Ryan David Brasier (born August 26, 1987) 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 ...
for the
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) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...
of
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). Listed at and , he both throws and bats right-handed. Brasier previously played for the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
of MLB, and for the
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Mat ...
of
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formatio ...
(NPB).
Career
Brasier attended
Rider High School
S.H. Rider High School is a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District. The school opened in 1961 and serves students in grades nine through twelve.
History
The school ope ...
in
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the seat of government of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. Accordi ...
, and
Weatherford College
Weatherford College (WC; officially Weatherford College of the Parker County Junior College District) is a public community college in Weatherford, Texas, with branch campuses in nearby Wise County, and Granbury.
Organization and administrati ...
in
Weatherford, Texas
Weatherford ( ) is a city and the county seat of Parker County, Texas, United States. In 2020, its population was 30,854. Weatherford is named after Thomas J. Weatherford, a State senator and advocate for Texas’ secession to the Confederate S ...
.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels selected him in the sixth round of the
2007 Major League Baseball draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the fir ...
. From 2007 through 2013, Brasier pitched for various Angels
farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
s, starting with the
Rookie League Orem Owlz
The Orem Owlz were a Minor League Baseball team located in Orem, Utah, United States, from 2001 to 2020. The team competed in the Pioneer League as a Rookie League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The Owlz played their home games at Home o ...
and reaching the
Triple-A Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...
. He made a career-high 55 appearances (all in relief) with the Bees in 2012, recording 13
save
Save, SAVE, or Saved may refer to:
Places
*Save (Garonne), a river in southern France
*Save River (Africa), a river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique
*Sava, a river in Eastern Europe also known as Save
*Savè, Benin, a commune and city
*Save, Govuro ...
s along with a 7–3 record, 54 strikeouts, and 24 walks in innings pitched.
The Angels promoted Brasier to the major leagues for the first time on May 1, 2013. He made his MLB debut the next day, pitching an inning of relief against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles 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 American League's eight charter ...
, allowing two runs on two hits. After making one additional appearance in May, he returned to the minors and was recalled in September when the major league rosters expanded; he made five appearances during the month. Overall, with the
2013 Angels, Brasier made seven appearances, striking out seven and walking four in nine innings pitched with a 2.00 ERA. Brasier was outrighted off of the Angels
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, and ...
on October 28, 2014.
Oakland Athletics
On July 7, 2015, Brasier signed a minor league deal with the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...
. He spent 2015 and 2016 in Oakland's farm system, including 46 relief appearances with the Triple-A
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry, ...
in 2016, recording a 3.56 ERA in innings.
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The Athletics sold his contract to the
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Mat ...
of
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formatio ...
on December 14, 2016. With the Carp in 2017, Brasier made 26 relief appearances; in 30 innings of work he struck out 19, walked eight, and had a 3.00 ERA.
Boston Red Sox
On March 4, 2018, Brasier signed a minor-league contract with the
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) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...
. Pitching for the
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...
of the Triple-A
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...
, he was selected to appear in the
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game was an annual baseball game held from 1988 to 2019 between professional players from the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball. These leagues were the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League ...
. The Red Sox promoted Brasier to the major leagues on July 8; he made his Boston debut the next day, pitching one inning against the
Texas Rangers and retiring the side in order. On August 30, Brasier recorded his first MLB win, pitching an inning of scoreless relief in a come-from-behind victory over 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) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
. Brasier proved to be a consistent reliever down the stretch, finishing with a 1.60 ERA in 34 appearances, and was the recipient of the Red Sox'
Lou Gorman Award
This is a list of award winners and single-season leaderboards for the Boston Red Sox professional baseball team.
Abbreviations
* p: pitcher
* rp: relief pitcher
* sp: starting pitcher
* c: catcher
* 1b: first baseman
* 2b: ...
. Brasier was included on Boston's postseason roster, making a total of nine appearances and allowing one earned run in innings, as Boston went on to win the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
.
Brasier was included on Boston's
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 years ...
roster to start the 2019 season. On April 3, Brasier recorded his first major league
save
Save, SAVE, or Saved may refer to:
Places
*Save (Garonne), a river in southern France
*Save River (Africa), a river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique
*Sava, a river in Eastern Europe also known as Save
*Savè, Benin, a commune and city
*Save, Govuro ...
in closing out a 6–3 win over the Athletics. He was placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list on June 11, and re-activated on June 17. Brasier was optioned to Pawtucket on July 16, and recalled to Boston on August 17. Overall with the
2019 Red Sox, Brasier appeared in 62 games, compiling a 2–4 record with seven saves, along with a 4.85 ERA and 61 strikeouts in innings.
[
With the 2020 Red Sox, Brasier appeared in 25 games (one start), compiling a 1–0 record with 3.96 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched.][ In early December 2020, Brasier and the Red Sox reached a one-year deal for the 2021 season. Before appearing in a 2021 game, Brasier was placed on the 60-day injured list with a calf injury on May 3. On June 3, he was hospitalized after being hit in the head by a line drive during a simulated game at Boston's training complex in ]Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 2 ...
. Brasier returned to the Red Sox on September 1,[ was optioned to the Triple-A ]Worcester Red Sox
The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. The ...
on September 17, and recalled on September 21. Overall during the 2021 regular season, Brasier made 13 appearances with Boston, all in relief, compiling a 1.50 ERA and 1–1 record while striking out nine batters in 12 innings.[ He also made seven relief appearances in the postseason, as the Red Sox advanced to the ]American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the America ...
.[ On November 30, the Red Sox agreed to terms with Brasier on a one-year contract for 2022, reportedly worth $1.4 million.
Brasier began the 2022 season as a member of Boston's bullpen. On May 20, with a 6.28 ERA in 18 appearances, he was optioned to Triple-A Worcester. He was recalled to Boston on May 28. In 68 relief appearances with the Red Sox, Brasier posted an 0–3 record with a 5.78 ERA and one save while striking out 64 batters in innings.]
On January 13, 2023, the Red Sox and Brasier reached agreement on a one-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.
References
External links
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brasier, Ryan
1987 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
Arizona League Angels players
Arizona League Athletics players
Arkansas Travelers players
Baseball players from Texas
Boston Red Sox players
Cedar Rapids Kernels players
Hiroshima Toyo Carp players
Los Angeles Angels players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Nashville Sounds players
Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
Orem Owlz players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
People from Wichita Falls, Texas
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players
Salt Lake Bees players
Weatherford Coyotes baseball players
Worcester Red Sox players
Portland Sea Dogs players