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Gracia and Johnson Named to 2025 Golden Spikes Watch List
2/7/2025 3:08:00 PM | Baseball
CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball announced the preseason watch list for the 2025 Golden Spikes Award presented by Chinook Seedery, beginning to identify the best amateur baseball player in the nation.
Two Duke student-athletes were named to the prestigious honor, as sophomores AJ Gracia and Kyle Johnson were tabbed to the 55-player preseason list.
"We are excited to kick off the amateur baseball season with the announcement of the fifty-five player Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List," said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. "The student-athletes on this list are some of the nation's best and brightest, both on and off the field. We look forward to watching these fifty-five players and many more compete in what will surely be another thrilling baseball season."
In his rookie campaign, Johnson became the first two-way player since Marcus Stroman for Duke to earn Freshman All-American honors as a utility player. He was also selected to the All-ACC Freshman team and earned a spot on the Collegiate National Team Summer Ball roster at USA Baseball.
On the mound, the Leesburg, Virginia, native appeared in 15 games, making 12 starts and posting a 4-1 record in 49.1 innings. He tallied 53 strikeouts and held opponents to a .237 batting average while setting a career-high in innings (6.0) and punchouts (8) against North Carolina. Johnson posted a .253 average at the plate, scoring 16 runs and generating 19 hits (10 for extra bases), including three home runs.
Gracia, a Monroe, New Jersey, native set two rookie records at Duke in his first season with the Blue Devils, producing 58 RBI and 14 home runs while playing daily. The outfielder surpassed former Blue Devil Joey Loperfido for the freshman RBI record on the same day Loperfido was elevated to the Houston Astros roster. Gracia earned postseason recognition as part of the Norman Regional Team, All-ACC Third Team Outfielder, Perfect Game Freshman All-American, and NCBWA Freshman All-American.
During the 2024 season, Gracia led the team in walks with 48, moving into fifth all-time in a single season. He posted an on-base percentage of .440 and a slugging percentage of .559 in his rookie campaign.
2025 Preseason Accolades
Kyle Johnson – Perfect Game First Team Preseason All-American (TWP), 15th-ranked Sophomore (PG), Baseball America First Team Preseason All-American (TWP), 44th-ranked Starting Pitcher (D1Baseball), Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List
AJ Gracia – Perfect Game Third Team Preseason All-American (OF), 2nd-ranked Sophomore (PG), D1Baseball Third Team Preseason All-American (OF), 10th-ranked Outfielder (D1Baseball), NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American (OF), Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List
Wallace Clark – 40th-ranked Senior (PG), 22nd-ranked Shortstop (D1Baseball)
Ben Miller – D1Baseball Third Team Preseason All-American (3B), 3rd-ranked Third Basemen (D1Baseball), NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American (3B)
Macon Winslow – 37th-ranked Catcher (D1Baseball)
Jake Hyde – 11th-ranked First Basemen (D1Baseball)
Ben Rounds – 50th-ranked Outfielder (D1Baseball)
Andrew Healy – 64th-ranked Starting Pitcher (D1Baseball)
James Tallon – 112th-ranked Starting Pitcher (D1Baseball)
David Boisvert – NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American (RP), 27th-ranked Reliever (D1Baseball)
Gabe Nard – 73rd-ranked Reliever (D1Baseball)
Fan voting will again participate in the Golden Spikes Award in 2025. Following the midseason watch list announcement on April 3, baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com by naming semifinalists and finalists. The 2025 Golden Spikes Award winner will be announced in late June in conjunction with the end of the amateur baseball season.
For more information on Duke baseball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeBASE".
#GoDuke
Two Duke student-athletes were named to the prestigious honor, as sophomores AJ Gracia and Kyle Johnson were tabbed to the 55-player preseason list.
"We are excited to kick off the amateur baseball season with the announcement of the fifty-five player Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List," said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. "The student-athletes on this list are some of the nation's best and brightest, both on and off the field. We look forward to watching these fifty-five players and many more compete in what will surely be another thrilling baseball season."
In his rookie campaign, Johnson became the first two-way player since Marcus Stroman for Duke to earn Freshman All-American honors as a utility player. He was also selected to the All-ACC Freshman team and earned a spot on the Collegiate National Team Summer Ball roster at USA Baseball.
On the mound, the Leesburg, Virginia, native appeared in 15 games, making 12 starts and posting a 4-1 record in 49.1 innings. He tallied 53 strikeouts and held opponents to a .237 batting average while setting a career-high in innings (6.0) and punchouts (8) against North Carolina. Johnson posted a .253 average at the plate, scoring 16 runs and generating 19 hits (10 for extra bases), including three home runs.
Gracia, a Monroe, New Jersey, native set two rookie records at Duke in his first season with the Blue Devils, producing 58 RBI and 14 home runs while playing daily. The outfielder surpassed former Blue Devil Joey Loperfido for the freshman RBI record on the same day Loperfido was elevated to the Houston Astros roster. Gracia earned postseason recognition as part of the Norman Regional Team, All-ACC Third Team Outfielder, Perfect Game Freshman All-American, and NCBWA Freshman All-American.
During the 2024 season, Gracia led the team in walks with 48, moving into fifth all-time in a single season. He posted an on-base percentage of .440 and a slugging percentage of .559 in his rookie campaign.
2025 Preseason Accolades
Kyle Johnson – Perfect Game First Team Preseason All-American (TWP), 15th-ranked Sophomore (PG), Baseball America First Team Preseason All-American (TWP), 44th-ranked Starting Pitcher (D1Baseball), Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List
AJ Gracia – Perfect Game Third Team Preseason All-American (OF), 2nd-ranked Sophomore (PG), D1Baseball Third Team Preseason All-American (OF), 10th-ranked Outfielder (D1Baseball), NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American (OF), Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List
Wallace Clark – 40th-ranked Senior (PG), 22nd-ranked Shortstop (D1Baseball)
Ben Miller – D1Baseball Third Team Preseason All-American (3B), 3rd-ranked Third Basemen (D1Baseball), NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American (3B)
Macon Winslow – 37th-ranked Catcher (D1Baseball)
Jake Hyde – 11th-ranked First Basemen (D1Baseball)
Ben Rounds – 50th-ranked Outfielder (D1Baseball)
Andrew Healy – 64th-ranked Starting Pitcher (D1Baseball)
James Tallon – 112th-ranked Starting Pitcher (D1Baseball)
David Boisvert – NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American (RP), 27th-ranked Reliever (D1Baseball)
Gabe Nard – 73rd-ranked Reliever (D1Baseball)
Fan voting will again participate in the Golden Spikes Award in 2025. Following the midseason watch list announcement on April 3, baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com by naming semifinalists and finalists. The 2025 Golden Spikes Award winner will be announced in late June in conjunction with the end of the amateur baseball season.
For more information on Duke baseball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeBASE".
#GoDuke
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