Michael Harrison Ford (born July 4, 1992) 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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

in 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) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

organization. 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 (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

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

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 Y ...

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) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

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 h ...

. Ford made his MLB debut for the Yankees in 2019 and played for them through 2021. He played for the Giants, Mariners, Braves, and Angels in 2022.

Early life and college

Ford was born on July 4, 1992, to Bob and Barb Ford, and grew up in Belle Mead in

Montgomery Township, New Jersey Montgomery Township is a township in southern Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township’s population was 23,690, representing a 6.5% increase ...

. He is of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

descent, respectively. When he was 12 and 13, he was part of Montgomery's

Babe Ruth League The Babe Ruth League is an international youth baseball and softball league based in Hamilton, New Jersey, US named after George Herman "Babe" Ruth. The parent program, Babe Ruth League, Incorporated, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. B ...

teams that went to the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth World Series. He attended Montgomery High School as a freshman before transferring to the

Hun School of Princeton The Hun School of Princeton is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding school located in Princeton in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The school serves students from sixth through twelfth grades. Currently, the head of school ...

. Ford 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 ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

for the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

from 2011 to 2013. He was both a first baseman and a

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 ...

. In 2013, he became the first player in

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 school ...

history to be named both the Player and Pitcher of the Year, after batting .320 and ranking in the top 10 in the Ivy League in walks (#1, with 31), home runs (#2, with 6), RBIs (#3, with 38), and on-base percentage (#4, at .443), while going 6–0 on the mound with a league-leading 0.98 ERA. In 2012 and 2013, he played collegiate summer baseball with the

Cotuit Kettleers The Cotuit Kettleers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, Massachusetts, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the lea ...

of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Professional career

New York Yankees (2012–2021)

After going undrafted in the

2012 Major League Baseball draft The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks, first ...

, Ford signed with the Yankees as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He made his professional debut in 2013 with the

Staten Island Yankees The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and pla ...

and spent the whole season there, batting .235/.346/.374 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 33 games. Ford started 2014 with the

Charleston RiverDogs The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The RiverDogs' home stadium is Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Hi ...

. In May, he hit four home runs in one game against the

Hickory Crawdads The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League (SAL) and the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Hickory, North Carolina, and play their home games at L. P. Frans Stadium, which opened i ...

. He was promoted to the

Tampa Yankees Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...

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 ...

Florida State League in August and he finished the season there. In 105 total games between both teams he batted .292/.383/.458 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs. He was named a South Atlantic League Mid-Season All Star. In 2015, Ford played for Tampa where he batted .260/.346/.368 with 62 runs (10th in the league), six home runs, 55 RBIs, and 60 walks (4th) in 123 games. He was named a Florida State League Mid-Season All Star. In 2016, he played with Staten Island, Tampa, and the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the ...

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, where he slashed .289/.411/.479 with eight home runs, 43 RBIs, and 41 walks (while striking out only 29 times) in 56 games between the three teams. The Mariners selected Ford from the Yankees in the 2017 Rule 5 draft. They returned him to the Yankees on March 24. He spent 2017 with Trenton and the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

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. He led the Eastern League with 76 walks (while striking out only 56 times) and was second in the league in OBP as he batted a combined .270/.404/.471 with 20 home runs and 86 RBIs in 126 games. He was named an MiLB Yankees Organization All Star, and an Eastern League Mid-Season All Star. He spent almost all of 2018 with Scranton, batting .253/.327/.433 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in 102 games. In total, Ford has a .269 average with 71 home runs and 328 RBI's in 561 Minor League games. The Yankees invited Ford to spring training as a non-roster player in 2019. They assigned him to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the 2019 season. The Yankees promoted Ford to the major leagues when Greg Bird went on the injured list on April 16. He made his major league debut on April 18. After going 0 for 6 at bat in his first two games, on April 21, Ford got his first MLB hit; a double to left-center field off Jorge López in a 7–6 win against the Kansas City Royals. On April 23, he hit his first MLB home run off

Chris Stratton Christopher Lee Stratton (born August 22, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, and Pittsbu ...

of the

. On August 15, in a blowout game against 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 Fi ...

, Ford made his pitching debut. He gave up two home runs, but pitched two innings, including a 1-2-3 ninth inning. On August 26, Ford recorded his first multi home run game in his MLB career by hitting two home runs against the

. On September 1, Ford hit his first career walk-off hit, a solo home run off of

Liam Hendriks Liam Johnson Hendriks (born 10 February 1989), nicknamed "Slydah", is an Australian professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Toront ...

in a 5–4 win over the Oakland Athletics. Ford spent the entire 2020 season with the Yankees, but he struggled offensively, posting offensive numbers well below his 2019 season, with a .135/.226/.270 slash line paired with only 2 home runs and 11 RBI. After posting a slash line of .133/.278/.283 in 22 games, Ford was designated for assignment by the Yankees on June 12, 2021.

Tampa Bay Rays (2021)

On June 17, 2021, Ford was traded to 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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

for a player to be named later or cash considerations (which was later announced to be outfielder Aldenis Sanchez) and was assigned to the Triple-A

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 ...

. On August 21, Ford was designated for assignment by the Rays.

Washington Nationals (2021)

The

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

claimed Ford off outright waivers from the Rays on August 23, 2021. He was assigned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. On November 30, Ford was non-tendered by the Nationals, making him a free agent.

Seattle Mariners (2022)

On March 15, 2022, Ford signed a minor league contract with the

. He batted .317 in 10 games for the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

of the

Pacific Coast League (PCL). On April 19, 2022, Ford has his contract selected to the major league roster. He was designated for assignment on April 25, without having played for the Mariners.

San Francisco Giants (2022)

On April 30, 2022, the Mariners traded Ford to the

for cash considerations. He played in one game for the Giants, on May 1, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs. He was demoted to the Triple-A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 ...

of the PCL, batting 0-for-7 there. On May 11, Ford was designated for assignment by San Francisco following the acquisition of Donovan Walton.

Seattle Mariners (second stint) (2022)

On May 12, 2022, the Giants traded Ford back to the Mariners. He batted .179 in 37 plate appearances as a designated hitter and pinch hitter. On June 4, Ford was designated for assignment by the Mariners.

Atlanta Braves (2022)

On June 10, 2022, the

claimed Ford off waivers from the Mariners and optioned him to the

Gwinnett Stripers 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. He was recalled to the majors on June 20. On June 30, during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ford, who has some pitching experience in his

days, pitched his second MLB game (the first being with the Yankees in 2019) when the Braves gave up 2 runs in the series finale. Ford became the first position player since

Charlie Culberson Charles Edward Culberson (born April 10, 1989) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. The San Francisco Giants drafted Culberson in the first round in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. He previously played in Majo ...

to take the mound for the Braves. He was optioned back to Gwinnett on July 4. Ford was recalled again on July 8. He was optioned back to Gwinnett on July 11 without making an appearance. On August 10, Ford was designated for assignment and released.

Los Angeles Angels (2022)

On August 16, 2022, Ford signed a minor league contract with the

. He played for the

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark o ...

of the PCL and was promoted to the major leagues on August 25. On September 28, Ford was designated for assignment.

Seattle Mariners (third stint) (2023–present)

On January 13, 2023, Ford signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners organization.

References

External links

Princeton Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Mike 1992 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from New Jersey Charleston RiverDogs players Cotuit Kettleers players Durham Bulls players Estrellas Orientales players Gwinnett Stripers players Hun School of Princeton alumni Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball first basemen Montgomery High School (New Jersey) alumni New York Yankees players People from Montgomery Township, New Jersey Princeton Tigers baseball players San Francisco Giants players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Seattle Mariners players Sportspeople from Somerset County, New Jersey Staten Island Yankees players Tacoma Rainiers players Tampa Yankees players Trenton Thunder players