Michael Livingston Ohlman (born December 14, 1990) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

who played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

during the 2017 season.

Early years

Ohlman attended

Lakewood Ranch High School Lakewood Ranch High School in Manatee County, Florida, United States, was opened in 1998 in Bradenton, Florida. It is named after the master planned community it borders, Lakewood Ranch. In the 2011–2012 school year, Lakewood Ranch High School ...

in his hometown of

Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...

. He played for the Mustangs junior varsity baseball team during his freshman year, and was named to the varsity baseball team in his sophomore season. Ohlman also played soccer.

Professional career

Baltimore Orioles

Ohlman was selected by the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

in the 11th round of the

2009 Major League Baseball draft The 2009 Major League Baseball draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drafting order is as follows: First-round selections Key Supplemental first-round selections From Baseball Americ ...

, and signed for a $995,000 bonus. He appeared in four games for the

Gulf Coast League Orioles The Florida Complex League Orioles are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Before 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Orioles. The team plays its home g ...

that year, and recorded a .182

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

and one

run batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBI). Ohlman started the 2010 minor league season with the Class-A

Delmarva Shorebirds The Delmarva Shorebirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Salisbury, Maryland. They are members of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Their home games are played at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The Shor ...

, but was sent down to the

Rookie Advanced Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

Bluefield Orioles Bluefield may refer to: * Bluefield, Virginia, US * Bluefield, West Virginia, US * Nvidia BlueField, a line of computer hardware See also * Bluefields, Nicaragua * Bluefields, Jamaica {{geodis ...

in June after struggling to compete in A-level baseball. Combined, Ohlman played in 84 games in 2010 and hit .208 with two

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 37 RBI. He spent the entire 2011 season with Delmarva, hitting .224 with four home runs and 51 RBI in 105 games. Before the start of the 2012 minor league season, Ohlman was involved in a serious car accident in which the truck he was driving flipped onto its roof. He was placed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury as a result of the crash. While still on the disabled list in April 2012, he was suspended 50 games for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for a second time. After serving his suspension, Ohlman was assigned to the Gulf Coast League Orioles for eight games and then moved up to Delmarva to end the season. Ohlman hit .300 in 2012, with three home runs and 31 RBI. In the offseason, he played in 43 games for the

Perth Heat The Perth Heat is a baseball team in the current Australian Baseball League and a founding member of the Australian Baseball League. It is the most successful team in ABL history, winning 15 Claxton Shields. Australian Baseball League (1989– ...

of the

Australian Baseball League The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it s ...

(ABL), batting .317 with six home runs and 27 RBI. Ohlman continued his progression through the Baltimore minor league system, playing 100 games for the Advanced-A

Frederick Keys The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for the "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team ...

of the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

. He recorded a .313 batting average, 13 home runs, and 53 RBI. Ohlman appeared in 10 games for the

Surprise Saguaros The Surprise Saguaros are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Surprise, Arizona, at Surprise Stadium. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Kansas City Roya ...

of the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

during the offseason, hitting .290 with four home runs and nine RBI. On November 20, 2013, the Orioles added Ohlman to their 40-man roster, to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. 2014 saw Ohlman make his Double-A debut, appearing in a career-high 113 games for the

Bowie Baysox The Chesapeake Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium. From 1993 to 2024, th ...

. He batted .236 with two home runs and 33 RBI. Ohlman played in the Arizona Fall League for the second consecutive offseason, appearing in 11 games for the

Glendale Desert Dogs The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White S ...

. On January 27, 2015, Ohlman was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Orioles.

St. Louis Cardinals

Ohlman was traded to the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

organization on February 3, 2015 for cash considerations. He was assigned to the Double-A

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They are members of the Texas League's North Division and serve as the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals began pl ...

for the entire 2015 season, and batted .274 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI in 103 games. Ohlman also returned to the Arizona Fall League in the offseason, appearing in 11 games for Surprise. In 2016, he appeared in 78 games for the Double-A Cardinals and Triple-A

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

, hitting .287 with seven home runs and 44 RBI. Ohlman elected free agency following the season on November 7, 2016.

Toronto Blue Jays

Ohlman signed a minor league contract that included an invitation to spring training with the

on November 17, 2016. He started the season with the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. On May 8, the Toronto Blue Jays selected Ohlman's contract after Russell Martin was placed on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

. In his first stint with the club, Ohlman recorded two hits in nine

at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...

before being designated for assignment on May 20. He cleared waivers on May 23 and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Buffalo. On August 12, Ohlman was called up for the second time in 2017. He platooned with Raffy Lopez while catchers Russell Martin, Luke Maile, and

Miguel Montero Miguel Angel Montero Fernandez (born July 9, 1983) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals ...

were on the disabled list. Ohlman was designated for assignment for the second time in 2017 on August 16, and was outrighted to Buffalo on August 19. On October 2, Ohlman elected

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

Texas Rangers

On January 9, 2018, Ohlman signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.

Boston Red Sox

On March 24, 2018, the Rangers traded Ohlman to the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

for cash considerations. Boston assigned Ohlman to the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

. In 69 games for Pawtucket, he batted .208/.312/.360 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI. Ohlman elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Somerset Patriots

On March 6, 2019, Ohlman signed with the

Somerset Patriots The Somerset Patriots are an American professional Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team based in Bridgewater, New Jersey. They are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League (EL), known as the Double-A Nort ...

of the independent

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. He became a free agent following the season. In 102 games he hit .260/.348/.412 with 10 home runs, 58 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ohlman, Mike 1990 births American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from Bradenton, Florida Bluefield Orioles players Bowie Baysox players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Delmarva Shorebirds players Frederick Keys players Glendale Desert Dogs players Gulf Coast Orioles players Living people Major League Baseball catchers Memphis Redbirds players Pawtucket Red Sox players Perth Heat players Somerset Patriots players Springfield Cardinals players Surprise Saguaros players Toronto Blue Jays players American expatriate baseball players in Australia