Waldorf, MD – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs announced the signing of two right-handed pitchers on Thursday afternoon, Mike Devine and Patrick Baker. The Blue Crabs will hold a Zoom Press Conference on Thursday, 4/1, at 3 PM EST with this week’s new players, and is open to all fans and media.
Mike Devine has made a name for himself as one of the best relievers in all of Independent Baseball. The right-hander has combined for a 2.37 ERA in over 250 innings in the American Association dating back to 2016.
Devine played for the St. Paul Saints in 2020 and proved that he can be just as effective in a starting role, posting a 2.58 ERA in 12 starts. The Pennsylvania native self-described as being “too aggressive coming out of the bullpen” which led to a spot in the Saints’ starting rotation. As a starter, Devine struck out 13 batters in back-to-back starts, each appearance coming one strikeout short of a Saints franchise record. The Virginia Military Institute graduate led the American Association in strikeouts in 2020 with 89.
Patrick Baker is a DMV native and a former Baltimore Orioles prospect. The right-hander attended Anne Arundel Community College in 2014, and held a 0.50 ERA in 18 innings pitched before being drafted in the 29th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Orioles.
The 26-year-old spent four seasons in the Orioles organization and took the 2018 season off due to injury. In 2019, Baker made a brief stint in the Frontier League with the formerly Florence Freedom and held a 2.45 ERA.
“Devine and Baker are legitimate, proven arms that have had success at every level of professional baseball, and will bolster our pitching staff,” said Blue Crabs General Manager, Courtney Knichel.
About the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs - The Blue Crabs play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Blue Crabs, set to kick off their 13th season of baseball, call Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland home. For more information on the Blue Crabs, please call 301-638-9788 or visit http://www.somdbluecrabs.com for more information.
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About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) The Atlantic League is the first Professional Partner League of Major League Baseball, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. ALPB has sent over 950 players to MLB organizations while drawing 42 million fans to its family-friendly ballparks over its 24-year history. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com. ###