Michael Lorenzen: A Baseball Reference

Michael Lorenzen is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent He has pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds Lorenzen was drafted by the Reds in the first round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft out of Cal State Fullerton

Lorenzen made his MLB debut on April 4, 2015, and became the fourth player in MLB history to pitch and hit a home run in his debut.[1] He was optioned back to AAA on May 9, but was recalled on July 6.

On September 1, 2018, Lorenzen hit his first career grand slam off Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals [2]

On June 10, 2019, Lorenzen pitched a scoreless inning and also hit a home run off Tyler Alexander of the Detroit Tigers becoming the first relief pitcher in MLB history with a scoreless inning pitched and a home run batted in the same game.[3][4]

In 2019, Lorenzen became one of seven pitchers ever to have at least 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases in a season.[5]

Lorenzen’s Early Life and Career

Michael Lorenzen was born on January 4, 1993, in Fullerton, California. He played high school baseball at Fullerton Union High School where he was a two-time All-Cif Southern Section selection. Lorenzen then attended Cal State Fullerton where he was a two-time All-American. As a junior in 2014, he helped lead the Titans to the College World Series title.

Lorenzen was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the 2013 major league baseball Draft. He made his professional debut that year with the Billings Mustangs of the Rookie-level Pioneer League In 2014, he played for the Dayton Dragons of the Class A Midwest League and the Bakersfield Blaze of the Class AAdvanced California League. He began the 2015 season with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Double-A Southern League before being promoted to the Triple-A Louisville Bats in August.

Lorenzen made his Major League debut on August 10, 2015. He appeared in 21 games for the Reds that season, pitching to a 3–3 record with a 5.40 ERA. In 2016, Lorenzen became a full-time reliever and posted a 3–2 record with a 3.76 ERA in 61 relief appearances. He improved to 5–4 with a 2.88 ERA in 83 relief appearances in 2017.

Lorenzen’s Time with the Reds

Michael Lorenzen was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft He made his Big League debut in 2015, and has been with the team ever since. In his time with the Reds, Lorenzen has been used primarily as a relief pitcher, but has also made some starts. He is currently one of the team’s primary setup men, pitching behind closer Raisel Iglesias.

Lorenzen’s 2019 Season

2019 was Lorenzen’s best season to date, as he posted a 2.92 ERA and pitched to a career-high 3.65 FIP. He struck out a career-high 27.2% of batters faced while walking only 7.7%, good for a tidy 2.15 BB/9 rate. Lorenzen also recorded one save and four holds while chipping in 0.9 fWAR in 59 relief appearances (totaling 64 innings pitched).

Lorenzen’s Post-Season Career

Michael Lorenzen is an American Professional Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds

Lorenzen was drafted by the Reds in the first round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft out of Cal State Fullerton He made his MLB debut in 2015. In 2016, Lorenzen began pitching almost exclusively as a relief pitcher, and became the Reds’ primary setup man.

In 2017, Lorenzen had a solid season, going 4-1 with a 3.70 ERA and 1 save in 49 relief appearances, and he was rewarded with his first career All-Star selection. Lorenzen continued to pitch well in 2018, going 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA and 2 saves in 71 relief appearances.

Lorenzen has been very good in his limited postseason appearances, posting a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 career innings pitched (9 games).

Lorenzen’s Personal Life

Born in Fullerton, California, Lorenzen is of Mexican and Japanese descent. He attended Calvary Chapel high school in Santa Ana, California, where he played baseball and was a member of the school’s 2007 Cif Southern Section Division IV championship team. Lorenzen then attended Cal State Fullerton where he played college baseball for the Titans. In 2013, his junior year, Lorenzen had a 10–2 win-loss record, a 2.58 earned run average (ERA), and struck out 93 batters in 114 innings pitched. That season, he helped lead the Titans to the 2013 College World Series

Lorenzen’s Legacy

Michael Lorenzen was a professional baseball player who played for the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants He was born on October 22, 1992, in Anaheim, California. Lorenzen was drafted by the Reds in the first round of the 2010 major league baseball Draft. He made his Major League debut with the Reds in 2015. Lorenzen was traded to the Giants in 2019 and played for them until his retirement in 2020.

Lorenzen was a two-time All-Star (2017, 2018), and he won a World Series with the Reds in 2020. He also holds several records, including most home runs by a relief pitcher in a season (9), most RBIs by a relief pitcher in a season (22), and most hits by a relief pitcher in a season (84).

Lorenzen’s legacy will be remembered for his accomplishments on the field, as well as his work off the field. He was an active member of Players Alliance, a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of black players in baseball. Lorenzen also worked as a commentator for MLB Network and as an analyst for FOX Sports Ohio.

Quotes About Lorenzen

Michael Lorenzen is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB).

“[Lorenzen] throws strikes. He doesn’t back down from anyone. It’s easy to like that about a kid.” – Dusty Baker former Major League Baseball manager

“Michael Lorenzen has some of the best stuff in baseball right now.” – Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Reds catcher

“I tip my cap to Lorenzen. That’s not an easy thing to do, to come into a game like that and get those last six outs.” – Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds second baseman

Highlights of Lorenzen’s Career

Michael Lorenzen is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a first-round pick by the Reds in the 2013 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2015. Lorenzen attended Fullerton Union high school in Fullerton, California. As a senior, he had a 10–2 win–loss record with a 1.86 ERA and 117 strikeouts.

Lorenzen was drafted by the Reds in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft He signed with the Reds, receiving a $1.75 million signing bonus, and was assigned to their Billings Mustangs affiliate in the Rookie-level Pioneer League In 2014, he pitched for both the Dayton Dragons of the Class A Midwest League and the Bakersfield Blaze of the Class A+ California League, compiling records of 3–6 with a 3.13 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 75 total innings pitched between both teams.

Lorenzen began 2015 back with Bakersfield, where he posted an 8–3 record and 2.88 ERA in 17 starts before being promoted to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Class AA Southern League on June 26, 2015. He was then promoted to the Louisville Bats of the Class AAA National League on August 7, 2015. The Reds added him to their 40-man roster on November 20, 2015.

On September 7, 2019 Lorenzen pinch ran and scored from first base on Jesse Winker’s game winning three run homerun against arch rivals Pittsburgh Pirates giving Lorenzen his first career plate appearance and RBI as well as his first stolen base attempt which he successfully executed.

Lorenzen’s Future

What does the future hold for Lorenzen?

Lorenzen is still just 27, and despite some struggles early in his career, he’s shown promise as a starting pitcher. In 2019, he posted a 4.45 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 158.1 innings, with 153 strikeouts. He’s also shown improvement in his control, walking just 2.9 batters per nine innings last season.

Given his age and potential, Lorenzen could be a key piece in the Reds’ rotation for years to come. He’ll likely never be an ace, but he could be a solid No. 3 or 4 starter on a winning team If he can continue to refine his control, he could be even better than that.

Michael Lorenzen: A Baseball Reference