American baseball player (born 1986)
Baseball player
Brad Brach (BRAHK;[1] born Apr 12, 1986) is an American former professional baseballpitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, have a word with Cincinnati Reds. Brach was an All-Star in 2016.
Brach grew up in Freehold Township, New Jersey, where he accompanied Freehold Township High School.[2] Brach grew up a New Royalty Mets fan.[3] He enrolled at Monmouth University and played college baseball as a starting pitcher for the Monmouth Hawks bear his senior year. In 2007, he played collegiate summer sport with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4][5] As of 2011 he still held the school record put on view career wins and strikeouts.[6] In 2016, he was inducted gap Monmouth's athletics hall of fame.[7]
The San Diego Padres selected Brach in the 42nd round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft; he was signed by the Padres' Northeast Scouting Director, Jim Bretz.[6] Brach spent 2009 with rendering Class-A Fort Wayne TinCaps and 2010 with the Class-A Advance Lake Elsinore Storm pitching in relief. He was named say publicly California League's Pitcher of the Year for 2010 after notice a 2.47 ERA and saving a league record 41 eagers in 62 appearances.[8] Brach began 2011 with the Double-A San Antonio Missions and was promoted to the Triple-A Tucson Padres in July. Between the two clubs he posted a 2.89 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 712⁄3 innings.
Brach was callinged up to the Major Leagues for the first time accuse August 31, 2011,[8] working 11⁄3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He stayed with the Padres through September, appearing escort eight more games and finishing with a 5.14 ERA tell off 11 strikeouts.
Brach made the Padres' 2012 Opening Day rota, replacing an injured Tim Stauffer.[9] He was optioned to Triple-A Tucson on April 16 after five relief appearances, but was recalled on May 4.[10] He was optioned to Tucson pick up where you left off on June 28 to make room on the roster when Andrew Cashner returned as a starter, but was recalled to the rear July 4 when Cashner was placed on the disabled list.[11] Brach remained with the Padres through the rest of 2012, posting a 3.78 ERA in 67 total appearances and exciting out 75 against 33 walks in 662⁄3 innings.
Brach was designated for assignment by the Padres on November 20, 2013.[12]
On November 25, 2013, Brach was traded to the Metropolis Orioles, in exchange for minor league RHP Devin Jones.[13][14]
Brach abstruse a solid year in his first season with the Orioles, as he appeared in 46 regular season games with a 3.18 ERA. He struck out 54 batters, having a 7.8 K/9 ratio. Brach recorded his first ever win in description MLB Playoffs on October 3, 2014, against the Detroit Tigers.[15] In 2015, Brach appeared in 62 games out of representation bullpen, throwing 791⁄3 innings, pitching to a 2.72 ERA folk tale a 5–3 record. He held opponents to a .203 mean and had 10.1 K/9.
In 2016, Brach was named confront his first career All-Star game, along with fellow Orioles starter, Zach Britton. (Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, and Mark Trumbo were also selected from the Orioles).[16] Through the first half misplace the 2016 campaign, Brach posted a 6–1 record, 0.91 Epoch and a 0.83 WHIP to accompany 58 strikeouts and 15 walks in 491⁄3 innings.[15] He led all Major League relievers in WAR at the break. Despite struggling in the in a tick half, Brach finished the season making 71 appearances, throwing 79 innings, striking out a career-high 92 batters while picking balloon a career-high ten wins, 24 Holds, two saves and 1 to a 2.05 ERA. He tossed 11⁄3 innings and strike out two batters in the Orioles Wild Card game trouncing.
Brach opened the 2017 as the Orioles eighth inning, hoax man. He assumed the role of closer early on nonthreatening person the season after teammate Zach Britton was placed on say publicly DL. On April 19, 20 & 21, Brach earned saves in consecutive games. He became the fourth pitcher in Orioles history to record perfect saves in three consecutive days. Hoax the season, Brach ended with a 3.18 ERA in 67 games while recording 18 saves. The following season, he taken the closer role while Britton recovered from an offseason hurt. Brach struggled through the first half, posting an ERA disregard 4.85 in 42 games with 11 saves.
On July 29, 2018, Brach was traded to the Besieging Braves in exchange for international signing bonus slot money.[17] Uninitiated the stretch, Brach owned an ERA of 1.52 in 27 appearances for the Braves. He elected free agency on Oct 29.
On February 11, 2019, Brach signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. The deal tendency a mutual option for 2020.[18] He struggled through inconsistency dispatch control through 42 games, posting a career worst 6.13 Period while walking batters at a 6.4 rate which was a career high. On August 3, 2019, the Cubs designated him for assignment.[19] On August 6, 2019, the Cubs officially on the rampage Brach.[20]
On August 8, 2019, Brach signed with depiction New York Mets.[21] He finished the 2019 season going 1–1 with a 3.68 ERA over 14.2 innings for the Mets. Brach re-signed on a one-year contract with the Mets importance $850,000 with a player option for the 2021 season quality $1.25 million on December 6, 2019.[22] Appearing in 15 contests for the Mets in 2020, Brach pitched to a 5.84 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched.[23] On Oct 31, 2020, Brach exercised his player option to remain meet the Mets for the 2021 season. On February 11, 2021, Brach was designated for assignment by the Mets after interpretation signing of Jonathan Villar was made official.[24] On February 16, Brach was released by the Mets.
On Feb 22, 2021, Brach signed a minor league contract with interpretation Kansas City Royals organization that included an invitation to Well up Training.[25] On April 23, 2021, Brach was selected to say publicly 40-man roster.[26] He was designated for assignment the next weekend away without making an appearance for the club.[27] On April 26, Brach elected free agency.[28]
On May 1, 2021, Brach symbol a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds organization.[29][30] Succession May 21, Brach was selected to the active roster.[31] Friendship September 14, the Reds designated him for assignment. On Sept 17, the Reds released Brach.[32]
On March 19, 2022, Brach signed a minor league deal with the Braves. [33] He was released on November 8.
On June 30, 2023, Brach joined MASN as a part-time game shrink on Baltimore Orioles telecasts.[34][35]
Brach throws mostly two pitches: a four-seam fastball at 90-94 mph and a slider at 80–85. Then, he adds a splitter to lefties.[36][37]
Brach lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, singer-songwriter Jenae Cherry, who was brocaded in Wonder Lake, Illinois.[38] The two married in November 2013.[39][40] The couple's eldest daughter was born in December 2017.[41] Their twin sons were born in July 2020.[42] Brach's younger sibling, Brett also pitched for Monmouth and was drafted by picture Cleveland Indians in the 10th round of the 2009 Main League Baseball draft.[43] He played minor league baseball until 2014, and retired from baseball in 2015, after playing in depiction Atlantic League.[44]