Adam J. Achter (born August 27, 1988) is an American college baseball coach and former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He was most recently the pitching coach at

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...

. Achter 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 ...

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

. He 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

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

and

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 ...

High school

Achter attended Clay High School in

Oregon, Ohio Oregon is a city in Lucas County, Ohio. It is a lakefront suburb of Toledo, located on Lake Erie, just east of the city. Oregon is known for its scenic lakefront, bike trails, and Maumee Bay State Park. The population was 19,950 at the 20 ...

, where he starred for the school's baseball and basketball teams. In his senior year, 2007, Achter had a 7–1

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 0.92

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) and 102

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s, as well as

batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...

.429 and leading his team to their second straight district championship. He threw a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

against Findlay High School, and was named Toledo City League Player of the Year, tournament MVP, first team All-Toledo City League, and first team All-Ohio. Achter was also named Clay's 2007 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Achter came out of high school rated as the No. 5 high school prospect in Ohio by ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

''. After not being selected during 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 f ...

, he enrolled in

College

Achter made his debut with the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...

in 2008 when he made eight starts and three relief appearances. Over 33.2 innings, Achter went 1–3 and had just a .224 batting average against. On May 4, A.J. made perhaps his best start of the year when he held the

Penn State Nittany Lions The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interco ...

to one hit over 7.1 innings pitched. In his sophomore season, Achter tied for the team lead in starts with 14, going 3–6 with 57 strikeouts over 81.1 innings. A.J. allowed only four home runs and 34 earned runs, leading to an ERA of 3.76, second-lowest in the starting rotation. In 2010, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Cotuit Kettleers The Cotuit Kettleers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, Massachusetts, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the lea ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

and was named a league all-star.

Professional career

Minnesota Twins

Achter was selected in the 46th round of the

2010 Major League Baseball Draft The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player 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 pic ...

by the

, but with two years of eligibility remaining at Michigan State and with no signing bonus offered by the Twins, A.J. had no reason to leave college. During the summer, Achter pitched a "lights-out" summer in the

Cape Cod League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

, and two hours before the August signing deadline, the Twins gave Achter a $50,000 bonus to sign, which he accepted. Achter began his career with the

Elizabethton Twins The Elizabethton Twins were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They were located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and were named for their major league affiliate. The team playe ...

of the

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...

, going 0–1 with a 4.91 ERA over 7.1 innings pitched. In 2011, Achter spent the season with the

Beloit Snappers The Beloit Sky Carp are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and play their home games at ABC Supply Stadium. They previously played at Harry C ...

of the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

. In his first full professional season, A.J. started 19 games, going 5–8 with a 4.52 ERA. Achter began the 2012 season with the Snappers, this time as a reliever, and quickly found his niche, going 3–1 with a 2.48 ERA over 40 innings. Achter's success earned the pitcher a mid-June promotion to the High-A

Fort Myers Miracle The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Fort Myers, Florida, and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex a ...

of the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

as well as an All-Star selection in the

. A.J. pitched another 34.1 innings while allowing three earned runs, leading to a sparkling 0.79 ERA to go along with 37 strikeouts and a 2–1 record. As a result of his success the year before, Achter started 2013 with the AA

New Britain Rock Cats The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado Rockies for one. They playe ...

of the Eastern League, carrying a 2–0 record, 2.21 ERA, and 36 strikeouts over 36.2 innings of work. He was named to appear in the Eastern League All-Star Game. Achter was promoted to the AAA

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

of the

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 ...

. While in Rochester, Achter went 1–2 with a 3.04 ERA, .198 batting average against, and 20 strikeouts over 23.2 innings, helping the Red Wings to their first playoff appearance since 2006. He was assigned to the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...

after the season. In 2014, Achter began the year at AA with the

but did not remain there for long; after 6.2 scoreless innings in which Achter allowed three hits, one walk, and struck out 11, he was promoted to the AAA

where he was the only Red Wings' player selected to the 2014 AAA All-Star Game. On September 1 his contract was selected by the Twins and he was called up the Majors for the first time in his career. Two days later he made his Major League debut against the Chicago White Sox, pitching one inning in relief and not allowing a run.

Los Angeles Angels

After the 2015 season, 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) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

claimed Achter off of waivers. They designated him for assignment on December 11. On December 17, 2015, Achter was claimed off of waivers by the

. He began the season with the AAA

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 ...

. The Angels selected his contract on August 9, 2016. During the 2016 season, Achter posted a 3.11 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 27 games with the Los Angeles Angels.

Detroit Tigers

On December 9, 2016, the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

signed Achter to a minor league contract, and was invited to

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

. He was released on June 6, 2017.

Somerset Patriots

On June 28, 2017, Achter signed with the

Somerset Patriots The Somerset Patriots are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, that is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League, known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, and ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. He announced his retirement on January 8, 2018.

Coaching career

On January 8, 2018, Achter was named the pitching coach at

Personal life

Achter has two siblings, Amanda and Austin. Austin is younger and played baseball and graduated from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

. His parents are Rod and Cindy. Rod was a wide receiver at the University of Toledo and eventually was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. A.J. is married to fellow Michigan State Spartan alumnus, Kaiti Nester. They have a purebred

Shih Tzu The Shih Tzu (, ; literally " Hsi Shih dog") is a toy dog breed originating from Tibet and was bred from the Pekingese and the Lhasa Apso. Shih Tzus are known for their short snouts and large round eyes, as well as their long coat, floppy ear ...

, Izzy Nester-Achter. Izzy is named after

Tom Izzo Tom Izzo (, ); born January 30, 1955) is an American college basketball coach who has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995. On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Izzo has led the Spart ...

. A.J. and Kaiti live in

Brighton, Michigan Brighton is a city in the Detroit metropolitan area in southeastern Livingston County, Michigan, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,444. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area. It is one of ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Achter, AJ 1988 births Living people Baseball players from Ohio Sportspeople from Toledo, Ohio Major League Baseball pitchers Minnesota Twins players Los Angeles Angels players Michigan State Spartans baseball players Cotuit Kettleers players Elizabethton Twins players Beloit Snappers players Fort Myers Miracle players New Britain Rock Cats players Glendale Desert Dogs players Rochester Red Wings players Salt Lake Bees players Somerset Patriots players Erie SeaWolves players Eastern Michigan Eagles baseball coaches People from Oregon, Ohio