Prep Ballplayer of Week: Sturlaugson, Vermillion, Watson vie for first 2017 award

Major League Baseball is back. And so is our “Prep Ballplayer of the Week” feature and vote.

The mid-March snowfall and recent rain may have affected the scheduling of games, but high school players throughout the Baltimore area seemingly weren’t bothered by it.

During this past week, we saw pitchers going the distance, clutch hits and plenty of runs placed on the scoreboard.

THIS WEEK’S FINALISTS

Steve Sturlaugson, Jr., RHP/OF, Arundel
Sturlaugson showed his dominance on the mound in a 6-1 win over North County on Wednesday. The right-hander pitched a complete-game, two-hitter with six strikeouts. He allowed one run in seven innings.

Nick Vermillion, Sr., INF/RHP, Archbishop Spalding
Vermillion made his presence known in back-to-back games for the Cavaliers. On Wednesday, the preseason, all-state selection belted a double, home run and recorded two RBIs against St. Albans. A day later, he pitched Spalding to a 6-0 victory over John Carroll. The right-hander threw a complete-game shutout with 12 strikeouts, allowing one hit. Vermillion helped himself at the plate as well – slugging a two-run homer.

Jake Watson, Jr., OF, Centennial
The Eagles’ hitters caught fire Wednesday against Hammond. They knocked around the opposing pitching staff for 13 runs. Watson was a major contributor as he hit two home runs. The junior had four RBIs in the win.

Others considered (listed alphabetically): Ty Benz, Severn; Ryan Clatterbuck, Westminster; Matt Glady, Severna Park; Hank Koele, Glenelg; Matt Palumbo, Archbishop Spalding; Joe Seidler, Chesapeake; Jarrett Schneider, Harford Tech

In case you’re visiting our ‘Prep Ballplayer’ voting for the first time, here’s how things work: Three candidates will be revealed each Monday (because of Orioles Opening Day, we pushed the first vote to back one day). You get to vote – early and often – for the finalist you believe should be our winner. Voting ends every Thursday night and the winner is announced each Friday.

If you’re interested in submitting candidates for our consideration, please send the player’s name, key statistics from the previous week and your contact information to sean@baltimorebaseball.com. We welcome suggestions and your feedback.