Grae Kessinger, third-generation MLB Rebel, traded to Arizona Diamondbacks
All-time Ole Miss baseball great Grae Kessinger on Tuesday was traded from the Houston Astros to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Astros drafted Kessinger in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He was called up in June of 2023, making Kessinger a third-generation Major Leaguer.
“Really, really cool,” Ole Miss hitting coach Mike Clement said at the time. “As a person that got to coach him for a couple of years, man, it’s fulfilling. It’s really, really neat.
“An awesome family and three generations of big-leaguers. That is remarkable. Absolutely remarkable. I think it’s either six or seven families have had three generations of Major-Leaguers in the history of the game.”
Grae’s grandfather, Don, and uncle, Keith, both reached The Show, too.
Don was a six-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner for the Cubs. He was an All-American shortstop (1964) and head coach (1991-96) at Ole Miss. Keith, also a former all-league Rebel, played in 11 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 1993.
The Astros swapped Grae Kessinger for minor league pitching prospect Matthew Linskey after designating Kessinger for assignment two weeks ago to make room for free agent first baseman Christian Walker. He’s been immediately added to the D-Backs 40-man roster.
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The 27-year-old Kessinger played in 49 games for the Astros, including 23 in 2024, when he made the Opening Day roster. He had three walks, seven strikeouts and no hits over 25 at-bats.
Kessinger is one of 50 Ole Miss Rebels to make it to MLB.
He tallied his first home run on July 4, 2023 against the Colorado Rockies.
“Obviously, worked my whole life to be here,” Kessinger said previously of his MLB experience. “It’s cool to see guys who paved the way through Ole Miss to be here. A lot of guys still doing it today.”
Kessinger was an All-American and All-SEC selection as a junior in 2019, his final Ole Miss season.
Kessinger finished with a team-best .330 batting average. He had 89 hits, including 18 doubles and seven home runs. Kessinger amassed the sixth-most at-bats (270) in a single season in Ole Miss history. He also scored 67 runs, the fourth-most ever, and drove in 50.
Kessinger won the Brooks Wallace Award, given each year to college basketball’s top shortstop.
“I loved every second of it,” Kessinger said of Ole Miss. He was speaking to the Daily Journal’s Stephen Hunt. “I still live there. It’s home. Family’s there. It’ll always be home. It’s just a special place, a special atmosphere. Love being around it.”
