Ryan Brasier

The Angels selected him in the sixth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft.[1] From 2007 through 2013, Brasier pitched for various Angels farm teams, starting with the Rookie League Orem Owlz and reaching the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. He made a career-high 55 appearances (all in relief) with the Bees in 2012, recording 13 saves along with a 7–3 record, 54 strikeouts, and 24 walks in ​59 ²⁄₃ innings pitched.

The Angels promoted Brasier to the major leagues for the first time on May 1, 2013.[2] He made his MLB debut the next day, pitching an inning of relief against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two runs on two hits.[3] After making one additional appearance in May, he returned to the minors and was recalled in September when the major league rosters expanded; he made five appearances during the month. Overall, with the 2013 Angels, Brasier made seven appearances, striking out seven and walking four in nine innings pitched with a 2.00 ERA.[4] Brasier was outrighted off of the Angels 40-man roster on October 28, 2014.[5]

On July 7, 2015, Brasier signed a minor league deal with the Oakland Athletics.[6] He spent 2015 and 2016 in Oakland's farm system, including 46 relief appearances with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds in 2016, recording a 3.56 ERA in ​60 ²⁄₃ innings.

The Athletics sold his contract to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball on December 14, 2016.[7] With the Carp in 2017, Brasier made 26 relief appearances; in 30 innings of work he struck out 19, walked eight, and had a 3.00 ERA.

On March 4, 2018, Brasier signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox.[8] Pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox of the Triple-A International League, he was selected to appear in the Triple-A All-Star Game.[9] The Red Sox promoted Brasier to the major leagues on July 8;[10] he made his Boston debut the next day, pitching one inning against the Texas Rangers and retiring the side in order.[11] On August 30, Brasier recorded his first MLB win, pitching an inning of scoreless relief in a come-from-behind victory over the Chicago White Sox.[12] Brasier proved to be a consistent reliever down the stretch, finishing with a 1.60 ERA in 34 appearances, and was the recipient of the Red Sox' Lou Gorman Award.[13] Brasier was included on Boston's postseason roster, making a total of nine appearances and allowing one earned run in ​8 ²⁄₃ innings, as Boston went on to win the World Series.[14]

Brasier was included on Boston's Opening Day roster to start the 2019 season.[15] On April 3, Brasier recorded his first major league save in closing out a 6–3 win over the Athletics.[16][17] He was placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list on June 11,[18] and re-activated on June 17.[19] Brasier was optioned to Pawtucket on July 16,[20] and recalled to Boston on August 17.[21] Overall with the 2019 Red Sox, Brasier appeared in 62 games, compiling a 2–4 record with seven saves, along with a 4.85 ERA and 61 strikeouts in ​55 ²⁄₃ innings.