Alex Michael Wimmers (born November 1, 1988) is an American former
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 professional ...
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 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. He played college baseball at
Ohio State
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 public ...
.
Career
Amateur
Wimmers attended
Archbishop Moeller High School
Moeller High School ( ), known as Moeller, is a private, all-male, college-preparatory high school in the suburbs of Cincinnati, in Hamilton County, Ohio. It is currently one of four all-male Catholic high schools in the Cincinnati area.
Hist ...
in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, and
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 ...
, where he 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 p ...
for the
Ohio State Buckeyes baseball
The Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team is the college baseball team of Ohio State University. The program, founded in 1881, was the first athletic team in Ohio State history. Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, has been the home field of the pro ...
team. In 2009, his sophomore year, he was named an
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n. After the 2009 season, he played
collegiate summer baseball with the
Bourne Braves
The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park on the ca ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League. He won the 2010
National Pitcher of the Year Award
The National Pitcher of the Year Award is a college baseball award given to the best pitcher of the college baseball season by the College Baseball Foundation. The current holder of the award is Cooper Hjerpe of the Oregon State Beavers.
Win ...
.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins drafted Wimmers in the first round, with the 21st overall selection, of the
2010 MLB Draft. He signed with the Twins, receiving a $1.332 million
signing bonus.
[
On August 2, 2012, Wimmers underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ]ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspect of the elbow uniting the distal aspect of the humerus to the proximal aspect of the ulna.
Structure
It consists of two portio ...
. He had made one start with the 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 played ...
of the Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League and one with the Gulf Coast League Twins
The Florida Complex League Twins are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays in Fort Myers, Florida, at the Lee County Sports Complex. Prior to 2021, th ...
of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League
The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the l ...
. He underwent elbow surgery in October 2013, but was healthy to start the 2014 season. He pitched for the Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
of the Class AA Southern League in 2015. He began the 2016 season with Chattanooga, and was promoted to the Rochester Red Wings of the Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
International League. The Twins promoted Wimmers to the major leagues on August 26. On November 9, he was outrighted to the minor leagues. During the 2016 offseason, Wimmers signed a new minor league contract with the Twins.
Miami Marlins
Wimmers began the 2017 season with Rochester. The Twins promoted him to the major leagues on June 1. On June 23, Wimmers was designated for assignment. After becoming a free agent at the end of the 2017 season, Wimmers signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins on December 15. He was released from the organization on June 4, 2018.
Sugar Land Skeeters
On June 29, 2018, Wimmers signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...
of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He became a free agent following the 2018 season.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wimmers, Alex
1988 births
Living people
Baseball players from Cincinnati
Major League Baseball pitchers
Minnesota Twins players
Ohio State Buckeyes baseball players
Bourne Braves players
Fort Myers Miracle players
Gulf Coast Twins players
New Britain Rock Cats players
Chattanooga Lookouts players
Rochester Red Wings players
New Orleans Baby Cakes players
Sugar Land Skeeters players