Michael Rucker Returns to MLB with Seattle Mariners

Michael Rucker, a former pitcher for Brigham Young University (BYU), has rejoined Major League Baseball after being called up by the Seattle Mariners, the team announced on Thursday. This marks his return to an MLB roster for the first time since 2023.

Rucker, a native of Auburn, Washington, is now one of three BYU alumni actively playing in the major leagues, alongside his former teammate Daniel Schneemann with the Cleveland Guardians and Justin Sterner, who pitches for the Oakland Athletics. Should Rucker take the mound for the Mariners, it will be the first season since 2017 that three BYU players have appeared in MLB games.

During his tenure with the Chicago Cubs from 2021 to 2023, Rucker made 96 appearances, achieving a record of 5-2 with a 4.96 earned run average and tallying 120 strikeouts. His standout season came in 2022 when he recorded three wins and maintained a 3.95 ERA.

Before his promotion to the Mariners, Rucker showcased impressive numbers in Triple-A this year, boasting a 1.59 ERA over 22 and two-thirds innings. Rucker had a successful collegiate career at BYU after transferring from Gonzaga, finishing with a remarkable 16-2 record, a 2.92 ERA, and 150 strikeouts across 39 games, including 22 starts.

After earning First Team All-West Coast Conference honors in 2016, he was selected in the 11th round of that year's MLB draft by the Cubs, making him the 22nd player ever drafted from BYU. He now joins a Mariners pitching staff that currently ranks fifth in the league for ERA, as the team aims for its second straight American League West division title.