Andrew William Albers (born October 6, 1985) is a Canadian

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 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 dr ...

who is a free agent. He has 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 (A ...

(MLB) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

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

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

, as well as in the

KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...

for the

Hanwha Eagles The Hanwha Eagles ( ko, 한화 이글스) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Daejeon. They are a member of the KBO League. The Eagles' home ballpark is Daejeon Hanbat Baseball Stadium. The Eagles have won the Korean Series on ...

and for the

Orix Buffaloes The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefectur ...

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 formation ...

(NPB). Prior to beginning his professional career, 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 pl ...

at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...

. Albers has also competed for the

Canadian national baseball team The Canada national baseball team represents Canada in international baseball. They are overseen by Baseball Canada, the governing body of baseball in Canada. Their manager is Ernie Whitt, a former Major League Baseball catcher for the Toronto ...

Professional career

Albers went to high school at

John Paul II Collegiate John Paul II Collegiate is a high school serving grades 8 to 12, located in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. It is one of three high schools in the city. It is part of the Light of Christ Roman Catholic School Division. John Paul II Collegiate was ...

. He was selected by the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

in the 12th round (346th overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign. Albers enrolled at the

, where he played

for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team in the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...

of the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

. At Kentucky, Albers pitched in 81

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...

(fifth most in Wildcats history), recording 20 wins (fourth most in Wildcats history), and 12 saves (third most in Wildcats history).

San Diego Padres

The

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

selected Albers in the 10th round (315th overall) of the

2008 Major League Baseball draft The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008. First round selections ;Key Supplemental first ro ...

. After signing with the Padres, Albers made his professional debut with the

Arizona League Padres The Arizona Complex League Padres are a Rookie-level affiliate of the San Diego Padres, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona, which is also ...

of the Rookie-level

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it ...

, making five appearances. Albers missed the 2009 season after tearing an

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

in his pitching elbow during

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 roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

, which required

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's ...

Quebec Capitales

The Padres released Albers, and he pitched for the Québec Capitales of the

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

Can-Am Association in 2010. With Québec, Albers had a 3–0

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 ...

, 17 saves and a 1.40

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).

Minnesota Twins

Albers tried out for teams in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

during spring training in 2011, and drove to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

to try out for the

. The Twins signed Albers to a minor league contract, and he pitched for the

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 Class-A Advanced

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 ...

and

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 Double-A Eastern League in 2011. Albers played for the

. In 2011, he participated in the

2011 Baseball World Cup The 2011 Baseball World Cup (BWC) was the 39th international Men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, which titled it the Amateur World Series from the 1938 tournament through the ...

, winning the bronze medal, and the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

, winning the gold medal. Albers pitched innings in the gold medal game. Along with his teammates, Albers was inducted into the

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (french: Temple de la renommée du baseball canadien) is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museum commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada. His ...

in 2012. Albers was also named

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

's male athlete of the year.Albers, Christ, Holland take home honours
Albers was called up by the Twins on August 3, 2013, to replace fellow Canadian

Scott Diamond Scott Michael Diamond (born July 30, 1986) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays. Amateur career Diamond played college baseball at Binghamt ...

, who was optioned to Triple-A. At the time of his call-up, Albers had posted a record of 11–5 and a 2.86 ERA with the

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 ...

, with an

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 ...

-leading 116 strikeouts. On August 6, 2013, Albers made his MLB debut and earned the win, pitching 8 scoreless innings against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

and yielding just 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 2. In his second career start on August 12, Albers threw his first

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

and

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

, defeating the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

3–0. Albers gave up 2 hits, no walks, and struck out 2 batters. In 2013, Albers posted a 6–13 record with a 5.89 ERA.

Hanwha Eagles

On January 30, 2014, the Twins released Albers, allowing him to sign with the

of the

Korea Baseball Organization The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and KBO ...

. On April 2, 2014, Albers made his KBO debut. The Eagles declined Albers' option for 2015, making him a free agent.

Toronto Blue Jays

On December 16, 2014, Albers signed a minor-league contract with the

that included an invitation to spring training. He did not make the team, and was assigned to the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

, their Triple-A affiliate. In 2015, Albers was the Opening Day starter for Buffalo. Albers had his contract purchased by the Blue Jays on May 1, after

Daniel Norris Daniel David Norris (born April 25, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Cleveland Guardians organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers ...

was optioned to Buffalo and

Maicer Izturis Maicer Eduardo Izturis (; born September 12, 1980) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder. During his career he played for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB ...

was moved to the 60-day disabled list. After pitching in one game, he was optioned back to Buffalo on May 2. Albers elected free agency on November 6.

Lancaster Barnstormers

On March 3, 2016, Albers signed with the

Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Barnstormers (colloquially known as the Stormers) are an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league ...

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 ...

Minnesota Twins (second stint)

On April 27, 2016, Albers signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins. On August 11, Albers was brought up to the Twins from the Triple-A

. Pitching against the Houston Astros the same day, he made the longest relief appearance of any major league reliever in 2016 by both number of innings pitched (6) and pitches thrown (108). He was optioned back on August 14, and recalled on August 26. He was assigned outright to Rochester on October 17. He elected free agency on October 18.

Atlanta Braves

In December 2016, Albers signed a minor league contract with the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

. He went 12–3 with a 2.61 ERA and 115 strikeouts for the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

of the International League.

Seattle Mariners

On August 11, 2017, Albers was traded to the

in exchange for cash considerations. After pitching well in several starts, he was moved to the bullpen to allow pitchers who had recovered from their injuries rejoin the starting rotation. He logged his first career save on September 25, 2017. On December 18, 2017, the Mariners released Albers to pursue an opportunity in Japan.

Orix Buffaloes

On December 21, 2017, he signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the

of the

(NPB). On April 4, 2018, Albers made his NPB debut. He was selected for the . On December 20, 2019, Albers signed a 1-year extension to remain with the Buffaloes. On December 2, 2020, he became a free agent.

Minnesota Twins (third stint)

On February 8, 2021, Albers signed a minor league contract with the

, that also included an invitation to Spring Training, marking his third stint with the organization. After posting a 3.86 ERA with 78 strikeouts through 16 appearances with the Triple-A

St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They prev ...

, the Twins selected Albers' contract on August 19. That night, Albers made his first Major League appearance in four years in a game against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. Albers made 5 appearances for the Twins, going 1–2 with a 7.58 ERA and 12 strikeouts. Albers was outrighted off of the 40-man roster on October 8. On October 14, Albers elected free agency.

Seattle Mariners (second stint)

On March 21, 2022, Albers signed a minor league contract with the

. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albers, Andrew 1985 births Living people Arizona League Padres players Baseball players at the 2011 Pan American Games Baseball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Baseball people from Saskatchewan Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Bravos de Margarita players Canadian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Canadian expatriate baseball players in Japan Canadian expatriate baseball players in South Korea Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States Fort Myers Miracle players Gulf Coast Twins players Gwinnett Braves players Hanwha Eagles players KBO League pitchers Kentucky Wildcats baseball players Lancaster Barnstormers players Major League Baseball players from Canada Major League Baseball pitchers Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Minnesota Twins players New Britain Rock Cats players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Orix Buffaloes players Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada Pan American Games medalists in baseball Québec Capitales players Rochester Red Wings players Seattle Mariners players Sportspeople from North Battleford St. Paul Saints players Toronto Blue Jays players World Baseball Classic players of Canada 2013 World Baseball Classic players 2015 WBSC Premier12 players 2017 World Baseball Classic players