Alhambra's Stephenson is California Baseball Player of the Year

Alhambra High School senior Robert Stephenson has been chosen to be the Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year. He is the first Alhambra student to be chosen for the honor.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Stephenson as California’s best high school baseball player.  Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year award announced in June, Stephenson joins an elite alumni association of past state baseball award winners, including Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Roy Halladay (1994-95, Arvada West HS, Colo.), David Price (2003-04, Blackman HS, Tenn.), Chipper Jones (1989-90, Bolles School, Fla.), Derek Lee (1992-93, El Camino HS, Calif.) and John Lester (2001-02, Bellarmine Prep, Wash.). The 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior right-handed pitcher and outfielder posted an 8-2 record on the mound with a 1.19 ERA, leading the Bulldogs (15-11) to the Division III CIF North Coast Section quarterfinals. A 2010 Aflac All-American, Stephenson also recorded 142 strikeouts in 76.1 innings and a 0.73 WHIP. He is ranked as the nation’s No. 16 prospect in the Class of 2011 by Baseball America. 

Stephenson has maintained a 4.12 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth baseball coach and on behalf of his school’s peer leadership program. 

“As much as I would not want to face Robert Stephenson, I love watching him play the game,” said Shawn McHugh, head coach of rival Dublin High. “If you take away his gifts, he would still be a player I would love to watch. He plays with passion and heart and is capable of putting the game on his back and taking it over. That’s not an easy task in high school.” 

Stephenson has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Washington this fall, but is projected as an early round selection in this month’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. 

Stephenson joins recent Gatorade California Baseball Players of the Year Dylan Covey (2009-10, Maranatha), Matt Hobgood (2008-09; Norco), Kyle Skipworth (2007-08, Patriot), and Josh Vitters (2006-07, Cypress), among the state’s list of former award winners. 

For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.