Eric William Stults (born December 9, 1979) 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 pitched for the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

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 ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

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 penna ...

and

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 ...

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), ...

, and for the

Hiroshima Toyo Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda ...

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 ...

College career

Stults played for Bethel College in

Mishawaka, Indiana Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in Penn Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Mishawaka is a principal city of the South ...

. Stults pitched and played

center field A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

for Bethel, which won the 2002

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic ...

Division I championship, posting a 10–1 record that season, and also played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

at Bethel.

Professional career

Los Angeles Dodgers

Stults was selected by the

in the 15th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. In 2002, he pitched for the

Vero Beach Dodgers Vero may refer to: Geography * Vero Beach, Florida, a city in the United States * Vero, Corse-du-Sud, a commune of France in Corsica Other * '' Véro'', a talk show on the Radio-Canada television network * Vero (app), a social media company co-fou ...

and had a record of 3–1 with an

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

of 3.00 in 13 appearances (6 starts). In 2003, he was 3–4 with a 4.97 ERA in 7 starts for the

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

. In 2004, he pitched for the

Columbus Catfish The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, ...

of the

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

and had a record of 1–2, ERA of 2.49 in 12 appearances. He also pitched in 7 games for Vero Beach that year. In 2005, he alternated between Jacksonville and the Las Vegas 51s, he was 4–3, 3.31 in 12 starts for Jacksonville and 3–7, 6.58 in 14 starts for Las Vegas. In 2006, with Las Vegas he was 10–11 with a 4.23 ERA in 26 starts. Stults made his Major League Baseball debut with the Dodgers on September 5, 2006, against 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 ...

Miller Park American Family Field is a retractable roof stadium used primarily for baseball. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just southwest of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Brewers Boulevard. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Milwauk ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

. He pitched three

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...

s and gave up three

earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...

s. He earned his first Major League

victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...

on September 10 at

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

as he held the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

to just one run and two hits over 6.0 innings and 86 pitches,

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

two and

struck out 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 denote ...

three in the Dodgers' 9–1 win. In 2007, he returned to the starting rotation with the Las Vegas 51s. He was called up by the Dodgers to start the game against the

on August 17, and struck out 9 batters en route to his first victory in 2007 after having thrown 7 innings and giving up only 2 runs, 2 hits, and a walk. After an inconsistent stay in the majors in 2007, Stults was a long shot to make the Dodgers in

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 ...

2008 and was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas. He was called up and made his first start with the Dodgers on June 19, 2008, replacing injured Dodger

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

Brad Penny Bradley Wayne Penny (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Penny played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardi ...

in the starting rotation after Penny was placed on the

disabled 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 ...

. On June 25, 2008, Stults pitched his first Major League

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 ...

, as well as complete game—as the Dodgers blanked the visiting

, 5–0. Early in the 2009 season, Stults replaced injured starting pitcher

Hiroki Kuroda is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 1997 to 2007 before playing in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008 to 2011 and ...

. He made the best start of his career against the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

on May 9, 2009. At

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...

Stults threw a complete game shutout, throwing 123 pitches. He struck out 5, walked none, and allowed only four hits. On May 15, 2009, Stults injured his thumb while making a toss on a bunt attempt by the

Florida 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 ...

Hanley Ramírez Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians. Ram� ...

. Stults would make 2 more starts before going on the

. On July 1, Stults was optioned to the AAA

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an e ...

. He pitched well with the Isotopes, before getting called up to make a spot start on August 9 against the

. Stults was optioned back to Albuquerque on August 13 and finished the season there.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

On March 30, 2010 Stults was sold to the

. He was 6–10 with a 5.07 ERA in 21 starts in Japan.

Colorado Rockies

On November 30, 2010 Stults signed a minor league contract with the

. He had his contract purchased on July 3, 2011. He appeared in six games for Colorado, recording a 6.00 ERA in 12 innings, before being designated for assignment on July 25.

Chicago White Sox

On December 11, 2011, he signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Stults was called up on May 7, 2012. He made two appearances for the White Sox before being designated for assignment on May 15.

San Diego Padres

Stults was claimed off waivers by the

on May 17, 2012, and he made his first start on May 19. Stults went on the disabled list on June 6 with a strained left lat after compiling a 3.19 ERA in four starts, and he returned to the Padres on July 22 after making rehab starts with the

Tucson Padres The Tucson Padres were a minor league baseball team representing Tucson, Arizona in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). They were the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team moved to Tucson from Portland, Oregon for the 2011 season. I ...

. After pitching out of the bullpen, he rejoined the starting rotation on August 6. He finished the season with an 8–3 record and 2.91 ERA in 20 games and 15 starts. Stults had 33 starts for the Padres in 2013, going 11-13 with a 3.93 ERA, striking out 131 in 203.2 innings. He led the team in wins, losses, complete games (2), innings pitched and strikeouts. After the season, Stults re-signed with San Diego to a one-year deal worth $2.75 million. Stults was designated for assignment by the Padres on November 3, 2014.

Atlanta Braves

Stults signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves on January 29, 2015. The team announced that Stults had made the Opening Day roster on April 4. Stults struggled to a 1–4 record and 5.36 ERA before he was replaced in the rotation by

Williams Pérez Williams David Pérez Montes (born May 21, 1991) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. Pérez signed with the Atlanta Braves as an amateur free agent in 2009. He has played in Major Lea ...

on May 20. Due to Alex Wood's illness, Stults made one final start for the team just two days later against the

. He pitched innings, yielding three hits, five walks, and seven runs.

Return to Los Angeles Dodgers

On May 27, 2015, he was traded to the

(with

Alberto Callaspo Alberto José Callaspo Brito (, ; born April 19, 1983) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels of Ana ...

, Ian Thomas and

Juan Jaime Juan Jose Jaime Hernandez (born August 2, 1987) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Career Wa ...

) in exchange for

Juan Uribe Juan Cespedes Uribe Tena (born March 22, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played shortstop, third base and second base during his career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White S ...

and

Chris Withrow Christopher Michael Withrow (born April 1, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. Career Los Angeles Dodgers He was selected by the L ...

. The Dodgers promptly designated him for assignment. He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to the Double-A

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

. He made eight starts (and two relief appearances) for Tulsa and six starts for the AAA

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ba ...

and was 6–5 with a 3.30 ERA.

Pitching style

Stults threw three pitches regularly and two infrequently. His most common pitch was a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

averaging about 87-90 mph, followed by a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

(79–81) and slider (80–84). Less commonly, he threw a slow curveball (average about 70 mph), and rarely, a

two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...

. To right-handers, Stults mainly threw a combination of fastballs and changeups, with occasional sliders. When facing left-handers, he replaced the slider with a changeup.

Personal life

He and his wife Stephanie have two daughters, Madeline and Hallie, and a son, Luke.

References

External links

Minor League Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stults, Eric 1979 births Living people Albuquerque Isotopes players American expatriate baseball players in Japan Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from Indiana Bethel Pilots baseball players Charlotte Knights players Colorado Rockies players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Columbus Catfish players Chicago White Sox players Great Falls Dodgers players Hiroshima Toyo Carp players Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino players Jacksonville Suns players Las Vegas 51s players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers People from Argos, Indiana People from Plymouth, Indiana San Diego Padres players Scottsdale Scorpions players Tucson Padres players Venados de Mazatlán players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Vero Beach Dodgers players Tulsa Drillers players Oklahoma City Dodgers players