Brad Brach

Brad Brach (/brɑːk/ brahk;^[1] born April 12, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously pitched in MLB for the San Diego Padres from 2011 through 2013.

Amateur career

Brach grew up in Freehold Township, New Jersey, where he attended Freehold Township High School.^[2] He was a starting pitcher for Monmouth University through his senior year and he holds the school record for career victories and strike-outs.^[3]

Professional career

San Diego Padres

Brach was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 42nd round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft; he was signed by the Padres' Northeast Scouting Director, Jim Bretz.^[3] Brach spent 2009 with the Class-A Fort Wayne TinCaps and 2010 with the Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm pitching in relief. He was named the California League's Pitcher of the Year for 2010 after posting a 2.47 ERA and saving a league record 41 games in 62 appearances.^[4] 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 strike-outs in 71 ²⁄₃ innings.

Brach pitching for the San Diego Padres in 2012

Brach was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time on August 31, 2011,^[4] working 1 ¹⁄₃ innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He stayed with the Padres through September, appearing in eight more games and finishing with a 5.14 ERA and 11 strike-outs.

Brach made the Padres' 2012 Opening Day roster, replacing an injured Tim Stauffer.^[5] He was optioned to Triple-A Tucson on April 16 after five relief appearances, but was recalled on May 4.^[6] He was optioned to Tucson again on June 28 to make room on the roster when Andrew Cashner returned as a starter, but was recalled on July 4 when Cashner was placed on the disabled list.^[7] Brach remained with the Padres through the rest of 2012, posting a 3.78 ERA in 67 total appearances and striking out 75 against 33 walks in 66 ²⁄₃ innings.

Brach was designated for assignment by the Padres on November 20, 2013.

Baltimore Orioles

Brach was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on November 25, 2013 in exchange for minor league RHP Devin Jones.^[8]

Brach played had a solid year in his first season with the O's, 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 the MLB Playoffs on October 3, 2014 against the Detroit Tigers.^[9]

In 2015, Brach had the best year of his career to date, as he appeared in 62 games out of the bullpen, throwing 79 ¹⁄₃ innings, pitching to a 2.72 ERA and a 5-3 record. He held opponents to a .203 average and had 10.1 K/9.

In 2016, Brach was named to his first career All-Star game, along with fellow Orioles pitcher, Zach Britton. (Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, and Mark Trumbo were also selected from the Orioles).^[10] Through the first half of the 2016 campaign, Brach posted a 6-1 record, 0.91 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP to accompany 58 strikeouts and 15 walks in 49 ¹⁄₃ innings.^[11] He led all Major League relievers in WAR at the break.

Pitching style

Brach throws mostly just two pitches: a four-seam fastball at 90-94 mph and a slider at 80-85. Occasionally, he adds a splitter to lefties.^[12][13]

Personal

Brach lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, singer-songwriter Jenae Cherry, who was born in Wonder Lake, Illinois.^[14]

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Monmouth Hawks bio
• Brad Brach on Twitter