(May 20, 2019) — The York Revolution is proud to announce that former Revs left-hander Ryan Feierabend has been promoted to the Major Leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays, having earned the start against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Saturday afternoon.
Feierabend pitched for the Revs in 2012, going 9-5 with a 2.71 ERA in 18 starts over two stints, before having his contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds that June. He remains York’s all-time leader in ERA (minimum 101 innings) and is tied for the club’s all-time record in pickoffs with 11.
He signed with the Texas Rangers in 2013 and after a strong performance in the Rangers minor league system, earned a call-up to Texas where he made six relief appearances in 2014. That capped a six-year Major League comeback for Feierabend, who had made 25 appearances (19 starts) for the Seattle Mariners from 2006-08.
Feierabend spent the past four seasons pitching in Korea, where he reinvented himself as a knuckleballer. That led to his signing with Toronto this spring, and after going 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Buffalo, the 33-year-old received the call-up to make Saturday’s start, completing a five-year journey back to “The Show.”
“The thing I remember about him was the best pickoff move I’ve ever seen,” said Revs manager Mark Mason. “I’m happy for him. It just goes to show that if you hang around long enough and people like you, they’ll give you a chance to keep playing. I’m happy for him and hopefully it works out well for him.”
Already one of 10 former Revs to go from York to the Majors, Feierabend becomes the fourth former Revs player to appear in the Majors in more than one season, joining fellow lefties Scott Rice, Edward Paredes, and Ian Thomas, who is currently back with the Revs as a member of their bullpen. The other three did it in consecutive seasons, while Feierabend returns for the first time since 2014. He also becomes the second former Revs pitcher to start a Major League game, joining Thomas who won his lone big league start on July 24, 2015, at Citi Field against the New York Mets as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Feierabend walked one, struck out two, and allowed four runs in a rain-shortened four innings in Saturday’s start.