Danny Espinosa

From BR Bullpen

Daniel R. Espinosa

Bats Both, Throws Right
Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.
School California State University, Long Beach
High School Mater Dei High School
Born April 25, 1987 in Santa Ana, CA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Danny Espinosa is a minor league infielder.

In the 2003 World Youth Championship, Espinosa hit .483 to help the USA win a Gold Medal. He scored 10 runs to tie for the team lead. In high school, Danny batted .379 as a junior with 13 steals. He slumped to .288 with 20 steals as a senior in 2005.

As a college freshman, Espinosa became the first Long Beach State player to be named Big West Conference Freshman of the Year. He hit .281 and was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball; Baseball America chose Gordon Beckham and Brandon Crawford instead. That summer, he hit .252 for the Chatham Athletics of the Cape Cod League.

Danny batted .319 in 2007 and led his team with 7 homers. He won second-team All-Big West Conference honors. In the summer, Espinosa played for Team USA's college edition, splitting shortstop duties with Jordy Mercer. Espinosa hit .215 as one of the team's lightest threats. Danny was 4 for 15 in the 2007 Pan American Games to help the US win Silver; his 2 steals tied Logan Forsythe for the team lead. He batted .263/.318/.316 in the 2007 World Port Tournament.

In 2008, Espinosa hit .309/.392/.470 and fielded .953 for Long Beach. His six triples tied for the Big West Conference lead.

The Washington Nationals took Espinosa in the 3rd round of the 2008 amateur draft. The 87th overall pick, he signed for a $525,000 bonus. He debuted as a pro with the Vermont Lake Monsters, batting .328/.476/.359 with 17 walks in 19 games. Baseball America rated him as the #14 prospect in the New York-Penn League and #14 in the Nationals organization.