Brett Raymond Oberholtzer (born July 1, 1989) 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 ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He 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

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

, and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

Early life

Oberholtzer attended William Penn High School in

New Castle, Delaware New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The city is located six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington and is situated on the Delaware River. As of 2020, the city's population was 5,551. New Cast ...

, where he pitched for the school's baseball team. He was named to the All-Delaware team in 2006. He was selected by the

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

in the 47th round of the

2007 Major League Baseball draft The 2007 Major League Baseball draft, was an annual choosing of high school and college baseball players, held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the first 25 rounds and was scheduled to be broadcast "l ...

, but did not sign.

College career

Oberholtzer then attended

Seminole Community College Seminole State College of Florida is a public college based in Sanford, Florida, United States. It is part of the Florida College System. History Established by the Florida Legislature in 1965 as Seminole Junior College, the school began operat ...

, a

junior college A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...

, for one year.

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

Minor leagues

The

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

drafted Oberholtzer in the eighth round in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, and assigned him to the rookie–level

Gulf Coast League Braves The Florida Complex League Braves are an American baseball team. They are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast Lea ...

. In ten relief pitching appearances, he posted a 4–1

win–loss record Win–loss may refer to: * Win–loss analytics, analysis of the reasons why a visitor to a website was or wasn't persuaded to engage in a desired action * Win–loss record, also winning percentage * Win–loss record (pitching), the number of ...

, 2.89

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), and 32

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s in 37

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

. In 2009, Oberholtzer was assigned to the

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...

Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...

, where he made the first 12 starts of his professional career. On July 6, 2009, he was named the Appalachian League's pitcher of the week. In 67 total innings, Oberholtzer went 6–2 with a 2.01 ERA and 56 strikeouts. He made his full-season baseball debut in 2010, splitting the season between the Single–A

Rome Braves The Rome Emperors are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2023, the team wa ...

and the High–A

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of the National League in Major League Baseball. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games a ...

. In 26 combined appearances, 22 of which were starts, Oberholtzer pitched to a 6–8 record, 3.78 ERA, and 126 strikeouts in 135 innings. In 2011, Oberholtzer was assigned to the Double–A

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

, where he won the Southern League's pitcher of the week award on July 25 and was named a mid-season All-Star. With the Braves, he posted a 9–9 record, 3.74 ERA, and 93 strikeouts.

Houston Astros

On July 25, 2011, the Braves traded Oberholtzer to the

alongside Juan Abreu, Paul Clemens, and

Jordan Schafer Jordan James Schafer (born September 4, 1986) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, and Minnesota Twins. Baseball career Atlanta Braves Schaf ...

in exchange for

Michael Bourn Michael Ray Bourn (born December 27, 1982) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Baltimore Orioles ...

. Oberholtzer was assigned to the Double–A

Corpus Christi Hooks The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team is owned b ...

for the remainder of the 2011 minor league season, and pitched to a 2–3 record, 5.27 ERA, and 28 strikeouts. He split time in 2012 with Corpus Christi and the Triple–A

Oklahoma City RedHawks Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. In a career-high 166 innings pitched, Oberholtzer posted a 10–10 win–loss record, 4.37 ERA, and 137 strikeouts.

Major leagues

Oberholtzer made his Major League debut on April 21, 2013. He made his first career start and got his first career win against 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 ...

, on July 31. During his tenure with the Astros in 2013, he appeared in 13 games (10 starts) going 4-5 with a 2.76 ERA and 45 strikeouts. With Triple–A Oklahoma City in 2013, Oberholtzer pitched to a 6–6 record in 16 starts, with a 4.37 ERA and 72 strikeouts. Oberholtzer made 24 starts with the Astros in 2014, and five in Triple-A. With Houston, he went 5–13 with a 4.39 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 143 innings. In his five minor league starts, Oberholtzer posted a 1–2 win–loss record with a 4.65 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 31 total innings. Oberholtzer battled a blister on his left index finger early in the 2015 season. He was placed on the disabled list on March 31, and was activated in May. Oberholtzer was pulled from his first start after three inning when the blister recurred, and went on the disabled list once again. On June 27, after giving up 6 runs in innings to the

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

, Oberholtzer was immediately ejected when he intentionally threw at Yankee third baseman

Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, third baseman and designated hitter and current businessman. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (ML ...

; although Oberholtzer said it was inadvertent, immediately after the game the Astros optioned him to Triple–A. He would make just eight starts for the Astros in 2015, going 2–2 with a 4.46 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 38 innings. With the Triple–A

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in ...

, Oberholtzer went 7–4 in 12 starts, with a 3.86 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 70 total innings.

Philadelphia Phillies

On December 12, 2015, the Astros traded Oberholtzer, Mark Appel,

Vince Velasquez Vincent John Velasquez ( ; born June 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Cleveland Guardians organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego ...

, Tom Eshelman, and Harold Arauz to the

in exchange for

Ken Giles Kenneth Robert Giles (born September 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros ...

and Jonathan Arauz. He 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 ...

on August 6, 2016. With the Phillies, Oberholtzer pitched to a 2–2 record, 4.83 ERA, and 38 strikeouts in 26 relief appearances.

Los Angeles Angels

The

claimed Oberholtzer off waivers on August 9, 2016. He made 11 appearances for the Angels, posting a 1–1 record, 8.55 ERA, and 16 strikeouts in 20 total innings. He was designated for assignment on October 28, and later cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team that plays in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Based in South Jordan, Utah, the team plays its home games at The Ballpark at Am ...

on November 2. Oberholtzer elected free agency on November 7.

Toronto Blue Jays

On December 7, 2016, Oberholtzer signed a minor league contract with 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 ...

. He was added to the active roster on July 31, 2017, and designated for assignment the following day to make room on the roster for

Nori Aoki is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets, and in ...

. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to 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 August 3. On October 13, Oberholtzer elected free agency.

Colorado Rockies

On April 4, 2018, Oberholtzer 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

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 ...

. However, on April 24, Oberholtzer signed a minor league contract with the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

. In 24 games (23 starts) for the Triple–A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

, he compiled a 7–10 record and 5.77 ERA with 91 strikeouts across innings pitched. Oberholtzer elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Somerset Patriots

On February 19, 2019, Oberholtzer signed with the

of the

. In 14 starts for the Patriots, he logged a 7–1 record and 3.49 ERA with 70 strikeouts across innings pitched. Oberholtzer was released by Somerset on August 5.

Chinatrust Brothers

On July 27, 2019, Oberholtzer signed with the

Chinatrust Brothers The CTBC Brothers () or simply Brothers are a professional baseball team in Taiwan. The team was originally established as an amateur team in 1984 by the Brother Hotel located in Taipei City, and later joined the Chinese Professional Baseball Lea ...

of the

Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

. He never appeared in a game with the main club or farm team and became a free agent following the season.

Somserset Patriots (third stint)

On February 17, 2020, Oberholtzer signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He did not play a game for the team due to the cancellation of the ALPB season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

and became a free agent after the year.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberholtzer, Brett 1989 births Living people Baseball players from New Castle County, Delaware American people of German descent Houston Astros players Philadelphia Phillies players Los Angeles Angels players Seminole State Raiders baseball players Gulf Coast Braves players Danville Braves players Rome Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Mississippi Braves players Corpus Christi Hooks players Oklahoma City RedHawks players Fresno Grizzlies players Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen Somerset Patriots players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Toros del Este players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic CTBC Brothers players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Sultanes de Monterrey players William Penn High School (Delaware) alumni