Mike Minor is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on December 26, 1987, in Chapel Hill, Tennessee, and attended Vanderbilt University, where he played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Minor was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2010. He spent the first five years of his career with the Braves, where he established himself as a reliable starting pitcher. In 2013, he had his best season with the Braves, posting a 13-9 record with a 3.21 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 204.2 innings pitched.
After the 2014 season, Minor underwent shoulder surgery and missed the entire 2015 season. He signed with the Kansas City Royals in 2016 but struggled in his first season back from injury, posting a 5.65 ERA in 65.2 innings pitched. He bounced back in 2017, however, with a 2.55 ERA in 77.2 innings pitched.
Minor signed with the Texas Rangers in 2018 and had a career year, posting a 12-8 record with a 4.18 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 157 innings pitched. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and finished ninth in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
In 2019, Minor continued his success with the Rangers, posting a 14-10 record with a 3.59 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 208.1 innings pitched. He was again named an All-Star and finished eighth in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
Minor was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 2020 and struggled in his brief stint with the team, posting a 5.56 ERA in 11 starts. He signed with the Kansas City Royals in 2021 but was released in August after posting a 5.60 ERA in 19 starts.
Overall, Minor had a successful career as a starting pitcher in MLB, posting a 73-60 record with a 4.16 ERA and 1,197 strikeouts in 1,201.2 innings pitched. He was known for his ability to generate swings and misses with his fastball and slider and for his durability as a starting pitcher.
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