Michael Bienlien

Michael James Bienlien

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 246 lb.

• School North Carolina State University
• High School Great Bridge High School

• Born March 19, 1998 in Honolulu, HI USA

BR register page

Biographical Information

Michael Bienlien has pitched in the minors and been on the German national team.

Bienlien was 7-1 with a 0.74 ERA and 61 K in 38 IP as a high school senior. The Cincinnati Reds took him in the 40th round of the 2016 amateur draft but he did not sign. He was 3-3 with a 4.62 ERA as a freshman at NC State and 3-3, 5.35 as a sophomore. With the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League that summer, he was 0-1 with a save and a 3.86 ERA, allowing 14 hits in 21 innings.

His junior season, he fell to 3-1, 6.23. He struck out 27 in 21 2/3 innings but walked 18. He still drew interest, being picked by the Detroit Tigers in the 24th round of the 2019 amateur draft. The scout was Taylor Black. He split the summer between four farm teams - the GCL Tigers West (1-0, 4 R in 8 IP), Connecticut Tigers (0-1, 3 R in 6 IP), West Michigan Whitecaps (3.66 ERA in 11 G) and Lakeland Flying Tigers (1-0, 1 R in 3 IP). He was the second of four hurlers in a combined no-hitter against the Tri-City ValleyCats, the first in Connecticut franchise. The 2020 minor league season was then wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He split 2021 between Lakeland (1-1, Sv, 2.19 in 13 G, 33 K in 24 2/3 IP) and West Michigan (3-2, Sv, 5.00 in 21 G). He started 2022 with the same two clubs, going 2-1 with two saves and a 2.86 ERA in 20 games for Lakeland, 1-2, 6.63 in 15 games for the Whitecaps then joined Germany for the 2023 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.