FARMVILLE, Va. – Former Longwood slugger Kyri Washington has been named the Greenville Drive's 2016 player of the year, as announced Thursday by the club.
 
A native of Prospect, Va., Washington has made quite the impact in his second year in the Boston Red Sox organization, being named as one of the organization's top-30 prospects list by MLB.com in July, winning Greenville's player of the month award in June, and now named as the player of the year for his Single-A club. Washington received his award for winning the fan vote for player of the year before the team's final home game of the season Thursday.
 
The 23rd-round pick of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Red Sox, Washington is living up to lofty expectations set during his tenure at Longwood. In 100 games in 2016 Washington is hitting .263 with 14 home runs, 20 doubles, nine triples, and a team-high 70 RBI. The 22-year-old slugger sits in the top 10 in the South Atlantic League in slugging percentage, triples, RBI, home runs, and OPS.
 
Washington, a second team all-conference performer after leading the Big South with 15 home runs during the 2015 season, has advanced two levels from rookie ball to Single-A in Greenville since beginning his professional career in June of 2015. He is one of three former Longwood baseball players currently playing professional baseball. Washington is joined by former teammate Aaron Myers, who is in Class-A Short Season with the Helena Brewers of the Milwaukee Brewers system, and Mark Montgomery, who is in Double-A with the Trenton Thunder of the New York Yankees organization.
 
With the Drive eliminated from postseason contention, three games remain in the second professional season for Washington in the young hitter's first full season of pro ball.

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