Darrell May is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. May was born on June 13, 1972, in San Bernardino, California, and attended Riverside Polytechnic High School. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 46th round of the 1990 MLB draft but did not sign with the team.
May began his professional baseball career in 1992 when he signed with the California Angels as an undrafted free agent. He spent several years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Angels in 1997. May played for the Angels for two seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in 1999.
May had his best season in 2003 when he posted a 10-8 record with a 3.77 earned run average (ERA) for the Royals. He also recorded 107 strikeouts in 167 innings pitched. May's performance earned him a spot on the American League All-Star team that year.
After the 2003 season, May was traded to the San Diego Padres. He struggled with the Padres, posting a 5.61 ERA in 2004. May was then traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005 but was released by the team after posting a 7.27 ERA in 11 games.
May finished his MLB career with a 26-43 record and a 5.61 ERA in 183 games (79 starts). He recorded 347 strikeouts in 566 innings pitched.
After his playing career, May became a coach and instructor. He has worked with several youth baseball organizations and has also served as a pitching coach for the independent league team, the Lake Erie Crushers.
In 2019, May was inducted into the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame in recognition of his baseball career. He currently resides in Riverside, California, with his family.
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