ASU’s Landon Hairston a finalist for Golden Spikes Award after record-setting season

Arizona State sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston was named one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced Wednesday.

Roch Cholowsky of UCLA, a Chandler native, and Daniel Jackson of Georgia were the other two finalists for the award that was first awarded to the late ASU great Bob Horner in 1978.

Fan voting determines which of the three finalists win the award. The winner will be announced on June 29 on MLB Network at 4:30 p.m. MST.

The 2026 Big 12 Player of the Year, Hairston would be the fourth Sun Devil (1984’s Oddibe McDowell and 1991’s Mike Kelly) to win the Golden Spikes Award. Should he come away with the trophy, it would tie ASU with Florida State for the most winners all-time.

Hairston’s national attention comes after he set a program record for home runs in a single season, blasting 28 on the year, including a 24-game stretch with 20 homers.

He finished the season batting .400 (13th in nation) with a .509 on-base percentage (17th), .860 slugging (first) and an absurd 1.366 OPS (first).

Hairston helped lead the Sun Devils to a third-place finish in the Big 12 standings, the Big 12 Tournament semifinals and their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

However, the outfielder’s season was cut short when he threw his bat into the air in frustration after a questionable called strikeout during the Lincoln Regional. He was ejected for the demonstration and suspended for the following game, the regional final, where ASU saw its season ended.

Because he is a sophomore, Hairston must play another year of college ball before he’s eligible for the MLB Draft in 2027. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel views Hairston as a potential top-15 pick in the 2027 class.

Hairston is yet to make clear whether he plans to remain at ASU for the likely final season. The transfer portal opened on June 1 and remains open through the end of the month.

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