There was a time when Austin Hays was a talented but injury-riddled Orioles top prospect who couldn’t stay on the field.
Drafted in 2016 out of Jacksonville University, Hays hustled his way through the ranks of the O’s farm system, jumping from High-A to Double-A to the big leagues in one season alone. He’d make his MLB debut in September ’17, going on to be named the O’s MiLB Player of the Year that year and MLB Pipeline’s 23rd-best prospect in baseball heading into 2018. According to Pipeline, Hays was predicted to be “on the fast track to becoming an impact, everyday player at the highest level.