Austin Kearns
Austin Ryan Kearns (born May 20, 1980) is a former American MLB outfielder who played from 2002 to 2013. A Lexington, Kentucky native, he finished high school at Lafayette Senior High and was drafted seventh overall by the Cincinnati Reds in 1998. He chose to turn pro and spent three seasons in the minors before making his MLB debut on April 17, 2002.
Kearns had a strong rookie season, hitting .315 with 13 home runs in 107 games and finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year race. He dealt with several injuries early in his career, including elbow surgery in 2003 after a collision, a broken left forearm in 2004, and thumb surgery on his right hand later that year.
In July 2006, the Reds traded him to the Washington Nationals in a controversial deal. With the Nationals, Kearns had a productive stretch in 2007, appearing in 161 games and driving in 74 runs, and he even hit a memorable inside-the-park home run on May 12, 2007. He faced more injuries in 2008 and 2009 and did not return to the majors in 2009.
In 2010, after becoming a free agent, Kearns signed with the Cleveland Indians and was later traded to the New York Yankees, where he earned a spot on the postseason roster. He returned to Cleveland in 2011 but was designated for assignment that August and released shortly after. In 2012, he signed with the Miami Marlins and made the Opening Day roster. He played for the Marlins in 2012 and 2013, but his 2013 season was cut short after a family bereavement; he did not officially retire from baseball.
After his playing career, Kearns stayed connected to baseball in Lexington, helping with his sons’ youth teams and volunteering at Lexington Christian Academy. He and his wife, Abby, have three children.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:16 (CET).