AJ Gracia
| AJ Gracia | |
|---|---|
| Virginia Cavaliers – No. 29 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: October 27, 2004 New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference |
Andres John Gracia (born October 27, 2004) is an American college baseball outfielder for the Virginia Cavaliers, representing the University of Virginia. He previously played for the Duke Blue Devils.
Amateur career
[edit]Raised in Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, Gracia attended Ranney School.[1] During his freshman year of high school, he verbally committed to Duke as a left-handed pitcher and outfielder.[2] During his senior year of high school, he batted .467 with 12 home runs and was awarded the New Jersey Player of the Year Award by Prep Baseball.[3]
In his freshman year at Duke, he primarily played in the left field, batting .305 and collecting 14 home runs with a .440 on-base percentage. He broke Duke's freshman home run record when he hit 14 home runs.[4] At the conclusion of the season, Gracia was selected onto Baseball America's Freshman All America Second Team.[5]
In June 2025, Gracia entered the transfer portal and subsequently committed to the University of Virginia to follow his former Duke coach, Chris Pollard, who had taken a head coaching position there a few months before.[6][7]
Gracia is considered one of the top prospects for the 2026 Major League Baseball draft.[8][9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ Zedalis, Joe. "AJ Gracia of Ranney is the NJ.com Baseball Player of the Year, 2023", NJ.com, June 26, 2023. Accessed June 22, 2026. "The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder from Monroe Township finished the 2023 season with a .500 batting average, .496 on-base percentage and 1.103 slugging percentage."
- ^ "Ranney School Freshman AJ Gracia Verbally Commits to Duke". Ranney School. September 9, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ "2023 New Jersey Player of the Year: AJ Gracia". www.prepbaseballreport.com. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ "Virginia Baseball Player Profile: Duke Transfer AJ Gracia". Virginia Cavaliers On SI. June 19, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ "Gracia, Johnson Add Baseball America Freshman All-America Honors". Duke University. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ Flaherty, Peter (June 11, 2025). "AJ Gracia Transfer: Duke Star Among Several Blue Devils To Enter Portal". College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ "Introducing the Top 20 college prospects in the 2026 Draft class". MLB.com. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ Network, Alfred Ezman-World Baseball (February 24, 2026). "Virginia's AJ Gracia off to a Good Start in the 2026 College Baseball Season - World Baseball Network". World Baseball Network - Baseball without Borders. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ "It Sounds Like Nationals Are Targeting This Player Archetype in 2026 MLB Draft". Washington Nationals On SI. June 19, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Callis, Jim (June 4, 2026). "The Draft is just over 5 weeks away! Here's the latest mock". MLB.com. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Duke Bio
- Virginia Bio