Johnny Bench Award (2019–present)

The Johnny Bench Award was created in 2019 to honor the best catcher in both college baseball and college softball in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The award is administered by MSA Sport and presented after the conclusion of the College World Series.

Johnny Bench Award

Awarded for	Best catcher in NCAA Division I
Sponsored by	MSA Sport
Country	United States
Presented by	Johnny Bench
History
First award	2019
Most recent	Caden Bodine (Coastal Carolina) Reese Atwood (Texas)

This article is about the award established in 2019. For the award known as the Johnny Bench Award from 2000 through 2018, see Buster Posey Award.

Named for Johnny Bench, it was first awarded in 2019. Previously, there was another award called the Johnny Bench Award, but after Bench decided to create his own national award, that award was renamed the Buster Posey Award.^[1]

In addition to naming the top college baseball and softball catchers, the top high school catchers in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia are also recognized.^[2]

Winners

Key

Year	Links to the article about the corresponding baseball year
Player	Name of the player
School	The player's college when he won the award
Class	The player's year in college when he won the award
^	Player won the MLB Rookie of the Year Award[a]
§	Player also won the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy in the same year
‡	Player is active in MLB[b]

College baseball

Year	Name	School	Class	Ref(s)
2019	Adley Rutschman‡§	Oregon State	Junior	[3]
2020	Patrick Bailey‡	NC State	Junior	[4]
2021	Matheu Nelson‡	Florida State	Junior	[5]
2022	Kevin Parada‡	Georgia Tech	Sophomore	[6]
2023	Kyle Teel‡	Virginia	Junior	[7]
2024	Cole Messina‡	South Carolina	Junior	[8]
2025	Caden Bodine	Coastal Carolina	Junior	[9]

College softball

Year	Name	School	Class	Ref(s)
2019	Dejah Mulipola	Arizona	Junior	[3]
2020	Morganne Flores	Washington	Senior	[4]
2021	Kayla Kowalik	Kentucky	Junior	[5]
2022	Jordyn Rudd	Northwestern	Senior	[6]
2023	Kinzie Hansen	Oklahoma	Senior	[7]
2024	Jocelyn Erickson	Florida	Sophomore	[8]
2025	Reese Atwood	Texas	Junior	[9]

See also

• Baseball portal

• List of college baseball awards

Notes

1. Won either in the same year or several years later.
2. A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.