It’s hard to believe that Stockton Ports shortstop Addison Russell is only 19 years old when watching him on the baseball diamond. Russell, the A’s first round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, is composed and confident. He looks like he was born to play baseball. He has broad shoulders and a slender frame, a sweet swing, and a slick glove.
The Oakland Athletics thought so highly of the kid that they invited him to Spring Training with the big league club this year. In six games this spring against MLB-caliber competition, he hit .250 and drove in two runs.
Seeing as how Russell has proven to be unflappable in the face of intense pressure, Field Of Teams solicited questions from A’s fans on Twitter and asked the A’s top prospect to answer all of the questions on camera. Knowing things could get weird, he still obliged.
In his first full season with the Ports, Russell got off to a slow start but has turned it around. He is hitting .318 since the All-Star Break with nine home runs, 29 RBI, and 25 walks. The six-foot-tall, 190-pound native of Pace, Florida, is hitting a respectable .279 with 16 homers and 57 RBI this season in Stockton.
