Ben Sheets is a former American professional baseball player who played as a pitcher for various teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on July 18, 1978, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and grew up in Monroe, Louisiana. Sheets attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he played college baseball for the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks.
Sheets was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round of the 1999 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2001. He quickly established himself as one of the best pitchers in the league, earning three All-Star selections and finishing in the top ten in Cy Young Award voting four times.
Sheets was known for his dominant fastball and devastating curveball, which helped him strike out over 1,200 batters in his career. He also had excellent control, walking just 313 batters in over 2,000 innings pitched.
Injuries were a constant issue for Sheets throughout his career, however. He missed significant time in 2006 and 2007 due to a torn back muscle and a torn finger tendon, respectively. He also missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his elbow.
Despite his injury history, Sheets remained a highly sought-after free agent when his contract with the Brewers expired after the 2008 season. He eventually signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics for the 2010 season, where he posted a 4.53 ERA in 20 starts.
Sheets signed another one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves for the 2011 season but struggled with injuries once again, making just nine starts before being shut down for the season with a torn rotator cuff.
Sheets attempted a comeback with the Braves in 2012 but was released during spring training after struggling with his velocity and command.
Overall, Sheets finished his career with a 94-96 record, a 3.78 ERA, and 1,325 strikeouts in 1,603 innings pitched. He was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era when healthy, but injuries ultimately prevented him from reaching his full potential.
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