Crawdads' Profar picked as top player in Class Low A

Baseball America tabs Hickory shortstop No. 1 player in minor leagues at that level

By: Record Staff | Hickory Daily Record
Published: September 26, 2011

HICKORY --

The best minor league baseball player at the Class Low A level for 2011 is Hickory Crawdads shortstop Jurickson Profar.

Profar, 18, was named the Low Class A player of the year by Baseball America, the Crawdads announced on Monday. He was also named the starting shortstop on the baseball magazine’s 2011 all-star team for minor leaguers.

Baseball America also tabbed first baseman Andrew Clark for its Low Class A all-star team and two former Crawdads were selected for all-star teams – pitcher Robbie Ross in High A and shortstop Jordy Mercer in Class AA.

Profar, the South Atlantic League’s MVP this season, hit .286 with 12 home runs and stole 23 bases. He was second in the South Atlantic League in doubles (37, a Hickory record) and third in runs scored (86).

A native of Curacao, Profar also ranked among SAL leaders in slugging percentage (.493) and walks (64).

Clark played in 103 games with the Crawdads before advancing to Class High A Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Aug. 14.

A native of Indianapolis, Clark led the SAL in on-base percentage (.422), was second in batting average (.313) and hit 12 home runs and had 24 doubles.

Ross started 16 games for Hickory in the 2010 season and spent the majority of the 2011 season with Myrtle Beach. He led the Carolina League with an ERA of 2.26 and was 9-4 in 21 games, 20 of them starts, and he walked 28 in 128 1/3 innings.

Ross finished the season with the Class AA Frisco RoughRiders.

Mercer split the 2011 season between Class AA Altoona (Pa.) and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class AAA team in Indianapolis. He hit .268 with 13 home runs and had 48 RBI in 72 games for Altoona.

Mercer played for the Crawdads in 2008, hitting .250 with four home runs and driving in 18 runs in 50 games.