Monarchs Sign Big-League Pitcher Rossman
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Bubby Rossman’s high-90s fastball has struck out batters in the major leagues and the World Baseball Classic. Now he’s joining the Kansas City Monarchs.
The Monarchs signed the right-hander to a contract, the American Association club announced Friday.
Rossman, 31, made his big-league debut with the Phillies in 2022. He pitched with Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year.
The Mets have signed Bubby Rossman to a minor league deal after he recently pitched for Team Israel in the WBC.
Rossman tops out at 99 mph and made his big league debut last year with Phillies.
4.11 ERA, 83 Ks (42 walks) in the minors last season.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 18, 2023
The Monarchs now feature eight former major leaguers on their active roster, a season high. They currently sit in first place in the AAPB West by 4.5 games.
A Southern California native, Rossman made two appearances in the WBC. He allowing one hit over two innings against the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, striking out three batters against the powerhouse lineups.
bubbie rankings:
1) my bubbie
2) Bubby Rossman
3) other bubbies pic.twitter.com/AVLJdbzqjl— Israel Baseball 🇮🇱 (@ILBaseball) March 15, 2023
The righty’s lone big-league appearance came on July 13, 2022 in Toronto. He threw the ninth inning, retiring his last three hitters. That included his first MLB strikeout against former All-Star Matt Chapman.
An outfielder in college, Rossman always had an outstanding arm. He was drafted as a pitcher by the Dodgers in the 22nd round in 2014.
Rossman impressed early with the Dodgers, posting a 2.26 ERA and 9.4 K/9 with Class A Great Lakes in 2015. That earned him a promotion to High-A Rancho Cucamonga for the 2017 campaign.
He spent his next four professional seasons in what was then known as independent baseball. That included two stints in the American Association: with Sioux City in 2017 and Cleburne in 2019.
Rossman returned to affiliated ball with the Phillies organization in 2022. Rossman made 44 appearances (14 starts) between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, posting a 4.11 ERA and 10.7 K/9.
Most recently, Rossman began 2023 with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. He struck out 8.2 batters per nine innings with an 8.18 ERA over 18 relief outings.
About the Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. This year, they are celebrating their 20th year of baseball in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. The Monarchs won ten Negro American League championships and two Negro League World Series championships in their history. The team featured numerous notable players over the years, including Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks, and Buck O’Neil.
About the American Association
The American Association of Professional Baseball played its first season in 2006. It is a professional partner league that is affiliated with Major League Baseball but not specifically with any one team. The league consists of 12 teams located primarily in the Midwest and the South of the United States. Its season runs from May to September and features players who are looking to showcase their talents for a chance to be signed by a major league team.
