Druw Jones named USA Today High School Sports Awards Boys Athlete of the Year
Druw Jones of Wesleyan School in Peachtree Corners, Georgia was named the 2022 USA Today High School Sports Awards Boys Athlete of the Year during the live show on July 31.
The USA Today High School Sports Awards is the largest high school sports recognition program in the country. Over 800 athletes were honored and winners for 29 sports and other special awards were announced during the live show, which was hosted by former NFL tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Vernon Davis.
The son of a former Atlanta Braves legend Andruw Jones, Druw Jones made his own way during his senior season of high school, showcasing his vast array of athletic talents. Offense, defense, baserunning, pitching — Jones did it all in spectacular fashion to lead Wesleyan to Georgia’s Class A Private state title, the school’s first in 7 years.
The center fielder flashed the leather — often in highlight-reel fashion — to the tune of a 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award. His speed and elite baseball IQ also showed up on the basepaths, where he piled up 32 stolen bases and scored 72 runs. He hit safely in every high school game this season and smashed 13 home runs. He even bolstered his team’s pitching staff, finishing with a 10-1 record. He struck out 53 batters in 41 innings pitched, fueling Wesleyan’s 35-5 championship season in every way imaginable.
Last month, it all paid off for Jones when he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft. He has already signed a deal with the team that included a signing bonus of over $8 million, surpassing a scholarship to Vanderbilt.
Earlier this year, Jones was named a member of the All-USA Today High School Sports Awards Baseball Team and was later named Baseball Player of the Year [[[link to all winners story]]]].
Jones edged out fellow finalists: Colin Sahlman, a cross country and track star from Newbury Park High School in California who was named the Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year during the show; and Gabe Escobedo, a football, basketball and baseball star from Miami High School in Miami Arizona who earlier this year was named the Arizona High School Sports Awards Boys Athlete of the Year.
