Austin Wates

Austin Anthony Wates

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.
• School Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
• High School St. Christopher's School (Richmond)

• Born September 2, 1988 in Seattle, WA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

OF Austin Wates was a third-round choice by the Houston Astros in the 2010 amateur draft out of Virginia Tech. He was signed by scout Everett Stull and made his pro debut that summer.

He only played 13 games his first year, hitting .293 principally for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League, then got his pro career started in earnest in 2011 when he spent the year with the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League. There he hit .300/.366/.413 in 132 games, although in a very favorable hitting environment. He scored 85 runs and drove in 85. In 2012, he spent most of the season in AA with the Corpus Christi Hooks, although an injury limited him to 95 games of hitting .304/.375/.429. More injuries followed in 2013, as he only played 23 games with Corpus Christi and 15 in AAA with the Oklahoma City 89ers. Still, he had his third straight year of hitting over .300, with a line of .309/.397/.412.

Finally healthy in 2014, he started the year in Oklahoma City, where he hit .299/.396/.381 in 74 games. He was successful on 31 of 35 stolen bases attempts in that span, was a bit lost in the shuffle with the Astros teeming with great outfield prospects. On July 31st, he was included in a big trade with the Miami Marlins, accompanying major leaguers Jarred Cosart and Enrique Hernandez to Florida while the Astros received Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes and Colin Moran in return.

Related Sites

Virginia Tech bio