In just a year and a half, former UTPB Falcon Evan Gattis has gone from making the Atlanta Braves roster to becoming one of the best catchers in baseball.

The Atlanta backstop wrapped up the first half of the 2014 season leading all catchers with 16 home runs while ranking fourth at the position with a .290 batting average while hitting cleanup in the batting order. He rebounded after a slow month of May to hit .353 in June with six home runs and 17 runs batted in and in the process recorded the 16^th hitting streak of hits in at least 20 consecutive games in team history with a 20-game streak last month.

He has been solid behind the plate for the Braves this season in helping the team to a 3.26 team-Earned Run Average, third in the National League.

Selected in the 23^rd round of the 2010 MLB Draft by Atlanta, Gattis spent three years in the Braves minor league system before being named to the team's 2013 Opening Day roster.

He hit 21 homers and drove in 65 runs in just 381 at bats in his rookie season, ranking fourth on the Braves despite playing in just 105 games.

Gattis led UTPB in nearly every offensive category in 2010 in his one season with the Falcons. A member of the All-Heartland Baseball First Team, he led UTPB with a .403 average, 12 home runs, 54 runs, 62 RBI, 35 walks and a .519 on-base percentage in helping the Falcons to a 38-21 record.