Was selected by the Reds with the 27th overall pick of the June 2013 first-year player draft...was scouted and signed by Ben Jones...Became the first baseball player drafted out of Samford University and the highest draft pick in the school's history in any sport...In the 17-9 Reds win on 7/13/19 at Coors Field tied the club record with 6 hits, accomplished for the fourth time (Tony Cuccinello 1931, Ernie Lombardi 1937, Walker Cooper last on 7/6/1949 vs Cubs)...fell a home run shy of the cycle...In 2016 was the Southern League All-Star Game's Top Star and the SL's Batter of the Week for 4/25-5/1...In 2015 was a mid-season Florida State League All-Star, MiLB.com Organization All-Star and Arizona Fall League Rising Star...In 2013 twice was named Pioneer League Player of the Week (6/14-6/20, 7/17-7/22) and was rated the organization's best hitter for average...In January 2017 attended Major League Baseball's Rookie Development Program.
Played baseball, football and basketball at LeRoy (AL) High School...majored in sociology at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where as a junior in 2013 he was a pre-season All-American and preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year...finished that 2013 season hitting .337 (55g, 14 2b, 11hr, 40rbi, 21sb, 58r), then was selected by the Reds in the draft's first round...follow on Twitter @Mr_MagicErvin.
2019
Led the team with 7 triples, tied for fourth-most in the National League...During 4 stints with the Reds made 94 apps and 52 starts (33gs in LF, 17gs in CF, 2gs in RF)...His 33 starts in LF were second on the team (Jesse Winker, 59gs in LF)...started 31 of the Reds' last 42 games of the season (16gs in LF, 14gs in CF, 1gs in RF)...Tied Derek Dietrich for the team lead in pinch-hit HR and tied Kyle Farmer for the team lead in pinch-hit RBI (8-27, .296, 2hr, 6rbi)...Made his first apps for the Reds on 4/13 & 4/14, as the 26th player appeared in both games vs the Cardinals in Monterrey...from 4/23-4/30 made 5 apps and 2 starts...in his third stint, from 5/18-5/23 made 3 apps and 1 start...On 6/15 was promoted for the fourth time and spent the rest of the season with the Reds (84g, 49gs, .273, 10 2b, 6 3b, 7hr, 21rbi)...In the 17-9 win on 7/13 at Coors Field tied the club record with 6 hits, accomplished for the fourth time (Tony Cuccinello 1931, Ernie Lombardi 1937, Walker Cooper last on 7/6/1949 vs Cubs)...fell a home run shy of the cycle...Produced his first 2 career pinch-hit HR (7/21 vs StL off Andrew Miller, 8/12 at Wsh off Sean Doolittle) and his second career game-ending HR (9/5 vs Phi off Nick Vincent, 4-3 win in 11 innings)...was the Reds' only walkoff HR of the season...From 7/2-7/14 tripled in 3 consecutive starts (7/2 vs Mil, 7/13 at Col, 7/14 at Col)...In the 5-2 win in the opener of the Mexico Series, led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a pinch-hit triple and scored to extend the Reds' lead to 3-1...was the first pinch-hit triple by a Reds batter since Hernan Iribarren did it twice, on consecutive days, in 2016...Homered to snap a pair of 0-for-11 skids, on 8/26 at Mia (solo off Kyle Keller) and in the 11th inning on 9/5 vs Phi (solo off Nick Vincent, second career walkoff HR)...In his third plate appearance on 9/26 vs Mil doubled off Junior Guerra to snap a career-high 0-for-16 skid...On 7/24 at Mil was credited with a start in CF after pinch running in the top of the first inning for injured Nick Senzel...On 8/1 was 1 of many players fined for their participation in a bench-clearing incident on 7/30 vs Pit...that game included 9 ejections and 8 suspensions...was the teams' second benchclearing incident of the season...Was 1 of 4 first-round or supplemental first-round draft picks to play CF for the Reds in 2019 (Michael Lorenzen, Jesse Winker, Nick Senzel)...Was the International League's Batter of the Week for 5/27-6/2 (.423, 2 2b, 5hr, 10rbi, .516obp, 1.593ops)...In 16 apps and 15 starts for the Reds during spring training hit .341 with 3 doubles, 5 HR, 8 RBI and 2 stolen bases...was optioned to minor league camp on 3/22, 3 days before the Reds' broke camp, and began the season at Louisville.
2018
Was 1 of 5 rookies on the Opening Day roster (RHP Tyler Mahle, RHP Jackson Stephens, RHP Zack Weiss, OF Jesse Winker)...was his first Opening Day roster...overall had 3 stints on the Reds' roster, from Opening Day-4/25 (16g, 8gs), 6/21-6/23 (3g) and 7/20-remainder of the season (59g, 48gs)...made his 56 starts in LF (29gs), RF (24gs) and CF (3gs)...following 19 consecutive starts in LF (8/26-9/19), made his last 5 starts of the season in RF while Scott Schebler played LF...also made 1 pitching appearance (8/8 at NYM)...made 42 of his 56 starts after 7/30, when LF Adam Duvall was traded to the Braves...with 1 out in the eighth inning on 7/23 vs StL broke up the Cardinals' no-hitter with a pinch-hit single off reliever Jordan Hicks...in that game, Cardinals starter RHP Daniel Poncedeleon made his Major League debut with 7.0 hitless innings (3bb, 3k)...with 2 outs in the bottom of the eighth of the 8-0 loss on 8/8 at NYM made the first pitching appearance of his career, induced Devin Mesoraco to ground out and end the inning...was the third of 4 Reds position players to pitch in 2018 (Cliff Pennington, Alex Blandino, Brandon Dixon)...in the 11th inning of the 2-1 win on 8/17 vs SF hit the first walkoff HR of his career (solo off Ray Black)...in the 12-6 win on 9/7 win vs SD produced his first career 2-HR game (off Matt Strahm, Miguel Diaz), a career-high 4 runs and tied career highs with 3 hits and 4 RBI...was 1 of only 2 Reds batters to score 4 runs in a game in 2018 (José Peraza)...in his last 23 apps at Louisville prior to his 7/20 promotion hit .384 with 13 multi-hit games (5hr, 29rbi, .450obp, .663slg, 1.113 ops)...from 4/30-5/17 was on Louisville's disabled list with a left thumb sprain.
2017
Spent most of the season at Class AAA Louisville, where he led the team and ranked T4th in the International League in stolen bases (23)...reached base safely in 78 of his 99 apps...in his Major League debut made 28 apps and 11 starts during 4 stints for the Reds...from 4/21-4/25 made 2 pinch-hit apps and an appearance in RF as a defensive replacement...from 8/1-8/5 was on the roster for 5 days but did not make an appearance...from 8/15-8/22 went 5-for-8 with a double, 2 HR and 6 RBI in 4 apps, including his first career start (RF, 8/17 at Chi)...joined the Reds for the final time on 8/25, when OF Jesse Winker was disabled, and hit .208 in 21 apps and 10 starts the rest of the season...for the Reds played LF (5g, 1gs), RF (5g, 3gs) and CF (9g, 7gs)...after Billy Hamilton suffered a fractured thumb on 9/6, started in the outfield in 3 of the Reds' 4 games (2gs in CF, 1gs in LF) until Jesse Winker came off the DL on 9/12...in the second inning of the 12-8 loss on 4/22 vs Cubs made his Major League debut as a pinch hitter and off Jake Arrieta hit into a fielder's choice...on 8/16 at Cubs entered the game in RF as part of a double switch and homered off Hector Rondon for his first Major League hit... became the first Reds batter to homer for his first career hit since Juan Encarnacion did it on 9/18/09 vs Fla off Leo Nunez...in the 13-10 win on 8/17 at Cubs made his first career start (RF) and hit a 2-run HR in the top of the seventh inning that snapped the 9-9 tie (3-4, 1 2b, 1hr, 4rbi, 1bb, 3r)...entered the season rated by Baseball America the 18th-best prospect in the organization.
2016
In his first full season at Class AA, for Pensacola was the Southern League All-Star Game's Top Star and the SL's Batter of the Week for 4/25-5/1...with 36 stolen bases led all Reds minor league players (36-46, 78%)...among Southern League leaders ranked fourth in walks and stolen bases...homered once every 32.23 at bats, fifth-best ratio in the league...attended his first Major League spring training camp (9g, 3gs, .391, 1 2b, 2hr, 5rbi, 1sb)...made 2 exhibition starts at DH and 1 start in CF...overall made 3 apps in LF and 4 apps in CF...on 11/18 was added to the Reds' 40-man roster.
