Our first look at George Springer was on June 18, 2007 at a Baseball Factory National Tryout. The event was held at Govoni Baseball Field on the campus of Babson College. George had just finished his junior year at Avon Old Farms and made the trip from his hometown of New Britain, CT to perform in front of our scouts. It didn’t take long for him to make an impression; he ran the 60-YD in a 6.88s split and showed above-average tools across the board. His combination of athleticism and baseball skills caught the eyes of several of the evaluators on hand, most notably Baseball Factory CEO, Steve Sclafani. Steve was one of the first to recognize that Springer had elite level tools.

Sclafani, along with Baseball Factory Player Development Coordinator Dave Packer, began a relationship with the Springer family that continues to this day. George’s impressive showing at the National Tryout in Massachusetts earned him an invitation to the Cape Cod High School Classic (now the Under Armour All-America Game). At the Classic, Springer made a lasting impression on the scouts in attendance as most were learning his name and seeing him play for the first time. He showed well alongside the other rising high school seniors, who were among the most talented players in the country. In fact, one of the MVPs from the Classic was Springer’s current Astros teammate, LJ Hoes.

George elected to attend the University of Connecticut, where he continued to work hard at his craft throughout the regular and summer seasons. The result of his dedication was a 1st round selection (11th pick overall) in the 2011 MLB Draft. After posting huge numbers at several minor league levels, Springer made his Major League debut on April 16th of this season. He has made an immediate impact for the Astros and looks to be one of the major pieces to help turn around a franchise that has lost over 100 games each of the last three seasons. George’s ability on the field and high character off the field make him the perfect young player to be the face of a franchise. It came as no surprise that after hitting his first ML home run, he announced that he would be giving the ball to his dad. Having outstanding baseball ability and being a humble, quality individual exist together in Springer. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for this bright young star and we wish him the best of luck in his career!
 

VIDEO: George Springer, 2007 Cape Cod High School Baseball Classic