Clayton Ehlert

James Clayton Ehlert

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 195 lb.
• School Texas A&M University
• High School Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School

• Born November 2, 1987 in Orange, TX USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Clayton Ehlert debuted in the minors in 2010.

Ehlert was 8-2 as a high school junior and hit .375, then batted .410 and was 9-0 as a senior. He attended Texas A&M University where he majored in agricultural leadership and had a 1-1, 4.70 record as a college freshman, then a 6-2 record as a sophomore, walking only 10 in 69 innings. His junior year, he fell to 5-2, 7.09. He was 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA that summer for the Mat-Su Miners. He went 4-6, 4.87 in his senior season. He was not drafted coming out of college but signed with the Cleveland Indians on June 18, 2010.

Ehlert started his minor league career pitching for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New York-Penn League in 2010. In 22 games, all in relief, he went 0-2 but saved 9 games, and struck out 42 batters in 33 innings while walking only 11. He was promoted to the Lake County Captains of the Midwest League in 2011, where he was installed as the team's closer to start the year. In his second game on April 11, he came on in relief of Trey Haley and Francisco Jimenez at the top of the 8th inning against the Dayton Dragons; the Captains held a 3-1 lead, but neither of his predecessors on the mound had allowed a hit. He completed the no-hitter with a flourish, retiring the last six batters of the game in order.

On June 1, 2012, he was suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Policy, although he had already announced his retirement at the time.