Alexander James Wells (born 27 February 1997) is an Australian professional baseball pitcher for the East Belmont Saints of the Geelong Baseball Association. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles.
| Alexander Wells | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).png) Wells with the Delmarva Shorebirds | |
| East Belmont Saints | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: 27 February 1997 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 26, 2021, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 2–3 |
| Earned run average | 6.60 |
| Strikeouts | 32 |
| Teams | |
Professional career edit
Baltimore Orioles edit
Wells signed with the Baltimore Orioles organization as an international free agent on August 29, 2015.[1] He made his professional debut in 2016 with the Low-A Aberdeen IronBirds,[2] and spent the whole season there, posting a 4–5 record, 2.15 ERA, and a 0.91 WHIP. He spent 2017 with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, pitching to an 11–5 record with a 2.38 ERA in 25 games started.[3]
Wells spent the 2018 season with the High-A Frederick Keys, going 7–8 with a 3.47 ERA in 135 innings. He opened the 2019 season with the Double-A Bowie Baysox, and spent the season with the team, logging a 8-6 record and 2.95 ERA in 24 appearances. He played in the Arizona Fall League for the Surprise Saguaros following the 2019 season.[4]
Wells did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] On November 20, 2020, Wells was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster.[6] He was assigned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides to begin the 2021 season, where he posted a 5.63 ERA in 8 appearances.
On June 25, 2021, Wells was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[7] He made his MLB debut the following day, pitching in relief against the Houston Astros. Wells collected his first major league win against the Astros in Baltimore's 13–3 win on June 29. Wells was optioned back to Norfolk following the game.[8]
Wells began the 2022 season with Baltimore and was optioned to Norfolk on April 17.[9] On May 1, it was announced that Wells would miss 8-12 weeks after suffering a Grade 1 UCL strain.[10] On September 16, Wells was activated from the injured list; he was subsequently removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Norfolk.[11] He elected free agency following the season on November 10.[12]
East Belmont Saints edit
On April 17, 2023, Wells signed with the East Belmont Saints Baseball Club of the Geelong Baseball Association for the 2023 season.[13]
International career edit
Wells was on Australia's roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[14]
Personal life edit
His twin, Lachlan Wells, pitched in the Minnesota Twins organization.[15]
References edit
- ^ "Australian lefty Alexander Wells is off to good start with Aberdeen – Steve Melewski".
- ^ Meoli, Jon. "Orioles' Australian left-hander Alexander Wells proving advanced in debut at Aberdeen". baltimoresun.com.
- ^ "Alex Wells Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^ Norris, Josh. "2019 Arizona Fall League Rosters Announced". www.baseballamerica.com.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Season Canceled".
- ^ "Orioles Designate Renato Nunez For Assignment". MLB Trade Rumors.
- ^ "Orioles Designate Mickey Jannis For Assignment, Select Konner Wade". MLB Trade Rumors.
- ^ "Orioles' Alexander Wells: Returns to Triple-A".
- ^ "O's move Means to 60-day IL with elbow sprain". 17 April 2022.
- ^ "Orioles' Alexander Wells to miss 8-12 weeks due to UCL sprain". yardbarker.com. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Orioles' Alex Wells: Activated and outrighted". cbssports.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "Major League Baseball pitcher Alexander Wells keen to reset at hometown club Belmont during 2023". newcastleherald.com.au. 9 June 2023.
- ^ "Australia boasts strong arms on WBC '17 roster". MLB.com.
- ^ "Australian twins bring competitive spirit to pro ball". MLB.com.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet