Will Middlebrooks

William Scott Middlebrooks (born September 9, 1988) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and is currently a color analyst for the Boston Red Sox broadcast team on NESN.

Liberty-Eylau won the Class 3A state championship in 2006, Middlebrooks' junior season.

In his senior season, Middlebrooks had a .555 batting average with 22 stolen bases and 48 runs batted in (RBIs) in 38 games, and a 13-0 win–loss record as a pitcher.

He was named to the Class 3A All-State First Team and Class 3A Player of the Year by the Texas Sports Writers Association.

In addition to baseball, Middlebrooks played American football and basketball in high school.

A quarterback, placekicker and punter, he played on the school's football team, which also featured LaMichael James.

He was named an All-State punter.

Middlebrooks admits that he preferred football, until he realized during his junior year that he had the opportunity to be selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

In November 2006, he committed to attend Texas A&M University on a full scholarship to play baseball and football for the Texas A&M Aggies.

Middlebrooks was an athletic defensive player and hit for power and was also credited for his contact skills, although he was not considered the most patient hitter.

His throwing arm was well regarded, and his baserunning was rated as average.

A fifth round draft pick in the 2007 MLB draft out of Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas, Middlebrooks signed with the Red Sox for $925,000, bypassing his commitment to Texas A&M University.

Middlebrooks was originally a shortstop, but the Red Sox converted him into a third baseman in the minor leagues.

Middlebrooks had been projected as a first round talent in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft.

However, the belief that he would follow through with his scholarship to Texas A&M led Middlebrooks to fall in the draft.

The Boston Red Sox drafted Middlebrooks in the fifth round of the draft, selecting him as a shortstop, rather than as a pitcher.

He received a $925,000 signing bonus to renege on his commitment to Texas A&M.

Middlebrooks made his professional debut in 2008 with the Lowell Spinners of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League, where he batted .254 with one home run.

He described himself as developmentally behind other players at his level because of the time he had devoted to football.

Initially a shortstop, Middlebrooks made the transition to third base as he added muscle, increasing from 190 lbs at the time he was drafted to 210 lbs.

In 2009, Middlebrooks played for the Greenville Drive of the Class A South Atlantic League, where he batted .265 with seven home runs and 57 RBIs.

He was promoted to the Salem Red Sox of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League in 2010 and responded by batting .276 with 12 home runs and 70 RBIs.

He represented the United States in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game.

Middlebrooks began the 2011 season playing for the Portland Sea Dogs of the Class AA Eastern League.

He played in the Eastern League All-Star Game, hitting a double in the game.

Middlebrooks also participated in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game, starting at third base and going 1-for-2.

Through August 2011, Middlebrooks batted .306 with 18 home runs and 80 RBIs for Portland, at which point he was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox of the Class AAA International League.

Joe McDonald of ESPN.com called Middlebrooks "Boston's likely [third baseman] of the future" upon his promotion from Portland to Pawtucket.

He hit .161 in 16 games with Pawtucket to close out the 2011 season.

After the 2011 season, the Red Sox assigned Middlebrooks to the Arizona Fall League, where he hit four home runs in 13 games and was named to the Rising Stars Game.

In November 2011, Middlebrooks, Che-Hsuan Lin, and Drake Britton were added to the Red Sox 40-man roster to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Boston Red Sox on May 2, 2012, and played with them through 2014.

He also played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers.

Following Middlebrooks' emergence as the Red Sox's starting third baseman in 2012, the organization traded former All-Star Kevin Youkilis.

Heading into the 2012 season, Baseball America rated Middlebrooks as the Red Sox' best prospect and 51st best prospect overall.

After struggles in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the Red Sox traded Middlebrooks to the San Diego Padres before the 2015 season.

He signed minor league contracts with the Brewers and Rangers before the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively.

Middlebrooks attended Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas.

He played shortstop and pitched for the high school baseball team.

As a pitcher, he could reach 90 mph with his fastball.