Austin Charles Bryan Hays (born July 5, 1995) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

. He made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Orioles.

Amateur career

Hays was born July 5, 1995, in

Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona� ...

, to parents Terrie and Chuck. As an

for

Spruce Creek High School Spruce Creek High School is a public secondary school located in the city of Port Orange, Florida. It is the largest IB high school in North America and is one of Newsweek's Top 100 High Schools. Spruce Creek High School is part of the Volu ...

Port Orange, Florida Port Orange is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area. Port Orange is a principal city in the Fun Coast region of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 c ...

, Hays developed his arm strength to assist on defensive plays. In 2012, Hays batted .402, including .426 with

runners in scoring position In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when they are on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter h ...

, and had 26

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs) en route to winning a state championship title with Spruce Creek. Hays attended

Seminole State College of Florida Seminole State College of Florida is a public college based in Sanford, Florida, United States. It is part of the Florida College System. History Established by the Florida Legislature in 1965 as Seminole Junior College, the school began ope ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the Seminole State Raiders, and transferred to

Jacksonville University Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Located in the city's Arlington (Jacksonville), Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonvill ...

, where he continued his college baseball career with the

Jacksonville Dolphins The Jacksonville Dolphins are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Jacksonville University, located in Jacksonville, Florida. The Dolphins participate in NCAA Division I athletics, and are primarily members of the ASUN Conference. S ...

. In 2015, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Hyannis Harbor Hawks The Hyannis Harbor Hawks, formerly the Hyannis Mets, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Harbor Hawks play ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

Professional career

Baltimore Orioles

The

selected Hays in the third round of the

2016 Major League Baseball draft The 2016 Major League Baseball draft began on June 9, 2016, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2015 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks were distributed for players who ...

. Hays signed and made his professional debut with the

Aberdeen Ironbirds The Aberdeen IronBirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in the city of Aberdeen in Harford County, Maryland. They are the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and compete in the South Atlantic League. They were previously members of th ...

of the

Low-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A, Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classified at the Single-A level, one for ...

New York-Penn League New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

where he batted .336 with four home runs and 21 RBI in 38 games. He started the 2017 season with the

Frederick Keys The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for the "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team ...

of the

High-A High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

. On May 26, 2017, he became the first player in Frederick history to hit three home runs in one game. He received a promotion to the

Bowie Baysox The Chesapeake Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium. From 1993 to 2024, th ...

of the Double-A Eastern League in June 2017. In 128 games between Frederick and Bowie, he slashed .329/.365/.593 with 32 home runs and 95 RBI. The Orioles promoted Hays to the major leagues on September 5, 2017, making him the first 2016 draftee to reach the major leagues. He made his major league debut September 7, 2017. He had his first MLB hit, followed by his first MLB home run, in a 9–3 loss against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

on September 16. In 20 games for Baltimore during the 2017 season, he batted .217/.238/.317 in 60 at bats. He began 2018 with Bowie. He did not play in the majors in 2018, struggling with underperformance and injury. Hays was recalled by the Orioles from the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

on September 7, 2019. He was supposed to have reported to the

Surprise Saguaros The Surprise Saguaros are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Surprise, Arizona, at Surprise Stadium. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Kansas City Roya ...

on September 11, the first time ever that the Arizona Fall League (AFL) season opened before October. His promotion was made possible by both MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) which, two days prior to the transaction, approved a rule change that allowed players on the

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

to report to the AFL in October. In a 15-inning 11–10 loss to the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a retractable roof stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to t ...

on September 23, he became the first MLB rookie to have at least five RBIs, a stolen base and an outfield assist in the same game since the RBI became an official stat in 1920. The Orioles eventually decided not to send him to the Saguaros after he started in 15 of 20 games, batted .313 with a .958

OPS OPS may refer to: Organizations * Obscene Publications Squad, a former unit of the Metropolitan Police in London, England * Oceanic Preservation Society * Office of Public Safety, a former US government agency * Orchestre philharmonique de Strasb ...

and made several spectacular defensive plays. On August 11, 2020, Hays hit a two-run inside-the-park home run against the Philadelphia Phillies to break an 8-8 tie. That would be the game's difference maker as the Orioles won the game in extra innings, 10-9. In 2020 for the Orioles, Hays slashed .279/.328/.393 with four home runs and nine RBI; in 2021, he appeared in 131 games with Baltimore, batting .256 with 22 home runs and 71 RBI. On June 22, 2022, Hays

hit for the cycle Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization ...

in a game against the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. In August, Hays was named the Orioles' Heart & Hustle Award winner for the 2022 season. Playing in 145 games for Baltimore, he batted .250/.306/.413 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI. On January 13, 2023, Hays agreed to a one-year, $3.2 million contract with the Orioles, avoiding salary arbitration. He got five hits in a 9–8 away loss to the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

in the second game of the season on April 1. He had his first four-hit game of the campaign ten nights later in a 12–8 home win over the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

on April 11. Hays was named to the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...

in 2023 after a stellar first half that saw him hit .314/.355/.498 with 9 home runs and 36 RBI in 78 games. He was named the starting center fielder for the game, replacing

Mike Trout Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an 11-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, three-time American League (A ...

, who withdrew due to injury. He added two more four-hit games in a pair of road victories after the All-Star break, the first was 6–1 over the

on August 3 followed one month later by 10–3 over the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

on September 6 in which he also had a season-high four RBI. Hays was sidelined from April 22 to May 13, 2024, because of a strained left calf. Hays appeared in 63 games for the Orioles in 2024, hitting .255/.316/.395 with three home runs and 14 RBI.

Philadelphia Phillies

On July 26, 2024, Hays was traded to the

in exchange for Seranthony Domínguez and

Cristian Pache Cristian Rafael Pache ( ; born November 19, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Philade ...

. In 22 games for the Phillies, he slashed .256/.275/.397 with two home runs, six RBI, and two stolen bases. During his time with the Phillies, a kidney infection hampered his ability to play. On November 22, Hays was non–tendered by the Phillies and became a free agent.

Cincinnati Reds

On January 30, 2025, Hays signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the

Personal life

Hays and his wife Samantha have two sons together. The couple met when they were in high school together at Spruce Creek. Hays is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. He became a Christian, along with his wife, in 2020.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hays, Austin 1995 births Living people Aberdeen IronBirds players American League All-Stars Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Daytona Beach, Florida Bowie Baysox players Chattanooga Lookouts players Cincinnati Reds players Frederick Keys players Hyannis Harbor Hawks players Jacksonville Dolphins baseball players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball outfielders Norfolk Tides players Philadelphia Phillies players Seminole State Raiders baseball players 21st-century American sportsmen