The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ANFERNEE Seymour is back with the franchise where his pro baseball career began and has improved his play this season in his new surroundings.

After being released by the Atlanta Braves (Florida Fire Frogs) on May 6, Seymour was signed by the Miami Marlins on May 10 and was subsequently assigned to the Jupiter Hammerheads.

The Hammerheads are in first place in the standings of the Class A Advanced Florida State League. In five games with the club, Seymour is hitting .316 with an .876 OPS and .526 slugging percentage.

Seymour recorded hits in four of his five games with the club, including yesterday's 5-2 win over Fort Myers, the team's third in a row. Hitting second in the lineup, he finished 1-5 and scored the team's first run of the game.

Fort Myers attempted a pick-off at first base, but Seymour's crafty base running from third base allowed him to sneak home on the play to give the Hammerheads a 1-0 lead.

He was batting .195/.242/.287 with 28strikeouts in 87 at bats with the Fire Frogs this season prior to his release.

In his Hammerheads debut, Seymour opened 2-4 with a two-run home run in an 8-4 loss to Lucius Fox and the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

He had another multiple hit game Wednesday when he went 2-3 in a 3-2 win over Fort Myers.

Jupiter travels to Charlotte on Friday for a three-game series before returning home for three games against Daytona.

Last season, Seymour's year came to an abrupt end before he had an opportunity to suit up in the Offseason Arizona Fall League. He was suspended for "violation of team rules," according to SB Nation's Chris Cotillo and was removed from the roster of the Peoria Javelinas.

He concluded his season with the Fire Frogs with his best month of the 2017 campaign. The then 23rd-ranked prospect hit .355 through 21 games and collected an OBP of .405 in the final full month of the year. He rose eight spots in the Braves prospect list over the course of the season.

With the Fire Frogs, Seymour appeared in 78 games in the Florida State League. He hit .287 with 17 RBI, an OBP of .346, OPS of .711 scored 42 runs and stole 17 bases.

Despite playing in just 78 of the team's 118 games, he ranked fourth on the team in hits (84), fourth in triples and second in stolen bases.

Seymour was promoted to Class-A advanced and joined the Fire Frogs in May. Prior to the promotion, Seymour was enjoying his most successful season at the plate in his young minor league career.

Through 28 games with the Rome Braves in the South Atlantic League, Seymour hit .287 with six RBI, an OBP of .345 and snagged eight stolen bases in 11 tries.

Seymour was drafted out of American Heritage in Plantation, Florida and was taken by the Marlins with the 197th pick in round seven.

The highly touted outfielder received an over-slot signing bonus from the Marlins worth twice his slot value of just over $200,000.

Seymour was traded from the Miami Marlins organisation to the Atlanta Braves in a three-player deal which also saw the Braves acquire pitcher Michael Mader in exchange for relief pitcher Hunter Cervenka.