Robert Austin Wynns (born December 10, 1990) 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 ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

for the

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

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 ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

, and

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 ...

. Wynns 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, ...

Fresno State University California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers 60 ba ...

, and was drafted by the Orioles in the tenth round of the

2013 Major League Baseball draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of ...

Amateur career

Wynns attended

Poway High School Poway High School is a four-year high school in Poway, California, United States. Established in 1961, its approximately 2,408 students are from Poway and the community of Rancho Bernardo. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools ...

Poway, California Poway () is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Poway's rural roots influenced its motto "The City in the Country". The city had a population of 48,841 as of the 2020 United States census. Poway is part of San Diego's East ...

. In 2009, as a senior, he hit .390 with five home runs and 37 RBIs. That season he was named first team All-

California Interscholastic Federation The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have s ...

, and Player of the Year in the Palomar League. After graduating and going undrafted in the

2009 MLB draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...

, Wynns enrolled and played

. In 2012, 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

Bourne Braves The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park (ballpark) ...

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 ...

. As a senior in 2013, he batted .279/.362/.413 with three home runs and 24 RBIs in 53 games. He was drafted by the

in the tenth round of the

Professional career

Baltimore Orioles

Wynns signed for $10,000, and spent 2013 with the Low-A

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 ...

, posting a .235 batting average with 21 RBI in 54 games. On defense, he caught 37% of attempted base stealers. He was a 2013 NYP Mid-Season All-Star. In 2014, he played for both the Single-A

Delmarva Shorebirds The Delmarva Shorebirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Salisbury, Maryland. They are members of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Their home games are played at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Shor ...

and the High-A

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 ...

, batting a combined .251 with one home run and 37 RBI in 90 total games between the two teams. In 2015, Wynns played for Frederick and the Double-A

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 ...

, batting .281/.349/.390 with three home runs and 31 RBI in 78 games. Wynns spent 2016 with Bowie, Frederick, and 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 ...

, hitting .287/.336/.416 with six home runs and 34 RBI in 80 games between the three affiliates. On defense, he caught 45.3% of attempted base stealers. After the 2016 season, Wynns played in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

for the

Peoria Javelinas The Peoria Javelinas are a baseball team based in Peoria, Arizona, that competes in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex. The ballpark is also the spring training facility for the S ...

. He played the 2017 season with Bowie, batting .281/.377/.419 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI in 105 games. On defense, he caught 38% of attempted base stealers. The Orioles added him to their

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 ...

after the 2017 season. Wynns made his MLB debut on June 5, 2018. In 2018 with Baltimore he batted .255/.287/.382 in 118 plate appearances, while with Norfolk he batted .230/.288/.345 in 163 plate appearances. He spent the majority of the 2019 season at Norfolk and Bowie, where he batted .266/.355/.342 with three home runs and 29 RBI in 250 plate appearances, appearing in only 28 games with 74 plate appearances for the Orioles. Wynns did not appear in any games for the Orioles during the 2020 season, spending the entirety at the Orioles’ alternate training site. On December 7, 2020, Wynns was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. On May 31, 2021, Wynns was selected to Baltimore's active roster. On June 12, Wynns hit his first career grand slam, off of Rich Hill of the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

. In 45 games and 139 plate appearances with Baltimore in 2021, Wynns batted .185/.232/.308 with four home runs and 14 RBI. In 59 plate appearances with the Triple–A Norfolk Tides, he hit .333/.448/.563 with three home runs and nine RBI. Following the season, he elected free agency on October 25, 2021.

Philadelphia Phillies

On October 26, 2021, Wynns signed with the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (English: Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican baseball team based in Tijuana, Mexico, that competes in the Mexican Baseball League. The team plays its home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The franchise w ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. However, on March 19, 2022, he signed a minor league contract with the

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 played 33 games for the Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

and batted .365/.504/.500 with 3 home runs and 20 RBI in 134 plate appearances.

San Francisco Giants

The Phillies traded Wynns to the

in exchange for

Michael Plassmeyer Michael Plassmeyer (born November 5, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies. Amateur career Plassmeyer attended ...

on June 8, 2022. Wynns replaced rookie catcher

Joey Bart Joseph Andrew Bart (born December 15, 1996) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants. Bart played college baseball for th ...

, who was sent down to the Giants' Triple-A club. In 2022 with the Giants he batted .259/.313/.358 in 162 at–bats, with three home runs and 21 RBI while appearing in a career-high 65 games. He played 57 games at catcher, five at DH, and two as a relief pitcher. On January 6, 2023, Wynns was designated for assignment by San Francisco after the signing of

Michael Conforto Michael Thomas Conforto (born March 1, 1993), nicknamed "Scooter", is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets and San Francisco ...

was made official. On January 12, Wynns was sent outright to the Triple-A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

. On April 8, Wynns was selected to the major league roster following an injury to catcher

Roberto Pérez Roberto Andres Pérez (born December 23, 1988) is a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He played college baseball for Florida Gateway College. Pérez was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 33rd roun ...

. He received two at-bats for San Francisco, striking out in both. On April 10, he was designated for assignment after

was activated off of the injured list. On April 14, he cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On April 16, 2023, Wynns signed a major league contract with the

. He appeared in five games for the Dodgers, with two hits in 11 at-bats before he was designated for assignment on April 30.

Colorado Rockies

On May 4, 2023, Wynns was claimed off waivers by the

. In 45 games for Colorado, he batted .214/.273/.282 with one home run and eight RBI. On October 13, Wynns was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

. However, Wynns subsequently rejected the assignment and elected free agency.

Cincinnati Reds

On December 14, 2023, Wynns signed a one-year, major league contract with the

. However, he was designated for assignment on January 2, 2024. On January 4, Wynns cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

, also receiving a non-roster invitation to spring training. On June 21, the Reds selected Wynns' contract, adding him to their active roster. He did not appear in a game for the Reds before he was designated for assignment on June 23. Wynns cleared waivers and was outrighted to Louisville on June 25. He had his contract selected once more on June 28, after Tyler Stephenson was placed on the paternity list. Wynns made one appearance for the Reds, going 3–for–5 with one RBI. He was designated for assignment after Stephenson was activated on July 2. Wynns cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Louisville on July 4. However, the following day the Reds once more added him back to their major league roster. In a July 28 game against the

, Wynns suffered a shoulder injury, later specified as a right

teres major The teres major muscle is a muscle of the upper limb. It attaches to the scapula and the humerus and is one of the seven scapulohumeral muscles. It is a thick but somewhat flattened muscle. The teres major muscle (from Latin ''teres'', meanin ...

tear upon his placement on the injured list the following day. He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on August 23. On November 1, Wynns was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Louisville, but rejected the assignment and elected free agency. On January 13, 2025, Wynns re-signed with the Reds organization on a minor league contract. On March 26, the Reds selected Wynns' contract after he made the team's

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster. On April 20, Wynns became the fifth player in Cincinnati Reds history to record six hits in a game, collecting five singles and a three-run home run in a 24–2 win over the

. In 18 appearances for Cincinnati, he batted .400/.442/.700 with three home runs and 11 RBI. Despite the production, Wynns was designated for assignment by the Reds on June 6.

Athletics

On June 8, 2025, Wynns was traded to the

in exchange for cash considerations.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wynns, Austin 1990 births Living people Aberdeen IronBirds players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Athletics (baseball) players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from San Diego Bourne Braves players Bowie Baysox players Cincinnati Reds players Colorado Rockies players Delmarva Shorebirds players Frederick Keys players Fresno State Bulldogs baseball players Leones del Escogido players Los Angeles Dodgers players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball catchers Norfolk Tides players Peoria Javelinas players Sacramento River Cats players San Francisco Giants players Toros del Este players