Hammerhead's Kyle Jensen named FSL Player of the Year

Twelfth Round pick from the 2009 draft, outfielder Kyle Jensen was named the Florida State Player of the Year.

The press release follows:

KYLE JENSEN NAMED FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JUPITER, Fla. – Jupiter Hammerheads outfielder Kyle Jensen has been honored as the Florida State League’s Player of the Year for his 2011 season, as the league announced its year-end All-Star Team.

In 108 games with Jupiter before being called up to Double-A Jacksonville, Jensen batted .309 with 22 home runs, 66 RBIs and 53 runs scored.  Despite not playing in the league since August 11^th, Jensen still holds the league’s 3^rd highest home run total, 7^th highest batting average, and owns the FSL’s best slugging percentage.

The California native was a 12^th round pick by the Marlins in the 2009 MLB Draft, coming from St. Mary’s College where he was twice named to the All-West Coast Conference First Team.  In that season, he picked up a New York-Penn League Player of the Week award, just days before being named to the league’s All-Star Team.  Last year, he led Class-A Greensboro with 126 hits, 26 doubles, and 86 RBIs.

This season, Jensen notched Jupiter’s first hit of the year with a single in the 2^nd inning on Opening Day, and then followed with the team’s first home run in his next at-bat.  It was the start to a season that saw him earn the league’s first Player of the Week award and the Marlins’ Minor League Player of the Month honor for April.

Despite the early promotion and a trip to the disabled list that cost him eight games in May, Jensen’s 22 home runs are the second-most by a Hammerhead player in one season, falling just one short of Chris Schwab’s mark in Jupiter’s inaugural season.

Jensen is the Hammerheads’ second Player of the Year winner, joining Logan Morrison who took the league’s top honor in 2008.  In addition to the individual honor, Jensen was named to the FSL’s year-end All-Star Team, a distinction he also earned at mid-season.

Since being promoted to Jacksonville, Jensen has showed no signs of slowing down.  In 15 games with the Suns, he is batting .319 with four more home runs.

For more information, call (561) 775-1818 or visit JupiterHammerheads.com.

Congratulations to Kyle! Strangely the Marlins are developing young outfielders at a much better rate than they are pitchers, which was once their strong suit. While pitchers may be more valuable, it is good to see that something is going right in the minors.