A former Clemson standout is reportedly headed to the big leagues for the first time.
The Cincinnati Reds will call up former Tiger catcher Chris Okey on Friday, with Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson set to go on the injured list, according to C. Trent Rosecrans, who covers the Reds for The Athletic.
Okey owns a .265/.324/.441 slash line with seven extra-base hits, 12 runs scored, nine RBIs and six walks across 24 games this season for the Louisville Bats, the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A Affiliate.
Okey became just the seventh player in Triple-A Louisville history to hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat in the Bats’ 11-3 victory over the Gwinnett Stripers on Saturday, June 4 at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Ga.
Okey was drafted in the second round (No. 43 overall pick) by the Cincinnati Reds and signed in June 2016 following his junior season at Clemson during which he was a Johnny Bench Award semifinalist as well as a first-team All-American by NCBWA, second-team All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game and third-team All-American by College Sports Madness and D1Baseball.
At Clemson from 2014-16, Okey was a career .301 hitter with a .504 slugging percentage and .392 on-base percentage in 186 games (186 starts) over three seasons. He had 41 doubles, four triples, 31 homers, 172 RBIs, 138 runs, 100 walks, 12 hit-by-pitches and 10 steals, and he started 143 consecutive games at catcher to end his career.
Okey was a two-time Johnny Bench Award semifinalist, two-time, first-team All-American and two-time, First-Team All-ACC selection.
Sources: The #Reds will call up C Chris Okey on Friday with Tyler Stephenson headed to the IL.
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) June 9, 2022
–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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