If you grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, chances are you fell in love with the finer details of baseball. Those were times when base hits were valued, hitting line drives was the goal of every at-bat, and putting the ball in play, in any way possible, was a premium.

A lot of those principles have been lost in the modern-day offensive game of baseball as the 3 true outcomes, a home run, a walk, or a strikeout, have taken their place. 

But, not for all.

Austin Gauthier is an infield prospect in the Dodgers organization that, if you’re like me, you recognize right away. No, not Gauthier himself, but his game, and his style of play, because it takes you back to when the game was all about fundamentals.

Style of Play

Gauthier is a hard-nosed, tough, gritty player who understands the game’s complexities but keeps his offensive outcomes simple.

Hit the ball hard, and get on base.

He certainly can hit home runs, as evidenced by his 2 walk-offs as a pro, but what he likes to do is just hit the ball hard, hit line drives, and figure out a way to touch first base. 

And, he’s very good at it.

He hit .410 as a Senior in High School at South County and was a Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star, and made the All-Conference team as both a Junior and a Senior. 

He cherishes his time at SoCo and thinks back to all of the great friends he got to play with. 

It was a good time at South County. We won a lot of games and just having those core group of guys there was awesome. That’s where the foundation started and I started thinking that I might have a chance to play pro ball. Those core of guys will always be special in my heart.

Hofstra

Gauthier had several D1 offers and used the recruiting process to find the right fit. He was looking for top-notch academics, early playing time, and a coaching staff that could help him grow his game and reach his ultimate goal of playing professionally

And Hofstra checked every box.

The Pride baseball program is led by John Russo who has coached several players that have gone on to be drafted, one being the Dodger’s very own, John Rooney. So Gauthier knew he would get excellent instruction at Hofstra, and he also felt like he would have a chance to compete for playing time right away. 

There was a pitcher named James Beasley that played in the same organization as I did and he was the first to go to Hofstra. I had some schools that were interested but none of them seemed like the right fit.

Gauthier continued and talked about how he ended up at Hofstra

There was a scout that came down from Hofstra and watched me play for a weekend and he offered me right on the spot on the Sunday after the tournament was over. I took some time, I looked at their roster and it was the right fit for me. I was fortunate enough to get playing time as a Freshman so it was a great experience. 

Gauthier had a great 4-year career at Hofstra highlighted by a Covid shortened season in 2020 in which he hit over .400. Although that season came to an end abruptly, which was very disappointing for someone who likes to play baseball every day, he had a very cool experience waiting for him just around the corner.

In the summer of 2020, after the College baseball season was canceled, Gauthier got to play in the NoVa league with his brother and for his dad, and got to win a Championship. He says that it was one of the coolest experiences he’s ever had in the game.

Honestly, there was not a better time for that to happen. Covid just slowed everything down, and my brother and I have always been go, go, go and traveling all over, so having that happen just down the street in the Virginia League was something special. I mean, it’s pretty cool when you have your little brother on your side and you’re playing for your dad and you win a championship.

After the summer in the NoVa league, Gauthier returned to Hofstra and finished his fantastic 4-year career with the Pride.

Remember when he said one of the things he was looking for was playing time?

Well, he started 144 of the 145 games he played at Hofstra, and, when you combine that with the fact that he started 83 consecutive games in High School, it totals that Gauthier started 227 of the 228 games he played in his prep career.

Suffice it to say, toughness, grit, and being in the lineup every day are all qualities he has shown in spades. 

Gauthier gives credit to all of the people around him for the traits he has developed. 

I would have to say that it’s a reflection of the people that are close to me in my life. Growing up with Military parents you learn about work ethic and discipline and, really, who are you without those things? 

Gauthier continued about what drives him to be so reliable.

There’s no other place I’d rather be than on the field all 9 innings the whole season as long as I’m healthy. I don’t want to have the feeling of having to watch from the dugout. I want to be out there trying to find ways to help the team win.

Onto the Pros

Despite having a great career at Hofstra where he was named to the ABCA/All-Northeast Region First team and made the all-Colonial team, he went undrafted, which, quite frankly, was a fairly large-sized gut punch to the Virginia native. 

That is, until he got a phone call from Will Rhymes asking if he would be interested in signing as a Free Agent. 

Not only was his answer yes, but his response could also best be described as “where do I sign”? Gauthier looks back on that day as being a roller coaster of emotions.

That was a roller coaster of a day. Usually, you hear before the draft where you’re going, but, honestly, I had no idea how it all worked. I was in my basement watching the draft and it got to be the 18th, then the 19th, then when the 20th Round came around I didn’t hear my name called. 

He goes on to describe how it felt to go undrafted

I think anyone in that situation would feel like they were given a gut punch because all you want is that one chance. But, then, 30 minutes to an hour later Will Rhymes called and asked me if I would be willing to sign a Free Agent contract. I was like, oh my goodness. I talked to my mom and dad real quick because I was signed up to go to Maryland for my 5th year, and then that night I called the Dodgers back and told them I would sign right away. 

Coast to Coast

Gauthier was flown out to Rancho a week or so after signing his Free Agent deal in 2021 and got his pro career started. He played 30 games to end that season, then started 2022 again in Rancho before being promoted to Great Lakes at the beginning of August. 

Gauthier loved his time at Rancho and felt immediately connected when he got to Great Lakes because the hitting instructor for the Loons, Dylan Nasiatka, went to Hofstra as well. Nasiatka was very impressed with Gauthier in the two months he got to coach him and had great things to say about the type of player he is.

Austin is curious, focused, and a tireless worker. He does a great job of playing the game one pitch at a time and puts the effort into his preparation to execute when he has opportunities to impact the game.

Nasiatka continued

His teammates and coaches know they’ll always get his best effort. He continues to get better because he takes feedback from the game and applies it to his efforts in practice and because of his work habits and passion he’s an extremely easy player to root for.

Those are very telling words about the work ethic, discipline, and mental approach that Gauthier takes toward the game. He is very talented, else he wouldn’t be just a couple of steps from the Major Leagues. But, those quotes from Nasiatka really sum up the kind of player he is the best. 

Feature Cut

Gauthier uses the big part of the field and hits to the opposite field as well as anyone in the game. As a matter of fact, his oppo % is higher than his pull % and his On-base percentage as a professional is .430. 

Watch how he uses the biggest part of the field in this video and how easily he hits the ball the other way. 

Power

Although his game isn’t built on power, he certainly can hit home runs. In fact, his first home run as a professional was a walk-off. The Walk-off in this video isn’t his first one, but it’s good enough to give you the idea of how he has the tendency to come up big with the game on the line. 

Conclusion

Gauthier has an on-base percentage of .430 as a pro, and, although he doesn’t hit a ton of home runs, his lifetime OPS to this point is .819. When asked, he said he profiles as a 2nd baseman, which his offensive game is perfectly suited for. 

If your 2nd baseman can hit for a high average, get on base at a .430 clip, hit a handful of impactful home runs, and have an OPS of .819, then that’s a very good offensive 2nd baseman. Add on top of that, he fielded at a .983 clip at Great Lakes and it paints a very good picture of a really good player that is being put in the lineup every day.

And, I mean every day.

Remember, going all the way back to High School, that’s all he’s done is play every day. 

In conclusion, I would like to thank Austin for spending time on Dodgers Daily with an interview and giving me the chance to tell at least a part of his story. One of the first things I said to him when he came on was that his game was my kind of game. I love watching the way he plays. 

Thanks again to Austin, Dodgers Daily will be rooting for him all along the way.