Michael Plassmeyer (born November 5, 1996) 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 (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, who attempts to e ...

in the

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) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

organization. He has previously 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

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

Amateur career

Plassmeyer attended

De Smet Jesuit High School De Smet Jesuit High School is a Catholic, college preparatory high school for boys located in Creve Coeur, Missouri, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The school began classes in the fall of 1967. It was named in honor of the ...

Creve Coeur, Missouri Creve Coeur is a city located in mid St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, a part of Greater St. Louis. Its population was 18,834 at the 2020 census. Creve Coeur borders and shares a ZIP code (63141) with the neighboring city of Town and ...

. He then attended the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded ...

, where he played

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 pl ...

for the

Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fr ...

. During his sophomore year, Plassmeyer was removed from the

starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...

and ended the year with a 4.83

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) and 54 strikeouts. After the season, he trained with

Brian DeLunas Brian DeLunas (May 3, 1975 – January 17, 2022) was an American baseball coach. He served as the bullpen coach of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2018 and 2020, and as the pitching coach of the Missouri Tigers from 2021 un ...

, increasing the velocity of his

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have t ...

and improving his grip on his

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curv ...

. As a junior at Missouri, he pitched to a 5–4

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 match ...

with a 3.05 ERA, striking out 103 batters 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

Seattle Mariners

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 team ...

selected Plassmeyer in the fourth round, with the 118th overall selection, of the

2018 Major League Baseball draft The 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 4, 2018. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was determined based on the reverse order of the 2017 MLB season final standings. In ad ...

. He signed and was assigned to the Low–A

Everett AquaSox The Everett AquaSox are a Minor League Baseball team in Everett, Washington. The team is a member of the Northwest League and is affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox play their home games at Funko Field, which has a seating capacity ...

, going 0–1 with a 2.25 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. He was a 2018 NWL mid-season All Star.

Tampa Bay Rays

On November 8, 2018, the Mariners traded Plassmeyer,

Mike Zunino Michael Accorsi Zunino (born March 25, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays. Before beginning h ...

, and Guillermo Heredia to 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 ...

in exchange for

Mallex Smith Mallex Lydell Smith (born May 6, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves in 2016, Tampa Bay Rays from 2017 to 2018, and Seattle Mariners from 20 ...

and

Jake Fraley Jake Arnold Fraley (born May 25, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Seattle Mariners. Amateur career Fraley attended Caravel Academy in ...

. He began the 2019 season with the Single–A

Bowling Green Hot Rods The Bowling Green Hot Rods are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and play their home games at Bowling Green Ballpark, which op ...

, for whom he was 2–1 with a 1.23 ERA. He was a 2019 MiLB organization All Star, and finished the year making appearances for the High–A

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 ...

and Triple–A

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 i ...

. In 25 total games (23 starts), he accumulated a 9–3 record and 1.91 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 132 innings of work. Plassmeyer 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, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

. He returned to action in 2021 for the Double–A

Montgomery Biscuits The Montgomery Biscuits are a Minor League Baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. They are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and play in the Southern League (1964–present), Southern League. The team was found ...

, for whom he logged a 3.64 ERA across 7 contests.

San Francisco Giants

On June 11, 2021, the Rays traded Plassmeyer 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 Y ...

in exchange for pitcher

Matt Wisler Matthew Robert Wisler (born September 12, 1992), nicknamed Wis, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres out of high school in the seventh round of the 2011 Major League Baseball dra ...

. Playing for 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 yea ...

, Plassmeyer worked with

pitching coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

Garvin Alston Garvin James Alston Sr. (born December 8, 1971) is an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies in 1996. After retiring from playing, he entered coaching and previously ...

to make mechanical adjustments to his pitching motion.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Giants traded Plassmeyer to the

in exchange for

Austin Wynns Robert Austin Wynns, nicknamed Winnie (born December 10, 1990) is an American professional baseball catcher in the San Francisco Giants organization. He played college baseball at Fresno State University. He was drafted by the Baltimore Or ...

on June 8, 2022. 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 th ...

, Plassmeyer continued working on his mechanical adjustments with IronPigs pitching coach Cesar Ramos. The Phillies selected Plassmeyer's contract on August 22, 2022, and he was called up to the majors. On August 23 he made his debut, pitching perfect innings, striking out

Austin Romine Austin Allen Romine (born November 22, 1988) is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis Card ...

on three pitches with the bases loaded. Plassmeyer was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin the 2023 season. In 11 games (10 starts), he struggled to a 6.95 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 44 innings of work. On June 20, 2023, Plassmeyer was released by the Phillies. Plassmeyer re–signed with the Phillies on a minor league contract on June 23. On September 30, the Phillies selected Plassmeyer's contract, adding him back to the major league roster. That day he made his first MLB start against the

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 leagu ...

, surrendering 10 runs (9 earned) on 8 hits with 4 strikeouts across innings pitched. Following the season on November 6, Plassmeyer was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Lehigh Valley. He elected free agency the same day.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 4, 2024, Plassmeyer signed a minor league contract with the

.https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/pirates-sign-michael-plassmeyer-to-minor-league-deal.html

Personal life

Plassmeyer's father, Marty, and older brother, Mitch, both played college baseball as left-handed pitchers. Marty played for

Nicholls State University Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nicho ...

and Mitch played for

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plassmeyer, Michael Living people 1996 births Baseball players from St. Louis Major League Baseball pitchers Philadelphia Phillies players Missouri Tigers baseball players Everett AquaSox players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Durham Bulls players Bowling Green Hot Rods players Montgomery Biscuits players Richmond Flying Squirrels players Sacramento River Cats players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players