CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Appalachian League announced that Burlington’s Brandon Novy (North Carolina State) was named the 2026 Player of the Year. En route to being named Player of the Year, Novy posted a 1.184 OPS, the third-highest single-season mark in Appalachian League history.
Novy, 20, slashed .394/.512/.672 in 35 games for the Burlington Sock Puppets in 2026. He finished 54-for-137 with nine home runs, 11 doubles, 45 RBI, 34 runs scored, 30 walks and two stolen bases. Novy led the Appalachian League in OPS and total bases (92). He finished second in AVG, hits and home runs, tied for second in SLG and extra-base hits (20), third in OBP and RBI and tied for fourth in doubles.
Novy ended the season on a 14-game hit streak from July 4-29, tied for the fourth longest hit streak in the Appy League this summer. During the streak, Novy hit .483 (28-for-58) with four home runs, six doubles and 27 RBI. Novy had 17 multi-hit games in 2026, including five three-hit games and two four-hit games. He also had 14 multi-RBI games, four three-RBI games, two four-RBI games and one five-RBI game.
Novy represented the Appalachian League Select Team in the exhibition doubleheader against the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (CNT) in Cary, N.C. on June 29. He started Game 1 at third base and went 1-for-3 at the plate as the Select Team and CNT Stars played to a scoreless tie.
The Holly Springs, N.C., native hit three home runs and had eight RBI in 51 plate appearances as a sophomore at NC State this past spring. Novy will return to the Wolfpack this fall.
About the Appalachian League
Founded in 1911, the Appalachian League is one of the longest-running baseball leagues in history. The Appy League is the only collegiate summer league under MLB and USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (“PDP”) and is an integral part of the identification and development process for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Teams and other future National teams.
For more information about the Appalachian League, visit appyleague.com or follow @appyleague and @appyleaguedata on X, and @appyleague on Instagram.
