Brandon Cunniff | |||
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Miami Marlins | |||
Pitcher | |||
Born: Arcadia, California |
October 7, 1988 |||
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MLB debut | |||
April 7, 2015, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
Career statistics (through 2016 season) |
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Win–loss record | 4–2 | ||
Earned run average | 4.50 | ||
Strikeouts | 53 | ||
Teams | |||
Brandon Michael Cunniff (born October 7, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Miami Marlins organization. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2015.
Cunniff was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 27th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft out of California State University San Bernardino. He pitched in the Marlins organization for one year, making 18 appearances before being released. From 2011 to 2013 he played in the Frontier League, with the River City Rascals. Cunniff signed with the Atlanta Braves in June 2013. He compiled a 1.99 ERA in 20 appearances at Class–A Lynchburg. The next year, Cunniff made nine more appearances with Lynchburg until a promotion to the Southern League's Mississippi Braves. At the Double–A level, Cunniff pitched in 33 games, recording a 2.05 ERA.
The Braves added Cunniff to the team's 40-man roster on November 19, 2014. He was invited to spring training in 2015, and sent to the minors as one of the final cuts. After Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton, Jr. were traded to the San Diego Padres on April 6, Cunniff was called up. Cunniff went on the disabled list for the first time in his career on June 26, 2015, after suffering a groin strain. He was designated for assignment on December 18, 2015.
Due to a loss of effectiveness arising from a heavy workload in his first Major League Baseball season, Cunniff was not invited to spring training in 2016. Instead, he began the season with the Gwinnett Braves. After two months, Cunniff was demoted to Mississippi, and later called up on August 3 from the Triple–A level. Cunniff was optioned back to Gwinnett on August 12. He spent the rest of August between the major and minor league levels. He was outrighted on November 2, 2016.