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Anfernee Grier, Auburn's star center fielder, has had a spectacular career on the Plains. None more so than the 2016 campaign, his junior, and, as it turns out, last season at Auburn. He announced a few weeks ago, via social media, that he was entering the 2016 MLB Draft.
The totals speak for themselves for his 2016 campaign that you see in his Instagram post. He was 2nd in the SEC in Hits and Home Runs. 3rd in Runs Scored. 1st in Total Bases, where he failed to reach base in only 2-3 games for the entire season. His batting average was .366.
Now, following that stellar junior season, he has been chose with the 39th pick in the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
For his career at Auburn, Grier had a .323 batting average. The combination of pure talent, hard work, and a little bit of Doug Sisson's led to a large increase in his numbers during the 2016 season versus his previous years. The one knock on his game prior to this season was that he wasn't exactly a power hitter, hitting only 2 home runs in his first 2 years. He hit 12 in 2016, including 2 in the final game.
His hitting isn't the only great thing about his game, either. Grier was also excellent in the field, laying out for spectacular catch after spectacular catch.
Grier has just about every tool you could ask for in a baseball player. Hitting, fielding, and base-running. He stole 19 bases during the 2016 season. He's going to make some Major League team and its fans very happy. He was a joy to watch in an Auburn baseball uniform, and we're going to miss him on the Plains.
Good luck, Anfernee! And you just keep on being #PhenixCityFast. War Eagle!