Mike Pelfrey

Michael Alan Pelfrey (born January 14, 1984) is an American college baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher.

After his junior year at Wichita State University, Pelfrey entered the June 2005 amateur baseball draft.

Having chosen Scott Boras as his agent, there were concerns that Pelfrey would hold out or require a higher-than-market value contract.

The Mets selected him with the ninth overall pick, even though he was projected to have gone higher than that.

After six months of negotiations, the Mets signed Pelfrey to a four-year major league contract on January 10, 2006.

The deal reportedly included a $3.5 million signing bonus and $5.3 million in guaranteed salary.

Pelfrey began the 2006 season on the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, going 2–1 with a 1.64 ERA in four starts before being promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Mets.

With Binghamton, he was 2–1 with a 2.66 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 471⁄3 innings over his first eight starts.

Pelfrey made his major-league debut with the Mets on July 8, 2006, earning the win in a 17–3 victory against the Florida Marlins.

The Mets hit grand slams (José Valentín and Carlos Beltrán) in Pelfrey's first two major league starts; this was a first in baseball history.

He was sent down to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides at the beginning of August.

In 2007, Pelfrey pitched well in spring training and earned a spot in the Mets starting rotation to begin the season.

However, after starting the season 0–5 with a 6.53 ERA, he was demoted to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs.

He continued to make occasional starts for the Mets throughout the season, at one point running his record to 0–7.

However, Pelfrey found success later in the season.

Having been recalled when rosters expanded on September 1 to pitch in Atlanta, Pelfrey put together his best start of the season giving up only one run on one hit in six innings for his first win of the season.

Pelfrey won his next two starts in September in the midst of a close pennant race, finishing the season with a record of 3–8.

On March 30, 2008, the Mets named Pelfrey as their Number 5 starter.

Pelfrey made his first start of the season on April 9, earning a win against the Philadelphia Phillies allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three in five innings pitched.

Pelfrey then followed up this performance pitching seven shutout innings against the Washington Nationals and earned the win.

It was the first major league start of his career where he did not give up a run.

On May 15, 2008, Pelfrey pitched another good game against the Nationals.

He pitched 7 2⁄3innings, not allowing a hit until the seventh and only allowed one run.

On June 11, 2008, Pelfrey pitched 8 innings, and attempted to pitch a complete game, but was replaced by Billy Wagner when he allowed a single to lead off the 9th.

In the time he pitched, he only allowed one run and walked 2, while striking out 8 Diamondbacks.

However, Mike got a no-decision as the Mets won in extra innings, 5–3, after Wagner blew a 3–0 lead in the 9th by allowing a 3-run homer to Mark Reynolds with 2 outs and 2 strikes.

Later in the year, Pelfrey set a club record for most batters faced without giving up a home run, at 243; the streak was broken by Adam Dunn of the Reds.

On July 14, 2008, Pelfrey was named the National League Player of the Week.

Pelfrey went 2–0 while not allowing a run over his two starts against the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies during the week ending July 13.

Over his 15.0 shutout innings, Mike scattered nine hits without a walk, while striking out 10.

On August 20, 2008, Pelfrey pitched the first complete game of his career against the Atlanta Braves.

He struck out 3 in the 9 innings, throwing 108 pitches.

It was a 3-hitter.

On August 25, 2008, Pelfrey pitched his second consecutive complete game win, the first Met to do so since Bret Saberhagen did it in 1995.

In his next turn, Pelfrey pitched another complete game victory, this time allowing only 6 hits and 1 run while recording his 13th win of the season.

So far, David Cone is the only former Mets pitcher to pitch 3 consecutive complete game victories.

Once known to throw a power curveball, he gave this pitch up and learned a slider at the request of his former pitching coach Rick Peterson.

However, new pitching coach Dan Warthen has since allowed Pelfrey to work his curveball back into his pitching repertoire.

He was the pitching coach at Wichita State University from 2019 to 2023, where he played from 2003 to 2005 for head coach Gene Stephenson.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox.