Frank Anthony Banda (born August 10, 1993) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

in the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

organization. He played college baseball for

San Jacinto College San Jacinto College is a public community college in the Greater Houston with its campuses in Pasadena and Houston, Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the independent school districts (ISD) of Channelview, De ...

. The

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

selected Banda in the tenth round of the 2012 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

in 2017 and has also played for the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

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) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

Amateur career

Banda attended Sinton High School in

Sinton, Texas Sinton is a city in and the county seat of San Patricio County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,665 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1886 and was named in honor of David Sinton, a influential business owner and rancher. Geograph ...

, where he played for the school's baseball team. The

selected Banda in the 33rd round of the

2011 Major League Baseball draft The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the fir ...

. He did not sign and attended

, where he pitched to a 1.95

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...

(ERA) in

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...

Professional career

Milwaukee Brewers

The

selected Banda in the tenth round of the

2012 Major League Baseball draft The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto ...

out of

. He signed and made his professional debut that year with the

AZL Brewers The Arizona Complex League Brewers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Arizona Complex League (ACL) and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The are located in Phoenix, Arizona, and play their home games at American Family Fi ...

where he was 2–3 with a 5.83 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched. In 2013, he played for the

Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pioneer League located in Helena, Montana, from 1978 to 2018. The team played their home games at Kindrick Legion Field, which was built in 1939. They were affiliated with the Milwauke ...

where he pitched to a 3–4 record and 4.45 ERA in 14 starts. Banda began 2014 with the

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, a town on the outskirts of Appleton in the Fox Cities, and are na ...

Arizona Diamondbacks

On July 31, 2014, the Brewers traded Banda and

Mitch Haniger Mitchell Evan Haniger (born December 23, 1990) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. A col ...

to the

in exchange for

Gerardo Parra Gerardo Enrique Parra (born May 6, 1987) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants ...

. Arizona assigned him to the

South Bend Silver Hawks South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sun� ...

, where he finished the season. In 26 combined games (20 starts) between Wisconsin and South Bend, he compiled a 9–6 record with a 3.03 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He spent 2015 with the

Visalia Rawhide The Visalia Rawhide are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Visalia, California, and have played their home games at Valley Strong Ballpark since thei ...

where he was 8–8 with a 3.32 ERA in 28 games (27 starts), with one shutout. Banda led the league with 152 strikeouts and 3 balks, and was 2nd in starts, 3rd with 151.2 innings, 8th with 12 wild pitches, and 10th in wins. He was an MILB.COM Organization All Star, and a post-season All Star. Banda began 2016 with the

Mobile BayBears The Mobile BayBears were a Minor League Baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which played in the Southern League, served as the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres (1997–2006), Arizona Diamondbacks (2007–2 ...

and was promoted to the

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. ...

in June. He played in the

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National Leag ...

that July. In 26 starts between Mobile and Reno he pitched to a 10–6 record and 2.88 ERA, with 152 strikeouts in 150 innings. He was a mid-season All Star, an MILB.COM Organization All Star, and a Futures Game selection. The Diamondbacks added him to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season. Banda started the 2017 season pitching for Reno. Banda made his major league debut on July 22, 2017, taking the loss in a game against the

. Banda was effective for the first two times through the division-leading Nationals' batting order, giving up his only run on a titanic solo shot by

Bryce Harper Bryce Aron Max Harper (born October 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior to his arrival in Philadelphia, Harper played for the Wash ...

that reached the

Chase Field Chase Field, formerly Bank One Ballpark, is a retractable roof stadium in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. It opened in 1998, the year the Diamondbacks debuted as an expansion team. Ch ...

concourse but gave up three more runs and was pulled in the sixth inning. He was optioned back to Reno the next day. He was recalled twice more and finished the season with a 2–3 record and 5.96 ERA in innings. In 22 starts (10th-most in the league) for Reno he was 8–7 with 12 wild pitches (2nd), 116 strikeouts (5th), 51 walks (7th) and a 5.39 ERA.

Tampa Bay Rays

On February 18, 2018, the Diamondbacks traded Banda to the

in a three-team trade, in which the

acquired Brandon Drury from Arizona, the Diamondbacks acquired Steven Souza from the Rays and Taylor Widener from the Yankees, and the Rays acquired

Nick Solak Nicholas Blake Solak (born January 11, 1995) is an American professional baseball second baseman and outfielder for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Brave ...

from the Yankees and two

players to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or " trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the sea ...

( Sam McWilliams and Colin Poche) from the Diamondbacks. Banda began the 2018 season with the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

. He made his Rays debut on May 15, 2018, against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. On June 4, he was diagnosed a torn

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

with requiring

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's ...

, effectively ending his 2018 season and half of the following season. In 2019 pitching for three minor league teams he was 2–4 with a 5.67 ERA. Pitching for the Rays, Banda was 0–0 with a 6.75 ERA. Banda was designated for assignment on August 30, 2020.

San Francisco Giants

On August 31, 2020, Banda was traded from the Rays to the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...

for cash considerations. On November 1, 2020, Banda was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and elected free agency, but quickly re-signed with the Giants on a new minor league contract. Banda was assigned to the Triple-A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 ye ...

to begin the 2021 season, but struggled to a 3–2 record and 6.86 ERA in 10 appearances.

New York Mets

On July 2, 2021, Banda was traded to the

in exchange for Will Toffey. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which opened in 1997 and has ...

. On July 19, Banda was selected to the active roster. In five appearances for the Mets, Banda pitched to a 7.36 ERA with seven strikeouts. On July 31, the Mets designated Banda for assignment.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On August 2, 2021, Banda was claimed off of waivers by the

. He was later optioned to the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opened ...

. He made 25 appearances for Pittsburgh down the stretch, recording a 1-2 record and 3.42 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched. In 2022, Banda pitched in 23 games for the Pirates, but struggled to a 6.41 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of work. On June 27, 2022, Banda was designated for assignment after

Miguel Yajure Miguel Angel Yajure (born May 1, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization. Yajure signed with the New York Yankees as an international free agent in 2015. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees ...

was recalled from Indianapolis.

Toronto Blue Jays

On July 2, 2022, Banda was traded to the

for cash considerations. He was designated for assignment on August 2. He was released on August 6.

Seattle Mariners

On August 9, 2022, Banda signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

. Banda opted out of his contract with the Mariners on August 25.

New York Yankees

Banda signed a major league contract with the

on August 28, 2022. He was designated for assignment on September 3. On October 24, Banda elected free agency.

Washington Nationals

On January 4, 2023, Banda signed a minor league deal with the

Personal life

Banda has a son who was born in December 2018.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Banda, Anthony Living people 1993 births Sportspeople from Corpus Christi, Texas Baseball players from Texas Major League Baseball pitchers Arizona Diamondbacks players Tampa Bay Rays players New York Mets players Pittsburgh Pirates players Toronto Blue Jays players New York Yankees players San Jacinto North Gators baseball players Arizona League Brewers players Helena Brewers players Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players South Bend Silver Hawks players Visalia Rawhide players Mobile BayBears players Reno Aces players Durham Bulls players Sacramento River Cats players Syracuse Mets players Tacoma Rainiers players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players