Since it appears that you are in Texas, with warmer weather, the tree is probably active and budding out. The planting was enough of a shock to the tree and for both reasons I would wait until the dormant period next year.

Number 2 is pretty much on track :-) Maples frequently develop multiple leaders.......in fact, I'd like to call them a 'leaderless' type of tree, generally developing a multibranched canopy that has no clear defined leader. A good number of shade trees have a similar growth habit. Although it is helpful to observe and correct any overly narrow crotches and branch connections to avoid occlusion, pruning out what now at a very young age looks like multiple leaders is not necessary.

Most maples require minimal pruning.

Thanks for the input.
Also looking for resources/tips/guidance on how to prune. I ordered a book (Illustrated Guide to Pruning") in the hope that will help understand which branches/leaders to address.
Any other suggestions?
Attached a pic of the tree in question

Here is a link that might be useful: Maple needing trimming

I really don't believe you can learn to prune an Acer p. from reading a book. You need an experienced friend or a JM expert to show and tell you how and why. Your tree is a "dream" tree for a pruning class demonstration. I can't believe that the vendor who sold it to you sold it in such a neglected shape.

This late in the season, I would only prune off any dead or diseased matter. Wait until next dormant season for the heavier pruning.

I'm gonna agree with part of the above advice and disagree with a bit more :-)

First, I do agree that it is difficult to learn how to prune from a book - this is a skill that is much better served by seeing done in person and/or doing with an experienced pruner there to provide guidance. Check to see if any nurseries in your area offer pruning classes -sometimes the extension service or master gardener associations do as well. It's getting a bit late in the season for most pruning but perhaps there's still a class or two available. If not now, keep on the lookoout and attend one when you next find it scheduled.

And now the part where I disagree :-) First, 'Autumn Blaze' is not a Japanese maple and the growth habit is going to be different from a palmatum, but the principles remain the same. This is not as juvenile a tree as I had first expected. It's fairly well developed. And while the photos are not wonderful (it would be far more helpful to see at least one shot of the entire tree, from ground to crown), on the surface it doesn't look like any significant amount of pruning is required, perhaps mostly a clean up of some interior smaller branching. It DOES look like you might have a competing leader situation, one with a very narrow angle bewteen the two and if so, I would opt to remove one. But I'd prefer to see a better photo to compare to confirm that. And if so, I wouldn't wait until next dormacy to remove - sooner is better than later in that case.

Thanks for the feedback. This is an Aumtum Blaze - Not sure of the age, but it was in a 45gal container and has a 3" trunk
Here is a full view of the tree.
Does it really appear that "neglected" or was that from the perspective of a Japanese maple?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1035846}}

"Forbidden".

In the first shot tree looks like it came in what was likely to have been considered a finished size and condition, and would not be messed with now. Cutting out a big chunk in order to end up with an unnatural single main stem in the center - that is likely to fork again later, on its own - would not be a good idea.

If it was topped by the grower to induce early profuse branching - another common problem, along with rootbound nursery stock - then the resulting forking might or might not have problem potential. Forks can be structurally sound or they can be liable to split - this varies from one fork to another. If your tree develops what is called included bark in the center of the fork then that can be taken as a warning sign. Otherwise it may grow indefinitely without splitting.

Multiple forks and upright trunks close to one another is usual among many Freeman maple cultivars. There is a tendency to select these for compact narrowish shapes and promote them as having good characteristics for spaces where a broad-growing or brittle tree would not work out.

I'm no expert on this, but I think I would leave it. It's gone pretty far, and as said above, would probable do the same thing all over again. There is a larger Autumn Blaze in front of where I work that is about a 12" trunk, that does not have the standard central leader, and is branched repeatedly where several leaders originate from one location in kind of a disc shaped arrangement. Then in late Jan we had the worse ice storm at the location I have seen, and about the worst on record. Guess what, the Autumn Blaze lost 2-4 relatively minor branches not more than a couple inches thick, and that was all. This with some formerly large probable 30 inch diameter sugar maples reduced to mostly trunks. Now I'm sure, the tree not being nearly as large as the sugar maples made a difference, but still it's a mature tree that came through the WORST ice storm essentially unscathed.

On a side note, I am currently working on one in my yard, that was just plain screwed up. Partly my fault, partly not. In fact it was a tree that I gave up for dead, as I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. Finally I remembered when we bought it that the nursery worked had sprayed "wilt proof" on it, for the ride home. Leaves got thick, and slowly disintegrated, and then died. Grew a few more back, but same think leaves, and very short internodes. Finally figured out it was probable 2,4 D herbicide damage, and that it had not been sprayed with wilt-proof at all. Last spring I noticed that buds set before I bought the tree were growing (all be it slowly), while the buds set afterward were not behaving normally. Little more research, and 2,4 D concentrates in the apical meristem (the growing points), and so could have concentrated in the buds set AFTER I bought the tree. So out come the pruners, cutting all the buds and branch ends set after I bought the tree. Low and behold the tree springs to life, and grows well till mid-summer. Added up to about 2.5' on some branches. Even got some decent russet orange-red fall color from it. So now the tree is still lopsided, still has a kind of crooked central leader that leans to one side, but it is on the road to recover, and I will be able to turn it into a very nice tree. This all is to say, that these trees are VERY TOUGH, and that it may very well turn out better than you expect. Also these trees seem to be more resistant to ice damage than many would give them credit for.

Arktrees

Thanks for all the guidance and advice.

I definitely need to clean up interior branches that are crossing. Should that be done now (spring) or when dormant?

As for the leader situation, my greatest concern is a spot where there are 3 leaders (seemingly) and other branches originating from the same general area. Picture attached.
The general consensus sounds like not to prune and just wait and see. I guess I could wait till fall and see how things go this summer.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1035847}}