Christopher John Ellis (born September 22, 1992) is an American 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, ...

for the

Sultanes de Monterrey The Sultanes de Monterrey (English: Monterrey Sultans) are a professional baseball club in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Monterrey, Mexico. Established in 1939 as Carta Blanca, the Sultanes have won ten LMB titles, most recently in 2018. Fro ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He has previously 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

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) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

, and

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 ...

Career

Amateur

Ellis was drafted by the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

in the 50th 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 firs ...

out of Spain Park High School in

Hoover, Alabama Hoover is a city in the Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson and Shelby County, Alabama, Shelby counties in north central Alabama, United States. Hoover is the largest suburban city in Alabama and the sixth largest city in Alabama. The populati ...

. He did not sign with the Dodgers and attended the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

(Ole Miss) to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

. In 2013, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Cotuit Kettleers The Cotuit Kettleers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, Massachusetts, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, Barnstable. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

Los Angeles Angels

Ellis was selected by the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

in the third round of the

2014 MLB Draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He signed and made his professional debut with the rookie-level Orem Owlz where he pitched to a 6.89

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) in innings pitched. Ellis started 2015 with the High-A

Inland Empire 66ers The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The 66ers are based in San Bernardino, California, and play at San Manuel Stadium. Franchi ...

, and after going 4–5 with a 3.88 ERA in 11 games, was promoted to the Double-A

Arkansas Travelers The Arkansas Travelers, known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and play in the Texas League. Hi ...

, where he finished the season, posting a 7–4 win–loss record and 3.92 ERA in 15 games.

Atlanta Braves

On November 12, 2015, the Angels traded Ellis, Sean Newcomb, Erick Aybar and cash to 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 ...

in exchange for Andrelton Simmons and José Briceño. Ellis 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 ...

to start the 2016 season, and promoted to the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves in June. Ellis ended 2016 with a combined 12–9 record and 4.49 ERA in 28 total games started between both clubs. After the 2016 season, the Braves assigned Ellis to the

Salt River Rafters The Salt River Rafters are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale, Arizona. ...

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 ...

St. Louis Cardinals

On December 1, 2016, the Braves traded Ellis, John Gant, and Luke Dykstra 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 ...

in exchange for Jaime García. Ellis spent 2017 with both the Double-A Springfield 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 ...

, posting a combined 7–12 record with a 5.29 ERA in 30 games (22 starts) between both teams. He returned to Springfield to begin the 2018 season and was promoted to Memphis during the season. In 31 games (21 starts) between the two clubs, Ellis compiled a 10–4 record with a 3.93 ERA.

Kansas City Royals

On December 13, 2018, the Texas Rangers selected Ellis in the 2018

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 ...

and traded him to the

. Ellis made the Royals'

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster. He made his major league debut on March 31, 2019, versus the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

, recording one scoreless inning of relief. On April 3, 2019, Ellis was designated for assignment.

St. Louis Cardinals (second stint)

On April 9, 2019, the Royals returned Ellis to the Cardinals organization. In 40 relief appearances for the Triple–A

, he compiled a 5–5 record and 7.18 ERA with 82 strikeouts across 79 innings pitched. Ellis did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league 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 ...

. He was released by the Cardinals organization on May 27, 2020.

Tampa Bay Rays

On December 16, 2020, Ellis signed a minor league contract with the

organization. On August 16, 2021, Ellis's contract was selected by the Rays. In his Rays debut, Ellis pitched 4 scoreless innings, while striking out 7 batters. The following day, August 18, Ellis was designated for assignment by the Rays.

Baltimore Orioles

On August 20, 2021, Ellis was claimed off of waivers by the

. Ellis posted a 2.49 ERA in six starts for Baltimore, striking out 16 in innings of work. On November 5, Ellis was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and elected free agency. On March 16, 2022, the Orioles re-signed Ellis on a minor league contract. The Orioles promoted him to the major leagues on April 19. On May 4, Ellis underwent

arthroscopic Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the j ...

shoulder surgery, ending his 2022 season. On October 30, Ellis was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

. However, Ellis elected free agency in lieu of the outright assignment on November 1.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On April 10, 2024, Ellis signed with the Long Island Ducks 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, prior to the start of the season on April 25, Ellis' contract was purchased by the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

organization. In 15 starts for the Triple–A

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

, he struggled to a 2–7 record and 9.09 ERA with 44 strikeouts across innings pitched. Ellis was released by the Diamondbacks organization on July 24.

Long Island Ducks

On August 1, 2024, Ellis signed with the Long Island Ducks of the

. In 7 starts for Long Island, he compiled a 1–1 record and 5.45 ERA with 41 strikeouts over innings of work. He became a free agent following the season.

Sultanes de Monterrey

On April 15, 2025, Ellis signed with the

of the

References

External links

Ole Miss Rebels bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Chris 1992 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Arkansas Travelers players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Alabama Baseball players from Birmingham, Alabama Cotuit Kettleers players Durham Bulls players Gigantes del Cibao players Gwinnett Braves players Inland Empire 66ers players Kansas City Royals players Leones del Escogido players Long Island Ducks players Major League Baseball pitchers Memphis Redbirds players Mississippi Braves players Norfolk Tides players Ole Miss Rebels baseball players Orem Owlz players Reno Aces players Salt River Rafters players Springfield Cardinals players Sultanes de Monterrey players Tampa Bay Rays players

Career

Amateur

Los Angeles Angels

Atlanta Braves

St. Louis Cardinals

Kansas City Royals

St. Louis Cardinals (second stint)

Tampa Bay Rays

Baltimore Orioles

Arizona Diamondbacks

Long Island Ducks

Sultanes de Monterrey

See also

References

External links