John Hicks (baseball)

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John Hicks is a former American MLB catcher and first baseman who played for the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. Born August 31, 1989, in Richmond, Virginia, he bats and throws right-handed.

Career overview
- High school and college: Hicks attended Goochland High School in Virginia. He was drafted by the Angels in 2008 but did not sign, and he played college baseball at the University of Virginia from 2009 to 2011. In 2010, he played summer baseball in the Cape Cod League with the Harwich Mariners.
- MLB path begins: The Seattle Mariners drafted Hicks in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. He started in the minors and reached Triple-A before making his MLB debut with Seattle on August 29, 2015. After a brief DFA, he was claimed by the Minnesota Twins but did not appear in a major league game for them. The Detroit Tigers claimed him in April 2016.
- with the Tigers: Hicks made his Tigers debut in September 2016. In 2017, he started strong in the minor leagues and earned a big-league recall, hitting his first major league home run and delivering several clutch games. He split time between catcher and first base in 2018 and later that year underwent core muscle surgery, ending his season. In 2019 he played primarily as a catcher and first baseman, hitting four game-winning home runs, including a walk-off grand slam on September 14. He was outrighted off the Tigers’ roster in October 2019.
- 2020 onward: Hicks signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020, but no games were played due to the COVID-19 season. In 2021 he signed with the Texas Rangers, was promoted to the big leagues in June, and became the first Ranger to hit four home runs in his first four games. He was designated for assignment later that month and finished his Rangers stint in 2021, appearing in 10 games.
- Later years and retirement: Hicks signed minor league deals with the Chicago Cubs (2022) and the Philadelphia Phillies (2022–2023), playing in Triple-A for both organizations. He was released by the Phillies in July 2023. In June 2024, Hicks returned to the University of Virginia as a student assistant for the baseball program.

MLB career stats
- Debut: August 29, 2015 (Seattle Mariners)
- Final MLB appearance: July 21, 2021 (Texas Rangers)
- Batting average: .236
- Home runs: 32
- Runs batted in: 97

Personal notes
- Hicks played youth baseball alongside future NFL quarterback Russell Wilson.
- He is married.
- He attended Goochland High School, the same school as ace pitcher Justin Verlander, and the two were teammates with the Tigers in 2017, with Hicks catching for Verlander in several games.