Tanner Dodson
American baseball player (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tanner Dodson (born May 9, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.
| Tanner Dodson | |
|---|---|
Dodson in 2019 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs | |
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: May 9, 1997 Sacramento, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference |
Amateur career
Dodson attended Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California.[1] In 2015, as a senior, he batted .430 along with pitching to a 2.10 ERA.[2] He was selected by the New York Mets in the 31st round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft,[3] but he did not sign and instead chose to attend the University of California at Berkeley to play college baseball for the California Golden Bears.[1]
As a freshman at California in 2016, Dodson pitched 61+2⁄3 innings (19 games with nine being starts) in which he compiled a 3.36 ERA.[4] In 2017, as a sophomore, he began playing center field along with pitching. That season, he batted .297 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in 185 at-bats while pitching to a 2-6 record and 5.37 ERA in 19 games (seven starts).[5] After the season, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he was named a league all-star and batted .365 in 29 games, earning him the league batting title.[6][7] Prior to the 2018 season, Dodson was named a preseason All-American by Baseball America.[8] In 54 games, he batted .320 with one home run and 27 RBIs while along with posting a 2-1 record and 2.48 ERA in 40 relief innings pitched.[9] After the season, he was named to the All-Pac-12 team and the All-Defensive team.[10]
Professional career
Tampa Bay Rays
Dodson was selected 71st overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft as a two-way player.[11] He signed for $775,000 and made his professional debut with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the Low-A New York–Penn League.[12] He spent the whole season there, batting .273 with two home runs and 19 RBI in 49 games along with pitching to a 1-0 record and a 1.44 ERA in 25 relief innings pitched.[13] Dodson spent 2019 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the High-A Florida State League but missed the last three months of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.[14] Over 15 games, he batted .250, and over 17 innings pitched, he compiled a 5.29 ERA. Dodson did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]
To begin the 2021 season, Dodson transitioned to pitching full time, was assigned to the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the High-A East, and then was promoted to the Montgomery Biscuits of the Double-A South on August 1.[16][17] Over 37 appearances for the year, Dodson went 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 56+1⁄3 innings.[18]
Los Angeles Dodgers
On March 18, 2022, Dodson was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Luke Raley.[19] He was assigned to the Tulsa Drillers of the Double-A Texas League for the 2022 season,[20] where he was 4–0 with a 8.39 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 29 appearances.[1] Dodson was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs after the season.[21] For the 2023 season, he returned to Tulsa[22] and was promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers later in the year. Between the two affiliates, Dodson pitched in 50 games with a 5–7 record and 4.88 ERA with 51 strikeouts across 66+1⁄3 innings pitched.[1]
Dodson returned to Triple-A Oklahoma City for the 2024 season,[23] where he was 3–3 with a 3.32 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 62+1⁄3 innings pitched over 41 games.[1] Dodson elected free agency following the season on November 4, 2024.[24]
Athletics
On November 13, 2024, Dodson signed a minor league contract with the Athletics.[25] He made 34 appearances (one start) for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators in 2025, registering a 2-2 record and 7.90 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 41 innings of work. Dodson elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2025.[26]