Michael Joseph Kickham (born December 12, 1988) 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

Hagerstown Flying Boxcars The Hagerstown Flying Boxcars are a professional baseball team that began play in 2024 in Hagerstown, Maryland. The franchise competes in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in the North Division and play their home games at Meritus Par ...

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 ...

. 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

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

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

, and

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 ...

. Listed at and , he throws and bats left-handed.

Amateur career

Kickham attended Glendale High School in

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

, and played for the school's baseball team. His senior season as a Falcon, he posted a 1.16

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

with 65

strikeouts 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 ...

. He also hit for a .390

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

as an outfielder. Kickham earned all-conference status at both positions. Kickham spent 2009 at Crowder College, where he went 3–3 with a 5.62 ERA. He struck out 47 batters in 41 innings. After Crowder, Kickham transferred to

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second-largest u ...

, where he was enrolled in premedical studies and studied biology. For the

Missouri State Bears baseball The Missouri State Bears baseball team represents Missouri State University, which is located in Springfield, Missouri. The Bears are an NCAA Division I college baseball program that competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. They began competing ...

team, Kickham had a 4–9 record with a 5.25 ERA and 103 strikeouts, in 96 innings spanning 15 games.

Professional career

San Francisco Giants

The

selected Kickham in the sixth round, with the 198th overall pick, of the

2010 MLB draft The 2010 Major League Baseball draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team picking first. ;Key ...

. After spending 2010 with the rookie league squad, he spent 2011 with the

Augusta Greenjackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina. History Augusta was a member of the S ...

. In 2012, he was promoted to the Double-A

Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. Th ...

, where he posted an 11–10 record and a 3.05

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 28 games. After two months 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 ...

, the Giants promoted Kickham to the majors on May 26, 2013. Kickham made his debut in a start against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

, pitching innings while allowing four runs on four hits and four

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...

s; the Giants failed to come back, and Kickham suffered the loss. With the Giants in 2013, Kickham made a total of 12 appearances (three starts), accruing an 0–3 record with 10.16 ERA and 29 strikeouts in

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 2014, Kickham appeared in two games for the Giants, both in relief, allowing five runs in two innings pitched for a 22.50 ERA. Overall, Kickham registered a 10.98 ERA for the Giants in a total of 14 appearances spanning innings pitched.

Seattle Mariners

On December 23, 2014, Kickham was claimed off waivers by the

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

. The Cubs then designated him for assignment on January 9. Kickham was traded to 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 ...

on January 14, 2015, in exchange for minor league pitcher Lars Huijer. In 5 starts for the Triple-A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

, he struggled to an 0-2 record and 7.29 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 21 innings of work. Kickham was designated for assignment by the Mariners on May 4, when they re-added left-handed reliever Joe Beimel to the active roster.

Texas Rangers

Kickham was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers on May 5, 2015. He made 7 appearances for the Triple-A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

, posting a 1-0 record and 6.00 ERA with 4 strikeouts over 6 innings of work. Kickham was released by the Rangers on June 11. Kickham signed with the

Bridgeport Bluefish The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseb ...

of the

on July 24, 2015. However, he was released on July 28, without making an appearance for the club.

San Francisco Giants (second stint)

Kickham signed a minor league contract with the

on January 18, 2016. In 6 appearances for the Double-A

, he struggled to an 0-1 record and 6.75 ERA with 7 strikeouts across innings pitched. Kickham was released by the Giants organization on May 30.

Kansas City T-Bones

Kickham signed with the

Kansas City T-Bones The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Kansas. Formerly known as the Kansas City T-Bones, they are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball; which, in 2020, became designated as a Majo ...

of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

on June 26, 2016. In 14 starts for Kansas City, Kickham compiled a 3-5 record and 2.83 ERA with 73 strikeouts across 86 innings pitched.

Miami Marlins

On February 9, 2017, Kickham's contract was sold to the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

organization. In 27 games (25 starts) split between the Triple–A

New Orleans Baby Cakes The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, ...

and Double–A

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in th ...

, he posted a cumulative 8–10 record and 3.65 ERA with 119 strikeouts in innings pitched. He elected

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

following the season on November 6. On January 13, 2018, Kickham re-signed with Miami on a minor league contract. In 20 games split between New Orleans, Jacksonville, and the rookie–level

Gulf Coast League Marlins The Florida Complex League Marlins are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Miami Marlins, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Marlins. The team plays i ...

, he accumulated a 3.64 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 42.0 innings of work. He elected free agency on November 2. On November 16, 2018, Kickham again re-signed with Miami to a new minor league contract, and was invited to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

. He appeared in 31 contests (13 starts) for New Orleans, registering a 5–5 record and 4.27 ERA with 84 strikeouts in innings pitched. Kickham elected free agency after the year on November 4, 2019.

Boston Red Sox

On December 20, 2019, the

signed Kickham to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training. His contract was selected on August 31, 2020. He made his first appearance with the Red Sox on September 2, against 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 ...

. Kickham recorded his first MLB win on September 5, when he pitched two innings of scoreless relief and the Red Sox came back to defeat 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 ...

with two ninth-inning runs. Overall with the 2020 Red Sox, Kickham appeared in five games (two starts), compiling a 1–1 record with 8.31 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched. On October 26, Kickham was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On January 8, 2021, the

organization signed Kickham to a minor league contract. On May 2, Kickham was selected to the 40-man roster and added to the Dodgers' active roster. He pitched two innings for the Dodgers that night against the

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

and allowed three runs on five hits. Kickham was designated for assignment the following day. On May 5, Kickham was outrighted to Triple-A. He spent the rest of the season with the Triple–A

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their ho ...

, where he had a 6.51 ERA in 20 appearances. Kickham elected free agency on October 14.

Mariachis de Guadalajara

On February 15, 2022, Kickham signed with the

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna The Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (English: Laguna Union Cottoneers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB). Based in Torreón, Coahuila, they play in the North Division of LMB. History Early years The team was established ...

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 ...

. However, he was released on April 15, prior to the start of the LMB season. On April 27, Kickham signed with the

Mariachis de Guadalajara The Mariachis de Guadalajara ( English: Guadalajara Mariachis) were a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Zapopan, Jalisco, in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Their home ballpark was the Estadio Panamericano, with a capaci ...

of the

. He made two appearances, giving up 5 earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched. Kickham was released on May 2.

Florence Y'alls

On March 13, 2023, Kickham signed with the Florence Y'alls of the

Frontier League The Frontier League (FL; French: ''Ligue Frontière'', LF) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 18 teams – 15 in the United States and 3 in Canada. The FL is one of the eight independent baseball leagues in North Ame ...

. In 7 starts for Florence, he struggled to a 9.12 ERA with 21 strikeouts in innings of work. On June 20, Kickham was released by the Y'alls.

Lexington Counter Clocks

On June 25, 2023, Kickham signed with the Lexington Counter Clocks of the

. In 15 starts for the Counter Clocks, he struggled to a 1–7 record and 7.08 ERA with 55 strikeouts across innings of work. On February 27, 2024, Kickham was released by Lexington.

Hagerstown Flying Boxcars

On March 14, 2024, Kickham signed with the

of the

. In 25 starts for Hagerstown, he posted a 7–4 record and 5.69 ERA with 100 strikeouts across innings pitched. On March 8, 2025, Kickham re-signed with the Boxcars for a second season. On June 14, Kickham pitched a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

in a 1–0 win against the Staten Island Ferry Hawks.

Scouting report

Kickham throws four pitches: a

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...

at , a slider, a changeup, and an occasional curveball.Mike Kickham Baseball News Hound
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kickham, Mike 1988 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Arizona League Giants players Augusta GreenJackets players Baseball players from Springfield, Missouri Boston Red Sox players Crowder Roughriders baseball players Estrellas Orientales players Florence Freedom players Fresno Grizzlies players Gulf Coast Marlins players Hagerstown Flying Boxcars players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Kansas City T-Bones players Lexington Counter Clocks players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers Mariachis de Guadalajara players Missouri State Bears baseball players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players New Orleans Baby Cakes players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Richmond Flying Squirrels players Round Rock Express players San Francisco Giants players Tacoma Rainiers players Tiburones de La Guaira players Gigantes de Rivas players American expatriate baseball players in Nicaragua