AppleSox right-handed pitcher Jake Putnam has been named the 2023 recipient of the Tommy Watanabe Award.

Putnam, an incoming senior at Butler, received the award prior to the AppleSox’ home game against the Bellingham Bells on Thursday night. The Tommy Watanabe Award is presented each season to an AppleSox player who best represents respect for the game of baseball and all around it as well as a passion for the AppleSox organization.

“Jake is the perfect representation of AppleSox Baseball,” head coach Mitch Darlington said. “He shows up to the field everyday with a smile on his face and ready to do whatever it takes to get a win. Jake is a servant leader. He puts the team and the organization first in all aspects of the game. On and off the field there is nobody who leads by example better than Jake Putnam.”

The Danville, Calif. native is in his second summer with the AppleSox and makes his presence felt each day, whether or not he pitches. He is typically one of the first players to the field and always volunteers to water the field. Putnam always is in a great mood, whether he has had a tough game or just closed out another AppleSox win.

Putnam is the fifth recipient of the Tommy Watanabe Award, created in 2019 in honor of former AppleSox player Tommy Watanabe, who passed away in 2017. Putnam joins Joichiro Oyama in 2022 joins Michael O’Hara in 2021, Johnny Sage in 2019, Jacob Prater in 2018 as winners of the award.

To learn more about Tommy Watanabe and the Award, please visit applesox.com/tommy-watanabe-award