Max Murphy's 35-game stint in the rookie Appalachian League made a lasting impression as he has been selected the league's Player of the Year, according to an announcement of the 2014 Appalachian League All-Star Team Thursday. The former Bradley outfielder hit .378 with 10 home runs, 26 runs batted in, a .483 on-base percentage and a .723 slugging percentage, helping to launch the Elizabethton Twins toward the Appalachian League Eastern Division title the team clinched Thursday night.
As a junior at Bradley last season, Murphy earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference by batting .314 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI's in 51 games. A native of Robbinsdale, Minn., he was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the ninth round of June's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and after his hot start in Elizabethton, Murphy was promoted to the Twins' Class A Midwest League affiliate Cedar Rapids Kernels July 28. Although he no longer qualifies for the Appalachian League batting title, his .378 average in 35 games in Elizabethton is 52 points better than current leader, Carlton Tanabe (.326), and his 10 home runs still are tied for the league lead.
In 115 combined games for Bradley, Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids, Murphy has hit .314 with 26 home runs, 82 RBI and a .586 slugging percentage. Perhaps most notable, he has produced 152 runs in the 115 games for an average of 1.32 runs produced per game. Runs produced combines runs scored with runs batted in, subtracting the home run total, which contributes to both categories. For comparison's sake, Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout currently leads Major League Baseball by averaging 1.43 runs produced per game.
While Elizabethton will participate in the Appalachian League playoffs without Murphy, he will experience the postseason with Cedar Rapids, which has earned the second-half berth for the Western Division in the Midwest League playoffs. The Midwest League regular season will conclude Monday and the playoffs are set to open Wednesdsay.
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