Brett Raymond Oberholtzer (born July 1, 1989) 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 baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
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
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
,
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 ...
, 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 ...
. He also played in the
Chinese Professional Baseball League
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...
(CPBL) for the
Chinatrust Brothers
The CTBC Brothers () or simply Brothers are a professional baseball team in Taiwan. The team was originally established as an amateur team in 1984 by the Brother Hotel located in Taipei City, and later joined the Chinese Professional Baseball Leagu ...
.
High school and college
Oberholtzer attended
William Penn High School in
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The city is located six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington and is situated on the Delaware River. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 5,285.
History
New Castl ...
, where he pitched for the school's baseball team.
[ ] He was named to the All-Delaware team in 2006. He was selected by the
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) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
in the 47th round of 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 ...
, but did not sign.
Oberholtzer then attended
Seminole Community College
Seminole State College of Florida is a public college with four campuses in Central Florida. It is part of the Florida College System.
Founded in 1965, the Florida Legislature, Florida State Legislature signed a charter creating "Seminole Juni ...
, a
junior college
A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...
, for one year.
Professional career
Atlanta Braves
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 ...
drafted Oberholtzer in the eighth round in 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 rou ...
, and assigned him to the
Rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
Gulf Coast League Braves
The Florida Complex League Braves are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Braves. The team plays at CoolTod ...
. In ten relief pitching appearances, he posted a 4–1
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 ...
, 2.89
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 32
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 in 37
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
.
In 2009, Oberholtzer was assigned to 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 ...
's
Danville Braves
The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...
, where he made the first 12 starts of his professional career. On July 6, 2009, he was named the Appalachian League's pitcher of the week.
In 67 total innings, Oberholtzer went 6–2 with a 2.01 ERA and 56 strikeouts.
He made his full-season baseball debut in 2010, splitting the season between the
Class-A Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served ...
and the
Advanced-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...
. In 26 combined appearances, 22 of which were starts, Oberholtzer pitched to a 6–8 record, 3.78 ERA, and 126 strikeouts in 135 innings.
In 2011, Oberholtzer was assigned to the
Double-A Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. T ...
, where he won the
Southern League's pitcher of the week award on July 25 and was named a mid-season All-Star.
With the Braves, he posted a 9–9 record, 3.74 ERA, and 93 strikeouts.
Houston Astros
On July 25, the Braves traded Oberholtzer to the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
, with
Juan Abreu,
Paul Clemens, and
Jordan Schafer
Jordan James Schafer (born September 4, 1986) is a former American professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins as a center fielder.
Baseball career Atl ...
, for
Michael Bourn
Michael Ray Bourn (born December 27, 1982) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Baltimore Oriol ...
. Oberholtzer was assigned to the Double-A
Corpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team is owned by ...
for the remainder of the 2011 minor league season, and pitched to a 2–3 record, 5.27 ERA, and 28 strikeouts.
He split time in 2012 with Corpus Christi and the
Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
. In a career-high 166 innings pitched, Oberholtzer posted a 10–10 win–loss record, 4.37 ERA, and 137 strikeouts.
Oberholtzer made his Major League debut on April 21, 2013. He made his first career start and got his first career win against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
, on July 31, 2013. During his tenure with the Astros in 2013, he appeared in 13 games (10 starts) going 4-5 with a 2.76 ERA and 45 strikeouts.
With Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2013, Oberholtzer pitched to a 6–6 record in 16 starts, with a 4.37 ERA and 72 strikeouts.
Oberholtzer made 24 starts with the Astros in 2014, and five in Triple-A. With Houston, he went 5–13 with a 4.39 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 143 innings.
In his five minor league starts, Oberholtzer posted a 1–2 win–loss record with a 4.65 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 31 total innings.
Oberholtzer battled a blister on his left index finger early in the 2015 season. He was placed on the disabled list on March 31, and activated in May. He was pulled from his first start after three inning when the blister recurred, and went on the disabled list once again. On June 27, after giving up 6 runs in 1 1/3 innings to the Yankees, after surrendering a home run Oberholtzer was immediately ejected when he intentionally threw at Yankee third baseman
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
; although Oberholtzer said it was inadvertent, immediately after the game the Astros sent him to Triple-A.
He would make just eight starts for the Astros in 2015, going 2–2 with a 4.46 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 38 innings.
With the Triple-A
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in do ...
, Oberholtzer went 7–4 in 12 starts, with a 3.86 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 70 total innings.
Philadelphia Phillies
On December 12, 2015, the Astros traded Oberholtzer,
Mark Appel
Mark Stewart Appel (born July 15, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Prior to joining the Phillies he also played in the Houston Astros organization.
After being drafted out of high s ...
,
Vince Velasquez
Vincent John Velasquez ( ; born June 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres ...
,
Tom Eshelman
Thomas Darwin Eshelman (born June 20, 1994) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach in the San Diego Padres organization. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2019. He ...
, and Harold Arauz to 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 ...
for
Ken Giles
Kenneth Robert Giles (born September 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners.
Exposed to ...
and
Jonathan Arauz. He was designated for assignment on August 6, 2016. With the Phillies, Oberholtzer pitched to a 2–2 record, 4.83 ERA, and 38 strikeouts in 26 relief appearances.
Los Angeles Angels
The
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 ...
claimed Oberholtzer off waivers on August 9, 2016. He made 11 appearances for the Angels, posting a 1–1 record, 8.55 ERA, and 16 strikeouts in 20 total innings.
Toronto Blue Jays
On December 7, 2016, Oberholtzer signed a minor league contract with 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 ...
. He was added to the active roster on July 31, 2017, and designated for assignment the following day to make room on the roster for
Nori Aoki
is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toro ...
. On October 13, Oberholtzer elected free agency.
Somerset Patriots
On April 4, 2018, Oberholtzer 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 ...
.
Colorado Rockies
On April 24, 2018, Oberholtzer signed a minor league contract with the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
. He elected free agency on November 2, 2018.
Somerset Patriots (second stint)
On February 19, 2019, Oberholtzer 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 ...
.
Chinatrust Brothers
On July 27, 2019, Oberholtzer signed with the
Chinatrust Brothers
The CTBC Brothers () or simply Brothers are a professional baseball team in Taiwan. The team was originally established as an amateur team in 1984 by the Brother Hotel located in Taipei City, and later joined the Chinese Professional Baseball Leagu ...
of the
Chinese Professional Baseball League
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...
. He became a free agent following the season.
Somserset Patriots (third stint)
On February 17, 2020, Oberholtzer signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
He did not play a game for the team due to the cancellation of the ALPB season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and became a free agent after the year.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberholtzer, Brett
1989 births
Living people
People from New Castle County, Delaware
Baseball players from Delaware
American people of German descent
Houston Astros players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Los Angeles Angels players
Seminole State Raiders baseball players
Gulf Coast Braves players
Danville Braves players
Rome Braves players
Myrtle Beach Pelicans players
Mississippi Braves players
Corpus Christi Hooks players
Oklahoma City RedHawks players
Fresno Grizzlies players
Albuquerque Isotopes players
Somerset Patriots players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Toros del Este players
American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic
CTBC Brothers players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan
Sultanes de Monterrey players