Miguel Batista

Miguel Batista is a starting pitcher for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners. He is widely regarded for his versatility as a reliever and starter and as a reliable solid pitcher. In 2001, he was part of the pitching staff that won the Diamondbacks first ever World Series.

Early Life

Miguel Descartes Batista Jerez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on February 19, 1971. He would develop into a major league baseball caliber pitcher and in 1998, he would be signed by the Montreal Expos as a free agent. The Pirates would then draft Batista in the Rule five draft in 1991.

Pro Career

Batista would make his major league debut on April 11, 1992 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1994 he would signed by the Florida Marlins, where he spend several seasons with the team until he was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs in 1996. In 1997, he would be traded to the Montreal Expos, and in 2000 he would be traded again to the Kansas City Royals. In the 2000 offseason, Batista would sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he would enjoy his best seasons. He would help the Diamondbacks win their first World Series in 2001, and then in 2003 won 10 games for the ball club. In 2003 he would sign with the Toronto Blue Jays where he was briefly a closer for the team. In 2005, Batista was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for slugger Troy Glaus and Sergio Santos where he recorded a record of 11-8. In 2006, Batista would sign with the Seattle Mariners would he would put up solid numbers and eat up innings for the struggling pitching staff. He is currently part of the starting rotation for the ball club.