Mike Ballard

Michael Aaron Ballard

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 180 lb.

• School University of Virginia
• High School Ocean Lakes High School

• Born February 6, 1984 in Norfolk, VA USA

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Biographical Information

Mike Ballard pitched in the minor leagues and the CPBL.

Ballard was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 50th round of the 2002 amateur draft out of high school. He continued on to college, where he was taken by the Twins again in the 47th round of the 2005 amateur draft then by the Texas Rangers in the 14th round of the 2006 Amateur Draft. He was 2-7 with a 5.68 ERA for the Spokane Indians in his first year, tying for third in the Northwest League in losses. He was 9-4 with a 3.93 ERA for the Clinton LumberKings in 2007, and he also went 5-3 with a 4.99 ERA for the Bakersfield Blaze. Among Rangers farmhands, he tied Edinson Vólquez for second in wins and was 6th with 131 strikeouts. Ballard then went 9-3 with a 4.02 ERA for the Frisco RoughRiders in 2008, and he also reached AAA in that season. However, he struggled there as he went 3-3 with a 6.81 ERA for the Oklahoma City RedHawks. He tied Jared Hyatt for 3rd in their system in victories, two behind Derek Holland and Tommy Hunter.

In 2009, Ballard was 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA for the RedHawks, and he also had a 7-6 record with a 3.71 ERA in Frisco. He also went 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA for the Criollos de Caguas in winter ball. Ballard had a 6-8 record with a 5.09 ERA in Oklahoma City in 2010, then he became a free agent. He went 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in Caguas in winter. The Baltimore Orioles then signed him, and Ballard was 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA for the Bowie Baysox while having a 4.91 ERA in 10 starts with a 2-4 record for the Norfolk Tides in 2011. He tied for 5th in wins by an O's minor leaguer that summer. He signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals in 2012, and he was 1-5 with a 4.31 ERA for the Harrisburg Senators. Ballard went to the Brother Elephants in 2013, but his ERA was 5.79 in 3 games and he was released in April. Ballard went 7-7 with a 4.89 ERA for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs after leaving Taiwan, and he announced his retirement.

He had gone 52-48 with a 4.48 ERA in 167 games in the minors.