Mitch Atkins
Mitchell Shane Atkins (born October 1, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles and the Lamigo Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
| Mitch Atkins | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Atkins with the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Sultanes de Monterrey | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 1, 1985 Browns Summit, North Carolina | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| July 29, 2009, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2011 season) | |||
| Win–loss record | 0–0 | ||
| Earned run average | 6.75 | ||
| Strikeouts | 17 | ||
| Teams | |||
| |||
Atkins played high school baseball at Northeast Guilford High School in McLeansville, NC. He originally committed to Elon University, but was drafted by the Cubs in the seventh round of the 2004 MLB Draft, 216th overall.
Professional career
Chicago Cubs
He made his Major League debut on July 29, 2009 against the Houston Astros. Atkins pitched two games during late July of '09 and then would not see the big league mound again until July 9, 2010 when he pitched a 1.1 innings in Los Angeles.
Mitch has twice been named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week. He also was a Southern League All-Star (2008), Florida State League All-Star (2007), and a Midwest League All-Star (2006).
He is believed to be the first MLB player from Guilford County NC schools since 1964.[1]
He started his first MLB game on July 5, 2011, in a losing effort for the Baltimore Orioles.
Washington Nationals
He signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on February 9, 2012.
Atlanta Braves
On June 3, 2013, the Atlanta Braves signed Atkins to a minor league deal.[2] He spent the rest of the season with the AA Mississippi Braves.
Texas Rangers
On December 31, 2014, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.[3] He was released on March 31, 2015.[4]
Lamigo Monkeys
Atkins signed to pitch for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball but a few days before the season started he left the team and signed with the Lamigo Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League instead.[5]
Boston Red Sox
On February 22, 2016, he signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox, and played for their affiliate teams Pawtucket Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs and Lowell Spinners.[6] Free agent after season. He led the Eastern League in strikeouts with 145.
Somerset Patriots
On March 28, 2017, Atkins signed a 1-year contract with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
New York Mets
On June 22, 2017, Atkins signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets.[7] He elected free agency on November 6, 2017.
York Revolution
On April 11, 2018, Atkins signed with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He re-signed with the team for the 2019 season, and became a free agent following the season.
Sultanes de Monterrey
Atkins played for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican Pacific League for the 2019-20 winter season. He later signed with their counterpart team in the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) for the 2020 season.
References
- http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/07/31/article/mitch_atkins_rise_no_surprise_to_local_fans
- "Braves sign Mitch Atkins to minor league deal".
- "Minor Moves: Weathers, Marinez, Atkins". MLB Trade Rumors.
- Todd, Jeff (March 31, 2015). "Released: Bello, Herndon, Accardo, Rodriguez, Rogers". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
- Ashmore, Mike (April 20, 2015). "Atkins leaves Patriots to pitch in Taiwan". mycentraljersey.com. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- 2016 MiLB Statistics. MiLB.com. Retrieved on July 6, 2016.
- "Transactions". New York Mets.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)