Austin Hays Bio
Austin Charles Bryan Hays is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Born on July 5, 1995, in Daytona Beach, Florida, Hays has built his career as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing for the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Cincinnati Reds. Selected in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Orioles, he reached the major leagues faster than any other player from that draft class, debuting in September 2017. Hays earned his first All-Star selection in 2023 as a member of the Orioles.
Early Life and Background
Austin Charles Bryan Hays was born on July 5, 1995, in Daytona Beach, Florida, to parents Chuck and Terrie. He grew up in the Port Orange area and attended Spruce Creek High School, where he developed his arm strength and defensive skills as an outfielder. During his 2012 high school season, Hays batted .402 with a .426 average with runners in scoring position, adding 26 runs batted in (RBIs) while leading Spruce Creek to a state championship.
After high school, Hays attended Seminole State College of Florida, where he played college baseball for the Seminole State Raiders. He later transferred to Jacksonville University, continuing his college career with the Jacksonville Dolphins. In the summer of 2015, Hays played collegiate summer baseball for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League, gaining valuable experience against top amateur competition.
Path to Professional Baseball
Hays’s strong amateur resume led the Baltimore Orioles to select him in the third round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He signed quickly and began his professional career with the Aberdeen Ironbirds of the Low-A New York-Penn League, where he batted .336 with four home runs and 21 RBI in 38 games. The Orioles opened the 2017 season with Hays at the High-A level with the Frederick Keys of the Carolina League.
On May 26, 2017, Hays became the first player in Frederick franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game. He earned a promotion to the Bowie Baysox of the Double-A Eastern League in June 2017, and across 128 games between Frederick and Bowie that year he slashed .329/.365/.593 with 32 home runs and 95 RBI. That production pushed Baltimore to promote him to the major leagues on September 5, 2017, making him the first player from the 2016 draft class to reach the majors.
Austin Hays Career
Early Career (2017-2018)
Hays made his Major League debut on September 7, 2017, with the Baltimore Orioles. He collected his first MLB hit and his first MLB home run on September 16, 2017, in a 9-3 loss to the New York Yankees. In 20 games during his September call-up, he batted .217/.238/.317 in 60 at-bats. He opened 2018 back at Double-A Bowie and did not appear in the majors that year while working through injuries and performance struggles.
He returned to the big leagues when the Orioles recalled him from the Triple-A Norfolk Tides on September 7, 2019. On September 23, 2019, in a 15-inning 11-10 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, Hays became the first MLB rookie since 1920 to record at least five RBIs, a stolen base, and an outfield assist in the same game. He started 15 of his final 20 games that September and batted .313 with a .958 OPS, performances that convinced Baltimore to keep him in the majors rather than send him to the Arizona Fall League.
Baltimore Orioles Era (2017-2024)
In the shortened 2020 season, Hays slashed .279/.328/.393 with four home runs and nine RBI. On August 11, 2020, he hit a two-run inside-the-park home run against the Philadelphia Phillies to break an 8-8 tie, and the Orioles won 10-9 in extra innings. In 2021, he appeared in 131 games for Baltimore, batting .256 with 22 home runs and 71 RBI, cementing himself as an everyday outfielder.
On June 22, 2022, Hays hit for the cycle in a game against the Washington Nationals, and in August of that year he was named the Orioles’ Heart & Hustle Award winner for 2022. He played 145 games for Baltimore in 2022, batting .250/.306/.413 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI. On January 13, 2023, he agreed to a one-year, $3.2 million contract to avoid salary arbitration, then opened 2023 by collecting five hits in a 9-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox on April 1.
His first-half surge in 2023, .314/.355/.498 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in 78 games, earned him a spot on the All-Star team, and he was named the starting center fielder for the American League after Mike Trout withdrew due to injury. After the break, Hays added two more four-hit games, on August 3 at the Toronto Blue Jays and on September 6 against the Los Angeles Angels, where he also drove in a season-high four runs. In 2024, a strained left calf cost him time from April 22 to May 13, and in 63 games with the Orioles he hit .255/.316/.395 with three home runs and 14 RBI before being traded.
Philadelphia Phillies Era (2024)
On July 26, 2024, the Orioles traded Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache. In 22 games with Philadelphia, he slashed .256/.275/.397 with two home runs, six RBI, and two stolen bases. A kidney infection hampered his ability to contribute down the stretch, and on November 22, 2024, the Phillies non-tendered him, making him a free agent.
Cincinnati Reds Era (2025)
On January 30, 2025, Hays signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, returning to the National League. After his Reds stint, the club declined his 2026 option on November 5, 2025, returning him to free agency.
Austin Hays Career Wins and Honors
While wins are a pitcher category, Hays has collected signature hitting milestones across the American League and National League. He earned his first All-Star selection in 2023 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, started the Midsummer Classic in center field, and was also named the Orioles’ Heart & Hustle Award winner for the 2022 season.
Baltimore Orioles Highlights
With Baltimore, Hays produced one of the franchise’s more memorable individual seasons in 2023, headlined by an All-Star nod and a starting assignment in center field. He also authored two historic single-game performances: hitting for the cycle on June 22, 2022, against the Washington Nationals, and becoming the first Frederick player to hit three home runs in one game on May 26, 2017. In 2021, he set career highs with 22 home runs and 71 RBI while playing 131 games.
Other Performances and Milestones
In his first major league start beyond the Orioles, Hays appeared in 22 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, and in 2025 he played for the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year deal. His September 23, 2019, performance in Toronto established an MLB record as the first rookie since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920 to record at least five RBIs, a stolen base, and an outfield assist in the same game.
Austin Hays Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Hays was born to Chuck and Terrie, who raised him in the Port Orange area near Daytona Beach, Florida. He met his future wife, Samantha, while both were students at Spruce Creek High School, and the couple later married. Hays is a Christian, a faith he and Samantha embraced together in 2020.
Spouse and Children
Austin and Samantha Hays have two sons. The family has spent time in both the Mid-Atlantic region, during his years with the Orioles and Phillies, and in Ohio during his 2025 season with the Cincinnati Reds.
2025 Season Performance
Hays entered 2025 with the Cincinnati Reds after signing a one-year, $5 million contract on January 30, 2025, giving him an opportunity to reset his offensive trajectory in a new organization. The deal paired him with a Reds club looking to add outfield depth and veteran presence around its younger core. His role in Cincinnati was designed to balance right-handed power with daily outfield flexibility.
Across the 2025 campaign, Hays served primarily as an outfield option for Cincinnati, contributing at-bats against both right-handed and left-handed pitching while adjusting to the National League Central. The Reds ultimately declined his 2026 option on November 5, 2025, returning Hays to free agency and setting the stage for his next contract pursuit.
Looking ahead, Hays remains an experienced corner and center-field outfielder with an All-Star pedigree from 2023 and a track record of 20-plus home run power when healthy. His combination of arm strength, defensive range, and a compact left-handed swing should keep him in demand as teams shape their 2026 rosters.