Christopher Taylor Guerrieri (born December 1, 1992) 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 professional ...

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 draw ...

for the

High Point Rockers The High Point Rockers are an American professional baseball team based at Truist Point ballpark in High Point, North Carolina, which is part of the Piedmont Triad region. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Profession ...

of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

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

in 2018 and for the Texas Rangers in 2019.

Career

Tampa Bay Rays

Guerrieri attended Spring Valley High School in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-largest ...

. He committed to attend the University of South Carolina on a

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...

scholarship. 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 ...

(MLB) selected him in the first round, with the 24th overall selection, of the

2011 MLB 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 first ...

. He signed with the Rays, receiving a $1.6 million signing bonus. He pitched for the

Hudson Valley Renegades Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson R ...

of the

Class A-Short Season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

, pitching to a 1–2

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...

and a 1.04

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 number ...

(ERA) with 45 strikeouts and five walks in 52 innings pitched. Before the 2012 season,

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rated Guerrieri as the 99th best prospect in baseball. Guerrieri started the 2013 season with a 6–2 win–loss record and a 2.01 ERA in 14

games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opposing batter. If a player is li ...

with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

. He was chosen to represent the Rays at the 2013 All-Star Futures Game. He reported fatigue in his arm in June and was given two weeks off. C. J. Riefenhauser replaced Guerrieri at the Futures Game. He then lasted only two innings after suffering elbow discomfort in his throwing arm. He underwent Tommy John surgery to repair 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 ...

in his elbow on July 24, 2013. He received a 50-game suspension after the 2013 season, which he served while rehabilitating from surgery, for using a substance of abuse. Guerrieri rehabilitated from his injury, with the expectation of being assigned to a minor league team by mid-May 2015. In May, he made his season debut with the

Charlotte Stone Crabs The Charlotte Stone Crabs were a Minor League Baseball team located in Port Charlotte, Florida, from 2009 to 2020. They competed in the Florida State League (FSL) as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball (MLB) ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Florida State League. The Rays promoted him to the

Montgomery Biscuits The Montgomery Biscuits are a Minor League Baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and play in the Southern League. The team was founded in Orlando, Florida, in 1973 as the Orlando Twins ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Southern League during the season, and added him to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

after the season. He spent the 2016 season with Montgomery. Guerrieri was promoted to 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 ...

of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

International League for 2017. After making two starts, he suffered an elbow injury and did not appear in another game.

Toronto Blue Jays

On November 5, 2017, the

acquired Guerrieri on waivers. He pitched for the

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 ...

of the International League in 2018. The Blue Jays promoted him to the major leagues on September 1, 2018. On November 2, 2018, Guerrieri cleared waivers and entered free agency.

Texas Rangers

On January 9, 2019, the Texas Rangers signed Guerrieri to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds to open the 2019 season. On July 16, the Rangers selected Guerrieri's contract. Guerrieri was designated for assignment on November 20, 2019. He accepted an outright assignment to Nashville on November 27. Guerrieri elected free agency after the 2020 season on October 1, 2020.

Seattle Mariners

On February 8, 2021, Guerrieri signed a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training with the Seattle Mariners. Guerrieri appeared in 22 games with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainers, recording a 4.61 ERA with 28 strikeouts. On August 12, 2021, Guerrieri was released by the Mariners.

Philadelphia Phillies

On August 24, 2021, Guerrieri signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...

, where he made 7 appearances and struggled to a 6.48 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 7.

High Point Rockers

On May 16, 2023, Guerrieri signed with the

of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Guerrieri, Taylor 1992 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada American people of Italian descent Baseball players from Columbia, South Carolina Bowling Green Hot Rods players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Durham Bulls players Gulf Coast Rays players Hudson Valley Renegades players Major League Baseball pitchers Montgomery Biscuits players Nashville Sounds players Tacoma Rainiers players Texas Rangers players Toronto Blue Jays players