MLB Player Profile: Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Youkilis, commonly known as “Youk”, plays at third base for the Boston Red Sox and has been an ideal example of a true gentleman in his seven years at Major League Baseball. Born on March 15, 1979, Youkilis made his debut in the Majors on May 15, 2004
with the Red Sox and has since remained with the current American League leaders.
The right-handed player has a tremendous record on the plate and at third base. He has shown his offensive instincts with the bat in hand while he has been rated as one of the best defensive players at third base. Youkilis has been versatile throughout his
career and his long-list of achievements compliments his stature as a player.
His versatility can be gauged from the fact that he has played at first base too and ended up making a Major League record with 238 games without an error at this position. He was awarded a Gold Glove Award for his brilliance at first base after the 2007
season.
After being drafted by the Red Sox in 2001, Youkilis impressed in the minor leagues from 2001 to 2004 and went on to be named as Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year in his first year at the minors in 2001. He played 340 games at third base, 59 at first
base and 2 at second base in his Minor League career and batted at an average of .299 which, by any calculation, is magnificent.
Youkilis made his debut for the Red Sox when Bill Mueller was placed on the disabled list. Hungry for success yet humble in his approach, Youkilis made the most of his opportunity in his first outing with the Red Sox when he smashed Pat Hentgen for his first
home-run in his career’s second at-bat.
He became the second player in the history of MLB to score a home-run on debut. After his first game, Youkilis said, "This one will go down probably as the greatest day of my life." He went on to be named as American League’s Rookie of the Month which marked
the beginning of an eminent career.
Standing at 6ft 1in, Youkilis got his first chance as an everyday player in 2006 and was quick to grab this opportunity to score 100 runs in a single season for the first time in his career. He recorded more than 150 hits for the first time that season and
this feat continued for the next three years until 2009 when he bagged 150 hits.
2008 proved to be the most fruitful year for the right-handed hard-hitting batter who signed a $3-million contract with the Red Sox after earlier being one of the least-salaried players on Boston’s roster. He broke the record for most consecutive fielded
chances without an error, breezing past Stuffy McInnis’ 1700 to finish at 2002 error-free fields at first base. His streak, which began in 2006, ended in 2008 in a game against Seattle Mariners.
2008 also saw Youkilis win his first selection to the All-Star Game which was followed by two more selections to the star-studded encounter in 2009 and 2011. He was honoured for his flawless performances by Sporting News when they selected him in the list
of the 50 greatest current players in baseball for three consecutive years i.e. 2009 to 2011.
Youkilis earned a $41.25-million contract with the Red Sox in 2009 with a validity of four-years. His performances have been ever-improving and he continues to blossom as a player. Youkilis has been with the Red Sox since the onset of his career and it would
be interesting to see how long does he persist with the same team in a League where good opportunities are looming good players and Youkilis, without doubt, is one of them.
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