The two-way player was a two-time, first team all-state honoree and a three-time, allconference performer at Terre Haute South H.S, in Terre Haute, Ind...finished his career with a .425 (159x374) batting average, 100 runs, 31 doubles, 41 homers and 150 RBI... on the mound, owned a 26-10 record with a 1.88 ERA and 390 punchouts in 260 innings...As a senior in 2011, was named Indiana High School Player of the Year and MVP of the Indiana North/South All-Star series...was drafted in the 25th round of the June 2011 draft by the Mets, but did not sign... Played three seasons at the University of Kentucky (2012-14)...as a freshman, became the first consensus, first-team freshman All American selection in program history... Won the Golden Spikes Award in 2014 as the top amateur baseball player in the country... became the first pitcher in SEC history to lead the conference in homers and pitching victories...joined David Price (2007) and Dave Magadan (1983) as the only players in SEC history to be named unanimous national player of the year...swept every national award given (Dick Houser Trophy, Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, ABCA and Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger)... Was drafted by Houston in the second round of the June 2014 draft...signed by Astros scout Nick Venuto... Was selected to the Major League roster on June 25, 2016...is signed to a one-year contract that runs through the 2018 season. AJ and his wife, Shelbie, reside in Terre Haute, Ind.
2017
Appeared in two Major League games with the Astros, going 0x6...made one start at DH on Aug. 3 vs. TB, and was a defensive replacement at first base for 3.0 innings on July 31 vs. TB...opened the season with Triple A Fresno...batted .251 (92x366) wit 22 homers and 75 RBI over the first four months of the season (98 games), before being recalled to the Major League club on July 31...was with the club for less than a week, as he was optioned back to Triple A on Aug. 4...finished the season with a .291 batting average and 12 homers over his last 29 games with the Grizzlies...finished the Triple A season with 34 homers, which were the most in the minors and set the Fresno single-season record...his 34 homers earned him his second career Joe Bauman Award, presented by Musco Sports Lighting...after homering 12 times over the first three months of the season, belted 10 homers in July and 11 more in the month of August...homered exactly once every 14.00 at-bats for the season, which led the Pacific Coast League...was second only to Lehigh Valley's Rhys Hoskins (13.83) for the best mark in all of Triple A...posted the ninth 100-RBI season in Fresno Grizzlies history, and tied 2015 Pacific Coast League MVP Matt Duffy for fifth-most in a single season by a Grizzlies player, and the most by a Houston Astros-affiliated player with Fresno...finished second in RBI in both the PCL and all of Triple A to Reno's Christian Walker (114)...were the only players to drive in 100+ runs in 2017...his 89 runs scored and 250 total bases each ranked fourth in the PCL and all of Triple A...72 walks ranked third in the Pacific Coast League.
2016
Made his Major League debut with Houston, playing in 45 total games and making 35 starts (27 at first base, eight at designated hitter)...made his first appearance at Major League Spring Training before opening up the season at Triple A Fresno... was selected to the Major League roster on June 25... optioned to Triple A on July 21...received his final recall of the season on Aug. 2...made his MLB debut on June 25 at KC, going 0x2 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI...became the third player in club history to walk twice in his Major League debut, joining Eddie Tucker (1992) and John Paciorek (1963)... hit his first career home run as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning on July 2 vs. CWS off RHP David Robertson... became the third player in club history to hit his first career homer as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning, joining Preston Tucker (2015) and Keith Lampard (1969)...homered on July 5 vs. SEA, becoming the ninth player in club history with two homers within his first eight Major League games...recorded his first career multi-hit game on Aug. 11 at MIN in Game 1 of the doubleheader (2x5)...walked in four consecutive starts from Aug. 6-11... played in 70 combined games at Triple A, hitting .291 (76x261) with 22 doubles, 15 homers, 50 RBI and a .924 OPS (.368 OBP/.556 SLG).
2015
Collected his fair share of hardware in what was his first full professional season...led all of minor league baseball in home runs (34), RBI (127) and OPS (1.044)...was named the Astros Minor League Player of the Year, California League Most Valuable Player, MiLB.com Offensive Player of the Year, ESPN.com Prospect of the Year and a Baseball America Minor League All-Star...was also a finalist for the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year award and the runner-up for the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year award...in 135 combined games between Double A Corpus Christi (53g) and Class A Advanced Lancaster (82g), hit .340 (178x523) with 30 doubles, five triples, 34 homers, 127 RBI and a 1.044 OPS (.432 OBP/.612 SLG)...was twice named the MiLB. com California League Player of the Month (May and June), was a California League Midseason and Postseason All-Star and was a four-time California League Player of the Week (May 11, June 8, June 22, July 13)...was also named the league's Rookie of the Year...went 3x4 with a career high three home runs and nine RBI on May 6 at Stockton...was promoted to Double A on July 12...named the Texas League Player of the Week on Aug. 31... played for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League following the regular season...played in 11 games with Glendale and was named to the AFL Rising Stars Game...2014: Began his professional career with Class A Short Season Tri-City, playing in 24 games and batting .306 (28x124) with five homers and 30 RBI...was named the New York-Penn League Player of the Week for the period of July 7-13...during the week, batted .500 (12x24) with four doubles, six homers, 11 RBI, three walks and only two strikeouts...was promoted to Class A Quad Cities on July 27, where he remained through the end of the season...batted .272 (34x125) with seven homers, 25 RBI and an .854 OPS (.326 OBP/.528 SLG) in 34 games with the River Bandits...was named a Baseball America Short Season All-Star with Tri-City.
2014
Began his professional career with Class A Short Season Tri-City, playing in 24 games and batting .306 (28x124) with five homers and 30 RBI...was named the New York-Penn League Player of the Week for the period of July 7-13...during the week, batted .500 (12x24) with four doubles, six homers, 11 RBI, three walks and only two strikeouts...was promoted to Class A Quad Cities on July 27, where he remained through the end of the season...batted .272 (34x125) with seven homers, 25 RBI and an .854 OPS (.326 OBP/.528 SLG) in 34 games with the River Bandits...was named a Baseball America Short Season All-Star with Tri-City.
