John Hicks #6

John Austin Hicks...Married, wife’s name is Leslie; has two sons, Walker and Kash...Graduated from Goochland High School (VA), the same high school as NYM pitcher Justin Verlander...Was high school travel ball teammates with NFL quarterback Russell Wilson…Played collegiately for three seasons at the University of Virginia and hit .316 with 54 doubles, 24 home runs and 146 RBI in 195 career games...As a junior, was named First Team All-ACC in 2011...2019 inductee into the University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame...Signed by Mike Moriarty.

2022

Spent the season with Iowa (AAA) in CHI’s system...Hit a professional-high 20 home runs, had 47 extra-base hits (25 2B, two 3B) and posted a .510 SLG...Slashed .310/.361/.663 with a 1.024 OPS in 50 home games...Had 14 extra-base hits (seven 2B, seven HR) and posted a .727 SLG in 20 games during August.

2021

John split the 2021 season between the Texas Rangers (10 games) and Triple-A Round Rock (64 games)... Batted .258 (8-for-31) with one double, four homers and seven RBI during his lone stint with Texas (June 29-July 22)... Set a Washington/Texas franchise record, becoming the first player to hit at least four home runs in his first four games with the club... Was designated for assignment, July 23 and outrighted to Round Rock, July 30... Spent the remainder of the season in Round Rock ... all told, hit .290 (72-for-248) with 18 doubles, 13 homers, 44 RBI and an .856 OPS with the Express.

2020

Spent the season in the Diamondbacks organization… did not see game action in the regular season, as he was assigned to the D-backs’ Alternate Training Site at Scottsdale’s Salt River Fields until he was released on 9/19…appeared in 10 G spanning Spring Training/Summer Camp last year, batting .261 (6-23) with two HR and five RBI for Arizona.

2019

Appeared in 95 games with the Tigers, batting .210 (67-for-319) with 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 35 RBI and 29 runs scored…set career highs in doubles, home runs and RBI... Made 55 starts at catcher without making an error, the fi fth catcher in Tigers history to go an entire season (min. 50 games) without committing an error and the fi rst since James McCann in 2015 [source: STATS LLC]... 7 of his 13 home runs came in the seventh inning or later, and 5 came in the ninth inning (3 go-ahead).

2018

Spent the entire 2018 season with the Tigers, appearing in 81 games...Recorded his first career walk-off hit with a safety squeeze bunt single in the 12th inning on May 2 vs. Tampa Bay...Played in 27 games during May, hitting .304/.345/.451 with 15 runs scored, six doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI...Sidelined from August 7-October 29 with a right groin strain.

2017

Combined to play in 112 games in 2017 between Detroit and Triple A Toledo...Hit his first Major League home run and drove in a career-high five runs on April 23 at Minnesota...Played in 17 games between Toledo and Detroit during the month of April, hitting .424 (25x59) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI...Had a career-long, nine-game hitting streak from April 22-May 27...hit .371 (13x35) with seven runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI during the streak...Finished the month of August with a .340 (18x53) batting average, 10 runs scored, six doubles, one home run and six RBI in 21 games... Notched his first career multi-home run game on September 5 vs. Kansas City.

2016

Began the 2016 season in the Minnesota Twins organization before being claimed off waivers by the Tigers on April 23... Selected as an organizational All-Star by MiLB.com... Assigned to Triple A Rochester to begin the season -- hit .242 (8x33) with a run scored, two doubles, one home run and one RBI in nine games...Claimed off waivers by the Tigers from Minnesota on April 23 and was assigned to Double A Erie -- played in 14 games with the SeaWolves and hit .388 (19x49) with seven runs scored, one double, one triple, one home run and four RBI... Hit safely in 11 straight games from April 24-May 13 -- batted .450 (18x40) with six runs scored, one double, one triple, one home run and three RBI during the streak...Had his option transferred from Double A Erie to Triple A Toledo on May 18 - hit .303 (73x241) with 38 runs scored, 20 doubles, eight home runs and 42 RBI in 70 games with Toledo... Homered and drove in four runs on June 2 at Louisville and June 5 vs. Indianapolis... Finished the month of June with a .329 (23x70) batting average with 14 runs scored, 10 doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI... Had a 12-game hitting streak from July 17-August 1…hit .326 (15x46) with five runs scored, five doubles and seven RBI over the 12 games... Posted a .328 (22x67) batting average with eight runs scored, four doubles and four RBI in 19 games during August... Recalled from Triple A Toledo on September 2... Recorded his first hit with the Tigers with a double in the eighth inning on September 10 vs. Baltimore.

2015

Started season with Triple-A Tacoma in the Seattle organization....Recorded 20 multi-hit games for the Rainiers (83 total games).... Caught 67 games for the Rainiers, played 11 games at first base and one in the outfield; recorded a 44.0 caught stealing percentage (33 CS, 42 SB).... Hit .299 (26-for-87) with four doubles, two home runs and nine RBI in final 24 games for Rainiers... Recalled by Seattle August 28...Made major league debut August 29 at Chicago-AL as a defensive replacement, playing third base... Recorded first career major league hit August 30 at Chicago-AL, singling off Jose Quintana.... Recorded first career major league RBI September 12 vs. Colorado on a sacrifice bunt....Designated for release or assignment by Seattle November 23; claimed off waivers by Minnesota December 2.

2014

Combined to hit .290/.351/.403/.754 with 5 HR and 47 RBI in 81 G with Jackson (AA) and Tacoma…played for Surprise Saguaros in Arizona Fall League and hit .304/.396/.522/.918 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 13 G…ranked as 13th-best prospect in SEA system by Baseball America following the season…also rated M’s no. 17 prospect by MLB.com.

2013

Appeared in 80 games with Jackson…on the DL with a strained right groin, May 20-June 1…threw out 49.3 percent (35 CS, 36 SB) of attempted base-stealers, which led the Southern League among qualifying catchers…hit safely in 16 of 17 games, including 16 consecutive starts, April 14-May 10 (.357/25x70, 13 R, 5 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI).

2012

Appeared in 121 games with High Desert...named to both the California Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star teams...recorded 3 multi-home run game, May 24 vs. Modesto (3x5, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI), June 29 vs. Inland Empire (3x6, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI) and Sept. 1 vs. Lancaster (3x5, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI)...threw out 53.8 percent (57 CS, 49 SB) of attempted base-stealers which not only led the California League, but also led all full season qualifying catchers...caught stealing percentage was the highest amongst full season qualifying catchers since Jose Felix threw out 62.9% of basestealers for Bakersfield Blaze in the California League in 2010...led the California League in nearly every defensive category amongst catchers, including games caught (98), total chances (863), putouts (763), assists (92) and double plays (11).

2011

Began pro career with Clinton batting .309 (43x139) with 2 home runs and 26 RBI in 38 games...recorded a season-high 9-game hit streak, Aug. 17-27 (.500/17x34, 9 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, HR, 12 RBI)...participated in the 2011 Mariners Instructional League.