It was the bat flip of the season.
In the frigid mountain air of Provo, BYU slugger Austin Deming launched a 3-1 pitch into the pine trees beyond the left field wall at Miller Park.
What followed was a rare moment of showmanship from the soft spoken Santa Clara, Utah native; a pimp job more reminiscent of flashy big leaguers like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
“I just hit it so well. It was flying perfectly so I just wanted to watch it,” Deming explained.
“The catcher started jawing at me pretty much right after and I wasn’t going to let him show me up like that. So I was just looking at him to let him know ‘yeah, I just hit that ball that far.”
Deming had never challenged an opponent like that before, but you can’t blame him for wanting to soak it in. The moment certainly called for a little extra swagger.
“That’s not really my personality. Sometimes I like to watch it a little but I had never bat flipped. It was a little bit of a ‘heat of the moment’ situation.”
It shocked his teammates, who weren’t accustomed to seeing such antics from their third baseman.
“I remember he felt bad after,” recalled Joshua Cowden, a close friend and teammate.
The two had competed against each other in high school and were recruited together as part of the same class at BYU. Cowden sat out that final year with a torn labrum, but made sure to play an active part in Deming’s senior season.
“He’d always point at me in the dugout when he got to third base, because I was shaking my head,” Cowden said.
“It was kind of an inside joke. I'd mess with him and tell him he was lucky the ball went out, even though they would clear the fence by like 50 feet.”
This one definitely cleared the fence by Cowden’s required footage. Deming finished his trot with the customary point to his teammate, but by the time he got back to the dugout, the adrenaline rush had gotten to him.
“I remember him saying when he came in, ‘Crap, I shouldn’t have done that.’ But he knew as soon as he hit it that it was out. It was a cool moment,” Cowden said.
It was Deming’s second homer of the game, an exclamation point in the Cougars’ 19-8 mercy-rule win over UNC-Greensboro in game two of a three-game series. BYU swept the Spartans, fueled by Deming's stellar weekend at the plate. He chased their pitchers out of Provo, going 11-for-14 with four doubles, four homers and 14 RBI.
Safe to say, the bat flip was warranted.
He was in the midst of the best season of his college career. In 41 games in the 2022-23 season, Deming hit .418 with 19 HR, 68 RBI and a 1.399 OPS, earning him the triple crown and Co-Player of the Year in the West Coast Conference.
Deming rode the momentum of his standout senior year all the way to the MLB draft where he was selected in the 10th round by the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros.
A few weeks after signing his first professional contract, he made his minor league full-season-affiliate debut for the Asheville Tourists, the Astros High A affiliate. Fittingly, that first game was played in Greensboro. He went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.
If you’re reading his bio in a media guide or on a team website, Deming’s path to professional baseball seems fairly straightforward. Ball out as a senior, win conference MVP, get drafted and then debut in the same calendar year.
If you stay a little longer on the page and take a glance at his year-by-year stats, you may notice a line underneath his Ruthian numbers from 2023 that might look a little out of place.
2020/21: 29 G, 15 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 34 K and a .176/.330/.294 slashline.
Sure, every athlete can have a down year.
Especially in baseball, slumps are all too common and some can consume an entire season. They’re an intrinsic part of the game, just as much as singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” or eating copious amounts of hot dogs.
But that particular season was more than just a bad stretch at the plate for Deming. What you won’t find in those numbers or from his bio is the fact that he seriously considered stepping away from the game for good.
“That one year he really struggled. He lost a lot of his confidence and got frustrated with baseball,” Deming’s close friend and college roommate Nick Brumfield said. “He didn’t want to talk about the game much.”
Baseball was more than just a game Deming played; it was a point of connection, a source of community. It’s a pillar in his life.
He and his dad Eron, a former baseball player at Southern Utah University, were die-hard Dodgers fans. They watched as much Dodger baseball as they could. Two of his closest friends, Brumfield and Cowden, were first teammates before anything else.
To not want to talk about baseball was a big deal. It meant questioning a part of his identity.
“At the end of that year we talked and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue to play,” Brumfield said. “He was contemplating transferring or finishing baseball altogether.”
Deming did not lack talent. In high school he was a two-time All-State First Team player, the Utah Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year and a USA Today Baseball Team member.
As a true freshman, he was a consistent part of the Cougars’ lineup and showed the potential to become a real threat at the plate.
His sophomore year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, a roadblock not unique to Deming’s story but challenging all the same.
By the time his third year rolled around, Deming had an opportunity to showcase his abilities and establish himself as a legitimate draft prospect. So when his playing time was reduced and his performance on the field suffered, so too did his morale.
“When I was really struggling, I would go home and stay in my room and keep to myself,” Deming said. “I’m the type of person that usually keeps to myself anyways, but when you’re struggling it can make it worse.”
His friends took notice of his struggles and tried to do what they could to help.
“We’d go golfing a lot, which he loves, to help take his mind off things,” Brumfield said.
Golf, like baseball, had been a constant for the Deming family. Eron is a member of the Utah PGA and had instilled a passion in his kids for both sports. When they were kids, Austin and his siblings would hang out at the course with their dad and watch intently.
“I’ve golfed as long as I’ve played baseball since it’s my dad’s job,” Deming said. “I’ve gotten to bond with my family that way.”
He played competitively from a young age until the end of his sophomore year when he decided to focus solely on baseball. But golf remained in his life as a welcome oasis.
It was an escape from the troubles of life.
Or, the slumps of baseball.
It offered him the same thrills of competition without the stress or sense of defeat he faced when he came up short on the diamond. He placed an immense amount of pressure on himself to become a professional baseball player.
But there was no expectation of him winning The Masters.
“There’s still that competitive nature to it, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you do,” Deming said. “I can play it just to have a good time, doing something that isn't baseball. I could shoot 200 and it wouldn't matter.”
That space away from baseball helped him to see out the end of the season and finish the school year. When summer approached, he had a decision to make.
Usually, college coaches will assign their players to a summer baseball circuit while they’re away from school to help them get the repetitions they need to take their game to the next level. Deming wasn’t so sure that was what he needed. When he met with the Cougars coaching staff, he told them he needed some more time away.
“I didn’t play summer ball after that season. I used it instead as a reset period,” Deming said. “It was a hard year so I wanted the summer to get away from baseball. In college, you don’t really get off days. I needed to really think about what I wanted out of the game.”
Forgoing summer ball, he returned to St. George to spend time with family and friends with the goal of finding himself again.
“I didn’t do anything baseball related for a while,” he admits.
The time away from the game allowed him to reevaluate what was most important in his life. Deming already had some perspective on what mattered most. When he was in middle school, his mom Mindy was diagnosed with late-stage cancer twice. It forced him to grow up quicker than most of his peers, especially as the oldest of four kids. It also brought the family together.
“It has definitely played a big role in forming who I am today,” he said.
That summer in St. George with his family brought him back to his roots. Time with his parents and siblings gave him the energy and focus he was searching for in order to finish his college career strong.
Refreshed and strengthened by his time away from the game, Deming returned to campus. Another surprise boost awaited him during the team’s fall preparations for the upcoming season.
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper paid a visit to Provo to give the BYU baseball team some inspiration and advice. He was fresh off of an incredible year in which he led the Majors in doubles, slugging, OPS and OPS+ en route to winning his second MVP.
“He talked about how in his first few years of pro ball, he wasted time not being with his wife and family. He said he would bring baseball home and not be able to let it go once he left the field,” Deming recalls.
Leaving work at work and being fully present at home is sound advice coming from anyone. But when you’re hearing it from a future Hall of Famer, you tend to listen.
“That really stuck with me. So after he talked to us about that, it was something I wanted to implement in my life,” Deming said. “I play baseball, but it's not my life. I want to be able to enjoy things outside of the game.”
With his new found philosophy and his confidence restored, Deming entered his fourth year at BYU reinvented. He stayed healthy and consistent, playing in a career-high 54 games with a solid .295 batting average, five home runs and 28 RBI. His bounce-back performance did not go unnoticed, earning him a selection on the WCC All-Conference First Team.
While his plan to play three years of college baseball and get drafted had been derailed by an unforeseen global pandemic and a rough year on the field, Deming’s flip in mentality allowed him to enter his fifth and final season at BYU with a clear mind.
“I was thinking about what I wanted in life and from my time at BYU,” he said.
“Staying true to myself and working hard was important for me. That last year was a lot of fun, being able to be so successful.”
Those around him noticed the change too.
“Going into his senior year the light came back,” Brumfield said. “He was more excited and a lot happier to be at baseball.”
Despite his selection to the WCC All-Conference first team the year prior, Deming was not included in the preseason version of the list in 2023. Being left off could have made him feel slighted. Instead, it gave him yet another chip on his shoulder to push him forward.
“I took a screenshot of it and asked him, ‘Did you see this?’” Brumfield said.
Deming’s response reflected his self-confidence.
“Yeah, that’s crazy.”
Of course, he followed it up with one of the greatest single-season performances in school history.
“I just had to prove people wrong. And then I got co-player of the year,” Deming said.
“It was a special, special season for sure.”
Asheville, North Carolina is a far cry from St. George or Provo.
After Deming was selected by the Houston Astros with the 314th overall pick, he was assigned to the team’s High A minor league affiliate (Asheville Tourists) following two short games in the Florida Complex League.
The town of around 100,000 is best known for its prime location along the Blue Ridge Mountains, whose peaks seem much less intimidating than the ones Deming is used to seeing along the Wasatch Front.
Lewis McCormick Field, where the Tourists call home, was built in 1924 and is the third-oldest Minor League stadium in the country. With a capacity of 4,000, the ballpark seats about double the amount of fans as BYU’s Miller Park.
The Tourists play in the South Division of the South Atlantic League, competing against teams from Bowling Green, Kentucky; Rome, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; Winston-Salem and Hickory, North Carolina.
Traveling and exploring the United States is one of Deming’s favorite perks of being a professional baseball player.
“You get to play everywhere,” Deming said. “You see a lot of new parts of the country.”
The small-town nature of minor league cities and the intimate setting of most ballparks creates the perfect storm for some top-tier taunting.
“There are four or five middle-aged men that like to heckle us in Hickory,” he chuckled.
“That was new for me. I'm used to college students or younger kids, but these guys were definitely older. They sit in the front row behind home plate. You can hear everything they're saying. It’s kind of funny. We’re just 20-year-old kids trying to grind it out in the minors.”
The long bus rides and jeering fans aren’t the only challenges Deming has had to adjust to.
“There’s a lot more movement in the minors,” he said. “There’s more of a business side than there is in college.”
Players can be released, traded, called up or sent down at the drop of a hat.
“There’s a little less personal freedom at the lower levels than in college,” Deming added. “When I was in Provo I had my own room, but I have to share here.”
Living conditions used to be much worse, but thanks to the new inclusion of Minor Leaguers in the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement, at least Deming doesn’t have to worry about finding a host family to stay with, or working a part-time job as a grocery bagger at the nearby Food Lion to make ends meet.
Part of the agreement, which was ratified just a few months before Deming was drafted, requires Major League clubs to provide housing for all of their Minor League players.
“The Astros have an apartment for us, which is nice,” Deming said.
“Before, you were on your own, which sounds way too complicated to me. I don’t know how it was ever like that. It’s crazy how many moving pieces there are, so it’s nice you don’t have to find a place on your own anymore.”
Of course, anyone would prefer a room to themselves. But Deming gets along well with his roommates on the team.
In fact, he typically spends a good chunk of his off days with them. Once a week on Mondays (a universal day off in the minors), Deming likes to golf with some of his teammates. Regardless of the city, he always finds time to escape to a course and forget, even just for a few hours, about the pressures of trying to make a career out of baseball. It’s an outlet he had turned to frequently during the dark days of his third year at BYU.
“Obviously it's nice having dudes around you that like to go out and play,” Deming said.
“We usually go around 9 a.m., either in Asheville or on the road. It’s a good way to get away from baseball one day a week, and just relax and have some fun doing something else.”
Taking some swings and sharing banter with his teammates over a shanked drive or a muffed putt not only helps Deming to unwind, but it also helps him to forge relationships with guys he’s competing against for playing time or a potential call up.
“The guys are a lot tighter than I thought,” he admitted.
A typical minor league clubhouse includes players from all different backgrounds: top prospects drafted right out of high school, Latin American talent signed as international free agents, and seasoned college guys drafted a little older like Deming. Sometimes even veteran Major Leaguers make guest appearances on rehab assignments, like fellow Triple Crown winner (from the bump, not the plate), three-time Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander.
Deming cherishes the diversity, and the opportunity to connect.
“I love meeting new people and learning about their backgrounds, particularly the guys who aren’t from the United States,” he said.
“You’re pretty much battling against each other. That’s what it is. So I didn’t know what to expect coming into it, but it’s a cool group to be a part of. You’re rooting for everyone.”
This isn’t the first time he’s embraced that same spirit of camaraderie in the dugout. During his rough year at BYU when he could have let himself drown in self pity, Deming still found a way to be a good teammate.
“I knew we were best friends when I was playing every day and he wasn’t. He was struggling, but he was never jealous and always treated me the same,” Cowden said.
It's a reflection of Deming’s commitment to prioritizing relationships and people above everything else, a valuable lesson he learned when his baseball future was in question at BYU, and one that continues to shape who he is as a professional today.
“One of my goals was to not worry about beating someone out or being better than the other guys,” Deming said.
“You can have some bad juju if you’re hoping for someone to do bad. I just want to handle my business and build relationships at the same time. Whether baseball works out or not, those are the things I value in the long run.”
Deming has a physical reminder of his commitment to the values of balance and perspective. Etched on the outside of his infielder’s glove is his mother’s initials “M.D” next to a cancer ribbon.
“It’s a reminder that there’s a lot more to life than baseball.”
More to life than baseball does not mean Deming is focused on life after baseball.
There’s definitely a difference. His goal remains the same: become a big leaguer.
Since his final two years of college, Deming has realized that he’s older than most top prospects in the game. With his 25th birthday approaching this offseason, some may say his clock is ticking.
For reference, this year’s leading National League Rookie of the Year candidate (and starting pitcher for the N.L. at the All-Star Game) Paul Skenes is just 22 years old. He was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB draft, 313 spots before Deming.
Other young talents have proven themselves at the Major League level from Deming’s own organization. Astros perennial MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez, who’s already been to three World Series, is just two years older than Deming. He made his Major League debut at the age of 21 in 2019 when Deming was in his first year at BYU.
But he doesn’t let his age, or the perception that he is ‘too old to make it’, hinder his confidence. Instead, he uses it to his advantage.
“Being a little bit older as a fifth year draft guy is where my chip comes from,” Deming says.
“At the end of the day, they can get rid of me whenever they want. That’s my chip. I want to prove that I was worth drafting.”
Because he was a five-year college guy, teams could afford to give him a smaller signing bonus than what they normally would have given to a younger player drafted in the same round.
Deming wouldn’t trade his experience for anything though.
“Interacting with guys and seeing certain mindsets in the minor leagues, I think my bad year at BYU and playing there for five years was crucial in my development. It made me more ready for pro ball,” he said.
His competitive drive is eminent. He knows he has what it takes to compete at the highest level, and his sights are set on reaching the ultimate goal of playing in the big leagues. In the month between the first interview and the publishing of this article, Deming has already earned a call up to Double-A Corpus Christi.
Hitting in a lineup alongside the Astros’ third and fourth top prospects, shortstop Brice Matthews and outfielder Luis Baez, who he played with in Asheville, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Astros front office will keep a close eye on their growth. The protection in the lineup and frequent exposure to the player development staff brought on by having two of the team’s top farm products next to him can only help Deming.
“I want to force their hand,” he says confidently.
With the Double-A season ending in mid September, Deming has just a short time to give the Astros a solid sample size of what he can do. If he can keep them thinking about him over the offseason, then ultimately he could force their hand to continue his progression through the ranks.
If one thing is certain, it’s that despite the uncertainties of professional baseball, Deming has found something incredibly valuable: perspective and self-confidence.
Perhaps it’s something he learned during his sabbatical in St. George after he almost quit baseball. Maybe he learned it from his professional golfer dad and cancer-warrior mom, or from the inspirational speech by a two-time MVP. Most likely it’s a mix of them all. Or, it’s always been there.
“I tell myself if I work hard and play hard and do the right things, then it could work out. And if it doesn’t, I know I gave it everything I had and I can live with that.”
His friends and family share the same sentiment.
“He’s really good when he’s confident,” Brumfield says. “You can tell he’s different on the field. He has that it factor.”
Cowden agrees.
“I know he’ll make it. He’s going to play at the highest level. The way he carries himself that no one gets to see. He doesn’t like to lose. He never says it but he knows he’s the best and he plays like it.”
It’s a powerful combination for a professional athlete; knowing you’re the best, backing it up on the field, and having a vote of confidence from your support group.
The home run on April 21, 2023 at Miller Park, and the bat flip that followed, is a prime example of the culmination of those ingredients.
When you look at the instagram post of that special moment you’ll see one comment at the top, made a few months after Deming’s shot heard ‘round Provo.
Its author is Brice Matthews, the Astros first round pick in Deming’s draft class.
“Very big league.”
Those three words describe the moment well, but maybe Matthews’ remark is more indicative of what’s to come for Deming.
If his peer’s comment has any fortune telling powers, then maybe his next bat flip will be in the big leagues.