Richard Bleier
Richard Sidney Bleier is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, and Boston Red Sox.
In high school, he was a State of Florida All Star in 2005. In his junior year of college at Florida Gulf Coast University, Bleier was selected unanimously as the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year and First Team All Sun Conference. The Texas Rangers selected Bleier in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB draft. In 2009, his 125 strikeouts were the second-most in the Rangers' minor league system, and he gave up the fewest walks-per-9 innings in the California League. Bleier signed with the Washington Nationals organization before the 2015 season, pitched for the Harrisburg Senators that year, and had the most wins and the lowest earned run average of all minor league pitchers in the Nationals minor league system. He was a 2015 post-season Double-A Eastern League all-star, and was voted a Washington organization all-star by MiLB.com.
Bleier debuted in the majors in 2016 for the New York Yankees, following nine minor league seasons in which he pitched 956 innings, and he was one of 12 Yankees pitchers since 1919 to make his debut after turning 29 years old. In 23 relief appearances in 2016 he had a 1.96 ERA. In February 2017 the Yankees traded Bleier to the Baltimore Orioles. In 57 relief appearances in 2017, he had a 1.99 ERA. In 31 relief appearances in 2018, he had a 1.93 ERA. His 1.97 ERA for the seasons 2016–2018 was the second-lowest in major league baseball, of all pitchers with 100 or more innings pitched. During 2020–2022, he pitched for the Miami Marlins.
Used as a relief pitcher, the left-hander throws a fastball that hits the low 90s, a changeup, a curveball, and a slider. His approach is to "pitch to contact," and use excellent control. Bleier pitched for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Early and personal life
Bleier was born in Davie, Florida. Bleier's father, Lawrence, is from Brooklyn, in New York City, and grew up playing stickball in Brownsville, Brooklyn; his mother is Kathleen Bleier. Bleier has a brother and a sister, and is Jewish. His father was born Jewish and his mother converted to Judaism. His wife is Brett Bleier.Bleier grew up in Plantation, Florida, and played baseball at South Plantation High School, from which he graduated in 2005. As a freshman, he was tall, and weighed. He was chosen for the county and state All Star games in 2005. He lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
College
Bleier played college baseball at Florida Gulf Coast University for the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in Fort Myers, Florida on a partial scholarship. He majored in criminal justice. By 2008, Bleier had grown to and, and was throwing. In his junior year of college he was selected unanimously as the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year and First Team All Sun Conference after he had a 7–1 win–loss record and a 2.09 earned run average, leading the conference in wins, ERA, complete games, and innings pitched.In his three years at the university, he had a 2.70 ERA, 17 wins against 4 losses, and 181 strikeouts in 209.2 innings. In 2021, Bleier was inducted into the ASUN Hall of Fame. In November 2022, he was named to the FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Texas Rangers (2008–2013)
The Texas Rangers selected Bleier in the sixth round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, after his junior year in college. His signing made him the highest draft pick in the history of Florida Gulf Coast University.Bleier played in the Rangers system. Playing for the Bakersfield Blaze in 2009, he was 7–11 and gave up the fewest walks-per-9-innings in the California League, and had the best strikeout/walk ratio in the league. In 2009 between Bakersfield and Hickory, he was 9–12 and his 125 strikeouts were the second-most in the Rangers' minor league system.
In 2010, he was 7–11 for Frisco, led the Texas League with 28 starts and two shutouts, and gave up the third-fewest walks per 9 innings in the league, at 1.54. Bleier was voted Pitcher of the Week in the Class AA Texas League with the Rangers' Frisco RoughRiders on both May 10, 2010, and June 6, 2011. He spent 2010 through 2012 in Frisco, pitching to 5.04 ERA in 2010, a 7–8 record and 5.60 ERA and 1.4 walks per 9 innings in 2011, and a 0–2 record and one save and a 3.94 ERA in 2012. He split the 2013 season between the Triple-A Round Rock Express and Frisco, registering an overall 6–6 record with four saves and a 3.32 ERA with 49 strikeouts.
Toronto Blue Jays (2014)
After the 2013 season, the Toronto Blue Jays selected Bleier from the Rangers in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft. He split the 2014 season between the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, registering a cumulative 6–5 record with a save and a 3.95 ERA with 11 walks and 45 strikeouts in 86.2 innings pitched.Washington Nationals (2015)
On December 13, 2014, Bleier signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals organization, and he pitched first for the Harrisburg Senators in 2015, for whom in 16 games he was 8–3 with a 2.45 ERA, as in 103 innings he walked only 9 batters, and led the Eastern League with a rate of 0.8 walks per 9 innings. He was voted Eastern League Pitcher of the Week with the Senators on May 25, 2015. He was a post-season Class AA Eastern League All Star with Harrisburg. He was promoted to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League, for whom he was 6–2 with a 2.75 ERA, led the league by not allowing a home run in 68.2 innings, and was second in the league with 0.9 walks per 9 innings. In 2015, Bleier had the most wins and the lowest ERA of all minor league pitchers in the Washington Nationals minor league system. He was voted a Washington organization All Star by MiLB.com. On November 6, 2015, Bleier elected free agency.New York Yankees (2016)
On December 18, 2015, Bleier signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees organization. He began the 2016 season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the International League.Bleier was called up to the majors for the first time on May 26, 2016, by the Yankees. He debuted in the majors on May 30, becoming the 27th Yankee to wear uniform number 50. His debut followed nine minor league seasons in which he pitched 956 innings. Bleier was one of 12 Yankees pitchers since 1919 to make his debut after turning 29 years old, and the first since Amauri Sanit in 2011. He became the third former FGCU player to play in the majors, joining pitchers Chris Sale and Casey Coleman.
Yankee manager Joe Girardi said: "I can use him either way – for distance or I could use him if I wanted a couple lefties. He's a ground ball guy. He gets a ton of ground balls.... He was a starter down there, so he's built up." In 23 relief appearances in 2016, Bleier had two holds and a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings, a 1.043 WHIP, and left-handed batters hit.150 against him.
Baltimore Orioles (2017–2020)
2017
On February 21, 2017, the Yankees traded Bleier to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Bleier began the 2017 season pitching for the Norfolk Tides of the AAA International League.The Orioles promoted Bleier to the major leagues after he posted an ERA of 0.61 in 14.2 innings over eight games, in which he did not give up a walk. One appearance after being handed his first career loss, Bleier tossed 1 scoreless innings in extra innings for his first career victory, against the Detroit Tigers. Bleier had a solid first half for the Orioles, with a 1.45 ERA in 30 innings, over 25 relief appearances. Through August 4, Bleier had the lowest ERA in the American League of all pitchers with 40 innings pitched. At the same time—pitching to contact—he had averaged 4.02 strikeouts-per-9-innings, the lowest average of all such AL pitchers.
In 57 relief appearances in 2017, he was 2–1 with three holds and had a 1.99 ERA. Bleier averaged 3.69 strikeouts-per-9-innings, the lowest average of all AL pitchers who had pitched 60 innings or more, and batters he faced averaged 3.45 pitches-per-plate-appearance, the second-lowest average among all such AL pitchers. He induced ground balls 68.8% of the time, the second-highest rate among all relievers in baseball. Batters only hit barrels against him 2.7% of the time, and he walked only 4.9% of batters.
2018
In April 2018, Sam Miller wrote in ESPN: "Bleier has... the best ERA+ in major league history, minimum 95 innings". A few days later Jon Meoli wrote in The Baltimore Sun: "By one measurement, Richard Bleier is the best statistical pitcher to ever toe the major league rubber. He knows that by the relatively arbitrary measurement of pitchers with 101 big league innings or more, his 242 ERA+ was the best... His raw ERA is the best in baseball history for that qualifier as well."On June 13, Bleier left a game with an injury later diagnosed as a grade 3 lat tear on his left side. The injury required surgical repair that ended Bleier's season; there was a chance he could be ready to pitch in spring training in 2019.
In 31 relief appearances in 2018, Bleier was 3–0 with 9 holds and a 1.93 ERA, and averaged 1.1 walks per 9 innings as he allowed four walks. Bleier averaged 4.13 strikeouts-per-9-innings, the fourth-lowest average of all AL pitchers who had pitched 30 innings or more. Batters he faced averaged 3.40 pitches-per-plate-appearance, the second-lowest average among all such AL pitchers, and averaged 21.2% hard-hit balls, the third-lowest percentage among all such AL pitchers..
For his career through 2018, Bleier was 5–1 with a 1.97 ERA in 111 games. His 1.97 ERA for the seasons 2016–18 was the second-lowest in major league baseball, of all pitchers with 100 or more innings pitched, as his strikeout percentage was the lowest of such pitchers in major league baseball. He had a salary of $556,000, and was to be eligible for arbitration in 2020, and to be a free agent in 2023.