Benjamin Keith Casparius (born February 11, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
| Ben Casparius | |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 78 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: February 11, 1999 Westport, Connecticut, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 31, 2024, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics (through August 31, 2024) | |
| Win–loss record | 1–0 |
| Earned run average | 0.00 |
| Strikeouts | 0 |
| Teams | |
| |
Career
editAmateur career
editCasparius attended Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut, where he set the state's all-time hits record and led them to a state title in 2017 while being awarded as the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year.[1] He played college baseball at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for two years, where he was a two-way player. As a freshman he had a 1.69 ERA in 10 pitching appearances while collecting 18 hits and 15 RBI and helping them to a birth in the College World Series.[2] The following season, he struggled a bit at the plate so the Tar Heels asked him to concentrate on pitching where he had a 4.41 ERA in 12 outings.[3] After the season, he played collegiate summer baseball in both the Cape Cod League with the Falmouth Commodores,[4] and in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.[5]
He transferred to the University of Connecticut Huskies in 2020, but was denied a waiver and had to sit out his junior season, which wound up being cancelled anyway by the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] He played instead in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League for the New Britain Bees[5] and hoped to be selected in the 2020 MLB draft but because of its shortened length he was not chosen and opted to play for the Huskies in 2021.[1][6] In 15 starts he was 8–5 with a 4.03 ERA.[5]
Los Angeles Dodgers
editCasparius was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft,[7] and signed for a $247,500 bonus on July 26.[8]
Casparius spent his first professional season with the Arizona Complex League Dodgers and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, pitching in five games and allowing two earned runs in six innings.[5] He pitched 2022 with Rancho Cucamonga and the Great Lakes Loons, pitching 89+2⁄3 innings in 27 games (16 starts) for a 6.42 ERA.[5] The following season, with Great Lakes and the Tulsa Drillers he made 26 appearances (21 starts) and was 6–7 with a 5.27 ERA.[5][9] After the 2023 season, Casparius pitched in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs.[10] He started 2024 with Tulsa, making five starts with a 3.32 ERA[5] before being promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club.[11]
Casparius was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on August 18, 2024,[12] but was optioned back to Oklahoma City on August 21, without appearing in a major league game.[13] Casparius was promoted to the major leagues for a second time on August 31[14] and made his debut that day in relief against the Arizona Diamondbacks, working a scoreless inning of relief to pick up his first career win.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c Borges, David (April 29, 2021). "UConn ace, Westport native Ben Casparius sees MLB draft prospects rise as strikeout numbers soar". The Hour. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Ben Casparius bio". North Carolina Tar Heels. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Borges, David (August 20, 2019). "Westport's Ben Casparius returns "home" after transferring from North Carolina to UConn". Middletown Press. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Ben Casparius - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ben Casparius College, Amateur and Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Borges, David (June 24, 2020). "Formers Staples baseball star Ben Casparius of Westport will play at UConn for his senior season". New Haven Register. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Aldam, Will (July 12, 2021). "UConn battery mates Casparius, Winkel picked on Day 2 of MLB draft". CT Insider. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Stephen, Eric (August 4, 2021). "Dodgers 2021 MLB Draft tracker". SB Nation. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Borges, David (July 15, 2023). "Uconn product Ben Casparius adjusting to new minor league level". CT Insider. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Weinrib, Ben (November 7, 2023). "Ramos, Casparius earn Week 5 Fall League honors". MLB.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Borges, David (June 1, 2024). "CT native, ex-UConn Pitcher, one step away from LA Dodgers rotation". Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Borges, David (August 18, 2024). "Los Angeles Dodgers call up Ben Casparius, former Staples High, UConn baseball standout". The Hour. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Stephen, Eric (August 21, 2024). "Dodgers activate Blake Treinen from injured list, option Ben Casparius". SB Nation. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List Due To Bone Spur In Toe". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ "Dodgers vs Diamondbacks (August 31, 2024)". ESPN. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)