Brian Schlitter is a former professional baseball player who played as a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on December 21, 1985, in Oak Park, Illinois, and attended Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. Schlitter played college baseball at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
Schlitter was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 16th round of the 2007 MLB draft. He spent several years in the Phillies' minor league system, playing for teams such as the Lakewood BlueClaws, Clearwater Threshers, and Reading Phillies. In 2010, Schlitter made his MLB debut with the Phillies, appearing in seven games and posting a 5.19 ERA.
After the 2010 season, Schlitter was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He spent the next few years bouncing between the Cubs and their minor league affiliates, including the Iowa Cubs and Tennessee Smokies. In 2014, Schlitter had his best season in the majors, appearing in 61 games for the Cubs and posting a 4.15 ERA.
Schlitter was released by the Cubs in 2015 and signed with the Colorado Rockies. He spent the majority of the 2015 season with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes, before being called up to the majors in September. Schlitter appeared in six games for the Rockies, posting a 5.59 ERA.
In 2016, Schlitter signed a minor league contract with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. He appeared in 27 games for the Carp, posting a 4.73 ERA. Schlitter returned to the United States in 2017, signing a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent the majority of the season with the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, before being called up to the majors in September. Schlitter appeared in two games for the Brewers, allowing three runs in 1.1 innings pitched.
Schlitter signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2018 but did not appear in any major league games for the team. He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 but was released in May after appearing in just two games for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Overall, Schlitter appeared in 78 major league games over the course of his career, posting a 5.40 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched. He also appeared in 347 minor league games, posting a 3.41 ERA and 447 strikeouts in 455 innings pitched.
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