Rob Brantly is a former professional baseball player who played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on July 14, 1989, in San Diego, California, and attended the University of California, Riverside, where he played college baseball for the Highlanders.
Brantly was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the third round of the 2010 MLB draft. He made his professional debut in 2011, playing for the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Tigers' Class A affiliate. He quickly moved up the ranks, playing for the Lakeland Flying Tigers and the Erie SeaWolves before making his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2012.
Brantly played in 31 games for the Tigers in 2012, hitting .255 with one home run and 10 RBIs. He was then traded to the Miami Marlins in July of that year as part of a deal that sent pitcher Anibal Sanchez and infielder Omar Infante to the Tigers.
Brantly played for the Marlins for two seasons, from 2012 to 2013. In 2013, he played in 67 games, hitting .211 with one home run and 18 RBIs. He was then traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2014, but he did not play in the majors that season.
Brantly spent the next few years bouncing around the minor leagues, playing for the Charlotte Knights, the Toledo Mud Hens, and the Salt Lake Bees. He also played in the Venezuelan Winter League and the Mexican Pacific League during the offseason.
In 2018, Brantly signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. He played for the Gwinnett Stripers, the Braves' Triple-A affiliate, and hit .290 with six home runs and 44 RBIs in 82 games. He also played in 14 games for the Braves, hitting .231 with one RBI.
Brantly signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019. He played for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, and hit .314 with six home runs and 52 RBIs in 91 games. He also played in four games for the Phillies, hitting .429 with one RBI.
Brantly signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals in 2020. He played for the Rochester Red Wings, the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, and hit .271 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 25 games. He also played in one game for the Nationals, going hitless in one at-bat.
Brantly became a free agent after the 2020 season and signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in 2021. He played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, and hit .270 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 31 games. He did not play in the majors for the Yankees.
Overall, Brantly played in 126 MLB games over six seasons, hitting .228 with two home runs and 26 RBIs. He spent most of his career in the minor leagues, playing for various teams and leagues.
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