Dustin Ackley

Dustin Ackley
Ackley at the 2009 College World Series
Seattle Mariners — No. 13
Second Baseman
Born: February 26, 1988 (1988-02-26) (age 23) Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 17, 2011 for the Seattle Mariners
Career statistics (through 2011)
Batting average	.273
Home runs	6
Runs batted in	36
Runs	39
Teams
Seattle Mariners (2011–present)

Dustin Michael Ackley (born February 26, 1988) is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. Ackley was drafted and selected second overall by the Mariners in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. He is a natural outfielder, though he played first base his junior season after having Tommy John surgery in August 2008. As of 2011, Dustin Ackley was considered the Mariner organization's top prospect.^[1]

Amateur career

High school

Ackley attended North Forsyth High School where he pitched and played third base.^[2] Ackley also played three years at South Stokes High School. He earned preseason and postseason Louisville Slugger All-American honors as a senior. He was Conference Player of the Year as a junior. He helped South Stokes to North Carolina 1A state titles in 2003 and 2004.

On the academics side of high school he was a member of the A Honor Roll.^[3]

College

Freshman

Ackley attended the University of North Carolina. He enjoyed one of the finest offensive seasons in program history in 2007. He set Carolina single-season records and led the nation with 119 hits, 296 at-bats and 73 games played. He started all 73 games, including 65 at first base. He hit .402 to become just the fifth Tar Heel to bat over .400 in a single season. His 74 runs set a UNC rookie record.

He was the national freshman of the year, earning top rookie billing from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and Rivals.com. He claimed the S.H. Basnight Award as Carolina's most valuable position player. Ackley and the Tarheels made it to the final round of the College World Series, losing to Oregon State.

Sophomore

In 2008 Ackley started all 68 games, 60 at first base and eight in left field. He hit .417 on the season with a school-record 82 runs scored, seven home runs, 51 RBI and 19 stolen bases. He ranks as the only player in Carolina history to hit over .400 twice in a career and also posted Carolina top-10 single-season totals in hits, walks, total bases and at-bats. Ackley once again participated in the 2008 College World Series

Ackley earned All-America honors for the second straight season. He also was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and on watch lists for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Brooks Wallace Award. He again won the S.H. Basnight Award.

Junior

He again participated in the 2009 College World Series. Ackley has the most hits in NCAA history in the College World Series.^[4]

He was a finalist for the 2009 Golden Spikes Award (behind Stephen Strasburg), given to the nation's top amateur baseball player.

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

2009: Draft and signing

He was the second selection in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft.^[5] On August 17, prior to the midnight ET deadline, it was reported that Ackley signed a deal valued at $9.5 million with the Seattle Mariners; ^[6] however, it was later confirmed that Ackley signed a five-year major league deal worth $7.5 million total: $6 million bonus, $1.5 million in guaranteed salaries, with another $2.5 million possible in salaries depending on how quick he reaches the majors.^[7]

The deal was later confirmed and an agreement was reached between the Mariners and his agent Scott Boras about 15 minutes before the signing deadline. Ackley had this to say about the situation:

“	It was pretty crazy. I mean, all this is kind of what I expected would happen, but it was an exciting time. I had faith that it would work out, and it definitely did.	”
—Dustin Ackley, mariners.com: August 18, 2009.[8]

On August 31 Ackley and the Mariners officially signed his five-year major-league deal, worth at least $7.5 million. Ackley wore a Mariners uniform with the number 13, his college number at North Carolina. The Mariners held a news conference and Ackley met with the Mariners players in the clubhouse. Ken Griffey Jr. marveled loudly that he had found a player skinnier than outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.^[9] Ackley also took batting practice as a part of the day's festivities.^[10] Ackley said this about the day:

“	I'm just really excited to get going. I'm just trying to prepare myself right now to put myself in a position to move as fast as I can. How fast that is depends on the people around me and things like that. I've just got to give myself an opportunity to move as quickly as possible, and I hope it can work out.	”
—Dustin Ackley, mlb.com: August 31, 2009.[11]

Ackley was assigned to the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League joining fellow prospects Phillippe Aumont, Josh Fields, Anthony Varvaro, Nick Hill, Joe Dunigan, Carlos Triunfel and Juan Díaz.^[12] Ackley was chosen as an Arizona Fall League Rising Star on November 2.^[13] On November 20, Ackley was named Arizona Fall League MVP.^[14]

2010: Move to second base

First reported by the Mariners' infield instructors, Ackley will be trying to play second base. He came to University of North Carolina as a shortstop but later moved to centerfield, and then later to first base. UNC coach Mike Fox first tried to play Ackley at second base, but later settled in the outfield. Fox said of the transition, "I think he has the athletic skills to make it work." ^[15]

Ackley made his debut at second base for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (the Mariners' Southern League AA affiliate) on April 8, 2010, the Southern League's opening day. Ackley led off, going 0-4 with a walk and a strikeout.^[16]

2011: Call-up

The Mariners promoted Ackley from the Tacoma Rainiers for his first major league start at second base on June 17, 2011.^[17] Ackley hit a single in his first at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Oswalt on June 17. Ackley recorded his fist major league home run on June 18 and his first major league triple on June 19. Ackley finished the season with a .273 average as he was voted MVP of the Seattle Mariners by the Seattle Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

References

1. ^ http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2011/2611021.html
2. ^ NORTH FORSYTH BASEBALL RANKED 33RDpqarchiver.com
3. ^ Dustin Ackley Profile: High School Biotarheelblue.cstv.com
4. ^ Dustin Ackley sets hits record in victorylatimes.com
5. ^ UNC's Ackley is the top college hitter, and maybe the No. 2 picksportsillustrated.cnn.com
6. ^ Done deal: Mariners sign Ackleyseattletimes.com
7. ^ The interminable wait for the new Mariner -- Dustin Ackleythenewstribue.com
8. ^ Ackley ready to take next step with Marinersmariners.com
9. ^ Mariners enjoy welcoming No. 2 pick Ackleyap.com
10. ^ Mariners Notebook | Top draft pick Dustin Ackley takes swings at Safeco Fieldseattletimes.com
11. ^ Ackley gets acclimated to Seattlemlb.com
12. ^ "Ackley Among M's Prospects in Arizona Fall League". Kitsapsun.com. http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/oct/12/ackley-among-ms-prospects-in-arizona-fall-league/. Retrieved 2011-06-09. 
13. ^ By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com. "AFL's Rising Stars set to shine tonight". Mlb.mlb.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091102&content_id=7605168&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved 2011-06-09. 
14. ^ "AFL's Ackley earns Arizona Fall League MVP honors". Mlb.mlb.com. 2010-11-20. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101119&content_id=16160560&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb. Retrieved 2011-06-09. 
15. ^ [1]seattletimes.com
16. ^ Southern League Scoreboardmilb.com
17. ^ http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110616&content_id=20573966&vkey=news_sea&c_id=sea

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Persondata
Name	Ackley, Dustin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 26, 1988
Place of birth	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Date of death
Place of death