win the BLITZ Baseball POY award. He is the first junior since 2019 to grab it, and the first primary first baseman since White County’s Brett Westmoreland in 2013.