Bubba Starling
 | This article needs to be updated. (July 2015) |
| Bubba Starling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Kansas City Royals – No. 12 | |
| Born: August 3, 1992 Gardner, Kansas | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Derek "Bubba" Starling (born August 3, 1992) is an American professional baseball player in the Kansas City Royals organization.[1][2]
Amateur career
He graduated in the class of 2011 from Gardner Edgerton High School in Gardner, Kansas. Starling was an All-State selection in three different sports at Gardner-Edgerton. He earned first team Top 11 picks as a quarterback in all classifications in Kansas two years in a row. He was rated as high as the No. 6 quarterback in the class of 2011 and No. 112 in the nation for high school football recruits and was also touted as the No. 1 ranked baseball recruit in the nation.
Starling started at quarterback for Gardner-Edgerton's football team, and was considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation.[3] Starling accepted a scholarship to play both football and baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but later turned it down to join the Royals.[4]
Starling was also a member of Kansas's high school All-State team in basketball.[5][6]
Professional career
As a baseball outfielder, Starling was selected by the Kansas City Royals with the 5th overall selection in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.[7] He had widely been considered to be the most athletic prospect in the draft.[8] Starling received a $7.5 million signing bonus, the second largest in draft history. Starling's bonus was also the largest ever for a high school player and his contract also represented the most guaranteed money ever given to a high school player. On July 18 he sustained a grade 2 strained spleen against the Springfield cardinals in Double-A.
On August 14, 2011, Starling signed a 7.5 million-dollar, three-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, opting to play professional baseball over a collegiate athletic career for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Cornhuskers.[9][10] Starling is represented by agent Scott Boras.[11]
The Royals added Starling to their 40-man roster after the 2015 season.[12]
Personal
Starling grew up with his sisters in Gardner, Kansas playing sports for the Gardner Edgerton Blazers. Starling was one of three Royals prospects cited for underage drinking at a random alcohol checkpoint following a college football game between Arizona State and Southern California in Tempe, Arizona.[13]
References
- ^ "Bubba Starling". Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Bubba Starling Bio". Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Pinto, Michael (December 28, 2010). "College Football Recruiting 2011: Where Are the Top 10 Quarterbacks Headed? | Bleacher Report". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Smith, Erick (June 7, 2011). "Royals take Nebraska football recruit Bubba Starling No. 5 in MLB draft - Campus Rivalry: College Football & Basketball News, Recruiting, Game Picks, and More - USATODAY.com". USA Today. ISSN 0734-7456. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Glicksman, Ben (2011). "Kansas star Bubba Starling must choose between baseball, football - SI.com - High School Player of the Week". cnn.com. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Gardner-Edgerton Football's Bubba Starling". ihigh.com. February 1, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates take UCLA's Gerrit Cole with No. 1 pick in draft - ESPN". Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Palmer, Tod (2011). "Hometown fans in Gardner thrilled by Royals' selection - KansasCity.com". kansascity.com. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Report: Bubba Starling signs for $7.5M". Associated Press. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ Dodd, Rustin (August 15, 2011). "Royals sign first-round pick Bubba Starling". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Hoffman, Benjamin (June 6, 2011). "Pirates Make U.C.L.A. Pitcher No. 1 Pick in Draft - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Axford among four DFAed by Rockies
- ^ Dutton, Bob (September 28, 2011). "Royals' Starling cited in Arizona for underage drinking". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)