Cole Young Sulser (born March 12, 1990) is an American

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 ...

for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

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). He made his MLB debut with the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

in 2019. He has also played for 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 ...

and

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

Amateur career

Sulser graduated from Ramona High School in

Ramona, California Ramona is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,292 at the 2010 census. The name ''Ramona'' also refers to an unincorporated community (with some plans to incorporate) that includes both the ...

, in 2008, where he played baseball all four years. Undrafted out of high school, he attended

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

. He earned two

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s at Dartmouth: in engineering sciences with public policy and mechanical engineering. Sulser 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 ...

for the

Dartmouth Big Green The Dartmouth College Big Green are the varsity and club athletic teams representing Dartmouth College, an American university located in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth's teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...

. As a sophomore, Sulser set a Big Green record posting an 8–0

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 ...

, a Big Green single-season record for wins, and led the

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...

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. He was named to the All-Ivy League team in 2011, his junior year, but injured an elbow ligament and underwent

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 bo ...

. Though he missed his entire senior year, his teammates chose him as their

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. Sulser was granted a

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Entertainment * ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi * Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...

for the 2012 season, a rarity in the

, and he pitched for Dartmouth in 2013, again being named co-captain and making the All-Ivy League team. His 20 wins over his career were the second-most in Dartmouth history.

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

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 ...

selected Sulser in the 25th round of the

2013 MLB draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

. Sulser played for the

Mahoning Valley Scrappers The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River, and play their home games at Eastwood Field. From 1999 to 2020, they were a M ...

of the

Class A-Short Season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...

New York-Penn League New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

in 2013, going 3–2 with a 1.83

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) in 54

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 ...

. He split the 2014 season between the

Carolina Mudcats The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, and play their home games a ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

and the

Akron RubberDucks The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...

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, going a combined 4–14 with a 5.43 ERA over 136 innings. Sulser had his second Tommy John surgery in 2015, and missed the entire season. Sulser split the 2016 season between the

Lynchburg Hillcats The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinna ...

of the Carolina League, Akron, and the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...

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 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 ...

, going a combined 2–5 with a 4.34 ERA in 63 innings. Sulser split the 2017 season between Akron and Columbus, going 3–1 with a 2.70 ERA in 63 innings. In winter baseball after the season, Sulser played for the

Estrellas Orientales Estrellas Orientales (English: Eastern Stars), also known as Estrellas de Oriente, is a baseball team in the Dominican Winter League. Based in San Pedro de Macorís, the team has historically struggled, winning championships only in 1936, 1954, 19 ...

of the

Dominican Winter League Dominican may refer to: * Someone or something from or related to the Dominican Republic ( , stress on the "mi"), on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean ** People of the Dominican Republic ** Demographics of the Domi ...

. In 2018, he again split the season between Akron and Columbus, going 8–4 with a 3.86 ERA in innings with 95 strikeouts.

Tampa Bay Rays

On December 13, 2018, Cleveland traded Sulser to the

in a three–team trade in which the Rays also acquired

Yandy Díaz Yandy Díaz Fernández (born August 8, 1991) is a Cuban-born professional baseball third baseman and first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Cleveland Indians. Cuban career Diaz played ...

for

Jake Bauers Jakob Christopher Bauers (born October 6, 1995) is an American professional baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter in the New York Yankees organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleve ...

, and 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 ...

acquired

Edwin Encarnación Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball designated hitter, third baseman and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Ind ...

from the Indians for

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

. Sulser spent the 2019 minor league season with the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...

of the International League, going 6–3 with a 3.27 ERA in 66 innings with 89 strikeouts. The Rays selected Sulser's contract and promoted him to the major leagues on September 2, 2019. He made his major league debut with Tampa Bay on September 6 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

when the Rays activated

from the 60-day

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

September 29 Events Pre-1600 *61 BC – Pompey the Great celebrates his third triumph for victories over the pirates and the end of the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday. * 1011 – Danes capture Canterbury after a siege, taking Ælfheah, ...

Baltimore Orioles

Sulser was claimed off waivers by the

two days later on October 1, replacing

Chandler Shepherd James Chandler Shepherd (born August 25, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2019. College career Shepherd attended Lawrence County ...

who had been outrighted the previous day. In 2020 for the Orioles, Sulser pitched to a 5.56 ERA with 19 strikeouts and a 1–5 record over 19 appearances. Sulser had a breakout season in 2021 as he went 5–4 with eight saves, a 2.70 ERA and 73 strikeouts in innings.

Miami Marlins

On April 3, 2022, the Orioles traded Sulser along with

Tanner Scott Tanner Alexander Scott (born July 22, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2017. Amateur career Scott graduated from Howland ...

to the

in exchange for a draft pick, two minor leaguers, Antonio Velez and Kevin Guerrero, and a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

. (On June 3, Baltimore acquired minor league RHP Yaqui Rivera from Miami as the player to be named later).

Arizona Diamondbacks

On November 8, 2022, Sulser was claimed off waivers by the

. On November 18, he signed a contract for 2023, avoiding arbitration.

Personal life

Sulser grew up in

Santa Ysabel, California Santa Ysabel (Spanish for "St. Elizabeth"; Kumeyaay: ''Ellykwanan''), is an unincorporated community in the Santa Ysabel Valley of eastern San Diego County, in southern California. History The 1818 Santa Ysabel Asistencia is located here, a Spa ...

, located in the San Diego mountains. However he attended elementary, middle and high school in Ramona, where his mother was a teacher. Sulser started playing baseball at age four and played Ramona Pony Baseball until age 14. He also played on several local travel teams. He attended Ramona High School where he played baseball, was ASB President and served as a peer mentor. His father worked as a general building contractor as well as helped coach many of Sulser's youth teams. His younger brother, Beau Sulser, also plays professional baseball in the Baltimore Orioles organization, after a college career at Dartmouth. Sulser's younger sister, Tiffany, serves in the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

. He is married to model and actress, Dana Sulser which he met in 2016 while playing in Double A for the Akron Rubber Ducks with the Cleveland Indians organization. In 2020, the two co wrote and illustrated a children's book called "Benny The Pitcher."https://www.amazon.com/Benny-Pitcher-Dana-Langshaw/dp/B08H57282G

References

External links

Dartmouth Big Green bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sulser, Cole 1990 births Living people People from Ramona, San Diego County, California Baseball players from California Major League Baseball pitchers Tampa Bay Rays players Baltimore Orioles players Miami Marlins players Dartmouth Big Green baseball players Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Carolina Mudcats players Lynchburg Hillcats players Akron RubberDucks players Columbus Clippers players Durham Bulls players Estrellas Orientales players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic