John Hicks (baseball)


John Austin Hicks is an American professional baseball catcher and first baseman who is a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has also played in Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers.

Career

Amateur

Hicks was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 31st round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft out of Goochland High School in Goochland, Virginia. He did not sign and played college baseball at the University of Virginia for the Cavaliers from 2009 to 2011. In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Seattle Mariners

He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with the Mariners and made his professional debut that season with the Clinton LumberKings. He played 2012 with the High Desert Mavericks and 2013 with the Double-A Jackson Generals. Hicks started 2014 with Jackson and was promoted to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.
The Mariners placed Hicks on their 40–man roster on November 20, 2014. He made his MLB debut with the Mariners on August 29, 2015. He was designated for assignment on November 23, 2015.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins claimed Hicks off of waivers in December, 2015. He did not play a major league game with the Twins.

Detroit Tigers

2016

Hicks was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers on April 23, 2016. He split time in the 2016 season between the Double-A Erie SeaWolves and the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He was called up on September 1, 2016, when the rosters expanded and made his Tigers debut on September 10.

2017

Hicks began the 2017 season with the Mud Hens, where he batted.424 with 12 RBI in his first 10 games. On April 22, 2017, he was recalled by the Tigers and inserted into the starting lineup. In the next game, on April 23 against the Minnesota Twins, Hicks hit his first major league home run and had 5 RBI in a 3-for-5 game. After being optioned back to Toledo in June, Hicks was called back up on July 31, 2017, to replace Alex Avila, who had been traded. Hicks had two home runs in a September 5 game against the Kansas City Royals, the first multi-homer game of his career. In 173 at-bats during the 2017 season, Hicks hit.266 with 6 home runs.

2018

Hicks alternated between catcher and first base for the 2018 Tigers, playing the latter much more after the season-ending injury to Miguel Cabrera on June 12. On August 15, 2018, after being placed on the disabled list a week earlier for a groin strain, the Tigers announced that Hicks would need surgery to repair a core muscle defect which ended his season. He finished 2018 hitting.260 with 9 home runs and 32 RBI in 81 games.

2019

Hicks made the 2019 Tigers roster out of spring training. He split time at catcher with Grayson Greiner, Bobby Wilson and Jake Rogers while occasionally playing first base. Hicks finished 2019 hitting.210 with 13 home runs and 35 RBI in 319 at-bats. Hicks hit four game-winning home runs during the season, including a walk-off grand slam to beat the Baltimore Orioles in extra innings on September 14. Hicks was outrighted off the Tigers roster and elected free agency on October 24, 2019.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On January 27, 2020, Hicks was signed to a minor league contract by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Personal life

Hicks played youth baseball with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. He is married. Hicks attended Goochland High School, which was where ace pitcher Justin Verlander had also attended a few years before him. The two later ended up being teammates on the Tigers together in 2017. Hicks caught 5 games for Verlander that year.