Married, wife's name is Samantha. The couple has a son, Levi, and are expecting their second boy in April 2022...Has a dog named Luna...Attended Jacksonville University (FL) and Spruce Creek (FL) HS...Loves to hunt in the off-season...Austin hit a home run at the first spring training game his son, Levi, went to and the Hays family kept the ball...If he could trade places with anyone it would be his wife so he could see what he is like from her point of view...Enjoys spending his off days in Annapolis...His go-to karaoke song is Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks...Is scared of heights...Was teammates with Mike Baumann in college at Jacksonville (2015-16)…Does not wear batting gloves, because he would go through them like crazy when he was little and didn’t want his mom to have to keep buying new...Is from the ones. same hometown as former Oriole Luke Scott.
2021
Had the second-highest fWAR (2.4) among O’s hitters, behind only Cedric Mullins (5.3)..Had a career-long 17-game hitting streak from 8/24-9/11 (G1), the second-longest streak by an O’s batter in 2021 (20 G - Mullins) and tied for the seventh-longest streak in MLB...Reached base safely in a career-long 20-straight games to finish the season, the longest streak to finish the season in MLB, and tied with Cedric Mullins for the longest streak by an O’s batter in 2021...Raised his OPS from .686 on 8/24 to .769 to finish the season (+.083)…Hit safely in 49 of his last 58 games from 8/1, slashing .279/.325/.509 (62-for-222) with 25 XBH (12 HR, 11-2B, 2-3B)…Slashed .283/.339/.594 (30-for-106) with 16 XBH (8 HR, 7-2B, 3B) and 21 RBI in 27 games in September and hit safely in 24 of the 27; is a career .297/.343/.537 (84-for-283) hitter with 35 XBH (16 HR, 18-2B, 3B) and 46 RBI in 81 September games, all monthly career-highs...Led the O’s with 31 XBH (16-2B, 2-3B, 13 HR) after the All-Star Break...His three multi-homer games ranked second on the team behind Cedric Mullins (4).
2020
Hit the 23rd inside-the-park home run in Orioles history on 8/11 at PHI leading off the 10th inning; the first O’s inside-the-park home run since Robert Andino on 9/26/11 vs. BOS...Matched his career-high with three hits four times during the season; 8/7 at WSH, 9/23 at BOS, 9/24 at BOS, 9/26 at TOR (seven total times in his career)...Recorded three outfield assists (2-LF, 1-CF), second-most on the O’s; recorded a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) in 70 total chances...Appeared in his first career game in LF, making the start there on 9/14 at ATL; has 42 career starts (51 games) in CF, 12 starts (17 games) in RF, and eight starts (10 games) in LF...Hit .351 (13-for-37) with three home runs when leading off an inning...Recorded seven multi-hit games and hit .377 (20-for-53) with three home runs and 12 runs scored in 14 September games...Hit safely in 10-of-14 games after returning from the IL on 9/14 (non-displaced rib fracture)...Raised his batting average from .203 to .279 after coming off the Injured List...28 of his 34 hits on the season were singles...Of the 40 career games in which he has recorded a hit, 21 have been multi-hit games...Batted .306 (15-for-49) in 14 Interleague games...Homered in consecutive games (9/23-24) for the first time in his career...Recorded the Orioles first SB of the season on 7/30 vs. NYY...Appeared on his first career Opening Day roster.
2019
According to STATS, LLC., Hays became the first Major League rookie to have five-or-more RBI, a stolen base, and an outfield assist in the same game (9/23 at TOR) since RBI became an official stat in 1920...Registered a career-high seven-game hitting streak from 9/16-23, hitting .344 (11-for-32) during this stretch...Recorded his first career two-home run game on 9/23 at TOR; also recorded a career-high five RBI, while also recording his first career stolen base...Batted .419 (18-for-43) against right-handers and .120 (3-for-25) against left-handers...Hit .417 (5-for-12) with nine RBI with runners in scoring position...Collected a career-high three hits three times during the season (9/11 vs. LAD, 9/18 vs. TOR, 9/23 at TOR)...Hit safely in 12 of his 15 starts with the Orioles, hitting .333 (21-for-63) in that span...Recorded his first career multi-double game on 9/18 vs. TOR...Made the MLB Network Play of the Week for the week of 9/22 for his home run-saving catch vs. TOR on 9/19...Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on 9/7 and played that night; his first big league appearance since 10/1/17...Hit .254 (61-for-240) with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 43 runs, and 27 RBI in 59 games with Norfolk...Batted .248 (87-for-351) with 17 home runs across four different minor league levels for the season.
2018
Entered the season ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Orioles organization, according to Baseball America...Entered the season as a top 100 prospect according to Baseball America (No. 21) MLB.com (No. 23), and Baseball Prospectus (No. 72)...Played in 66 games for Double-A Bowie and nine rehab games for Short-Season A Aberdeen, hitting a combined .235 (73-for-310)...Hit a combined .273 (27-for-99) with eight doubles, six home runs, 12 runs, and 25 RBI in 23 games in August and September...Homered in back-to-back games (9/2 and 9/3) to finish the season...Placed on the minor league disabled list on 5/29 (retroactive to 5/26); reinstated from the DL on 8/7...Recalled from Double-A Bowie on 9/24 and placed on the 60-day disabled list (right ankle surgery).
2017
Ranked as the No. 98 prospect in Baseball America's Midseason Top 100 Prospect rankings...Entered 2017 as the No. 7 Orioles prospect according to Baseball America... Named the Orioles Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year...Had his contract selected from Double-A Bowie on 9/5...Became the first player from the 2016 Draft class to reach the majors...Made his Major League debut on 9/7 vs. NYY as a defensive replacement in right field, he went 0-for-1...Made his first Major League start on 9/9 at CLE in right field, he went 0-for-2...Recorded his first Major League hit on 9/16 at NYY, with a single in the third inning...Slugged his first Major League home run in the ninth inning of the same game...Hit safely in seven of eight games from 9/16-23, batting .355 (11-for-31) with three doubles, one home run, and eight RBI... Named an MLBPipeline.com Outfield Prospect of the Year...Named a finalist for Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year Award...Was a Mid-Season All-Star with Class-A Advanced Frederick...Named a three-time Carolina League Player of the Week award winner...Named the Orioles Minor League Player of the Month for June...Led the minors in total bases (310), and ranked second in home runs (32) and extra-base hits (69)...In 128 minor league games (Frederick and Bowie), he hit .329/.365/.593 (172-for-523) with 32 doubles, five triples, 32 home runs, 81 runs, and 95 RBI...Hit .411 (62-for-151) against left-handers in the minors.