Stephen Pryor

{{about||the English cricketer|Stephen Pryor (cricketer)|the president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company|Stephen D. Pryor}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Stephen Pryor

| image = Stephen Pryor pitching for the GCL Twins in 2015 (Cropped).jpg

| width = 230

| caption = Pryor pitching for the GCL Twins in 2015

| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|7|23}}

| birth_place = Donelson, Tennessee, U.S.

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = June 2

| debutyear = 2012

| debutteam = Seattle Mariners

| finaldate = July 9

| finalyear = 2014

| finalteam = Seattle Mariners

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Win–loss record

| stat1value = 3–1

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 2.81

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 35

| teams =

Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|2012}}–{{mlby|2014}})

}}

Stephen Michael Pryor (born July 23, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Pryor made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners on June 2, 2012. He won his first game on June 8, 2012, in a combined no-hitter started by Kevin Millwood.

Career

Pryor attended Friendship Christian School in Lebanon, Tennessee, where he pitched for the school's baseball team.{{Cite news |last=Parrott |first=Joshua |date=2007-05-23 |title=Huntingdon rolls past FCS |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jackson-sun-huntingdon-rolls-past-fc/157388478/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |work=The Jackson Sun |page=35 |via=Newspapers.com}} Undrafted out of high school, Pryor began his college baseball career at Cleveland State Community College in 2007.{{Cite web |date=2007-03-08 |title=Cleveland State Baseball Has Banner Recruiting Class |url=https://www.chattanoogan.com/2007/3/8/103207/Cleveland-State-Baseball-Has-Banner.aspx |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Chattanoogan.com |language=en}} The Texas Rangers drafted Pryor in the 42nd round of the 2008 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, but he did not sign.{{cite web |date= |title=Texas Rangers 2008 Draft Results |url=http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/team/draft.jsp?c_id=tex&year=2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018120709/http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/team/draft.jsp?c_id=tex&year=2008 |archive-date=October 18, 2011 |access-date= |website=MLB.com}} After playing at Cleveland State for two seasons, Pryor transferred to Tennessee Technological University, where he played for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles as their closer. After pitching to a 4–4 win–loss record with a 5.71 earned run average, with 22 walks and 75 strikeouts, in 24 appearances for the Golden Eagles, the Mariners drafted Pryor in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB Draft, and he signed with the Mariners.{{cite press release |title=Mariners sign 17 players from 2010 Draft |date=June 14, 2010 |publisher=MLB.com |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20100614&content_id=11181018&vkey=pr_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417062559/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20100614&content_id=11181018&vkey=pr_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-date=2014-04-17}} He began his professional career with the Everett AquaSox of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League that year.

Pryor advanced to the Clinton LumberKings of the Class A Midwest League in August 2010.{{cite web |last=Lezotte |first=Dave |date=August 24, 2010 |title=Bats Back Wilhelmsen as Kings Punish Peoria |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-13887996 |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=MLB.com}} He pitched for the High Desert Mavericks of the Class A-Advanced California League and Jackson Generals of the Class AA Southern League in 2011.{{cite web |last=Glaser |first=Kyle |date=July 16, 2011 |title=Mavericks Notebook: Griffey leading Blaze |url=http://www.vvdailypress.com/sports/leading-28918-adelanto-blaze.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417060445/http://www.vvdailypress.com/sports/leading-28918-adelanto-blaze.html |archive-date=April 17, 2014 |website=Victorville Daily Press}}

MLB.com ranked Pryor as the ninth-best Mariners' prospect prior to the 2012 season.{{cite web |date= |title=2012 Prospect Watch |url=http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/index.jsp?c_id=sea#list=sea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215234743/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/index.jsp?c_id=sea#list=sea |archive-date=February 15, 2012 |website=MLB.com}} He started the 2012 season with Jackson, before receiving a promotion to the Tacoma Rainiers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in May.{{cite web |author=Delk |first=Craig |date=May 14, 2012 |title=UC CONNECTIONS Pryor one step away from Majors |url=http://www.herald-citizen.com/view/full_story/18592006/article-UC-CONNECTIONS--Pryor-one-step-away-from-Majors?instance=home_sports |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417213613/http://www.herald-citizen.com/view/full_story/18592006/article-UC-CONNECTIONS--Pryor-one-step-away-from-Majors?instance=home_sports |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 17, 2014 |access-date=June 10, 2012 |website=Herald Citizen |publication-place=Cookeville, Tennessee}} He was called up to the majors for the first time on May 31, 2012, and made his debut against the Chicago White Sox on June 2, 2012.{{cite web |last=Johns |first=Greg |date=2006-01-12 |title=Mariners promote relief prospect Pryor |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120601&content_id=32587334&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417080749/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120601&content_id=32587334&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-date=2014-04-17 |access-date= |website=MLB.com}}{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Seattle selects RHP Stephen Pryor from Triple-A Tacoma, transfers George Sherrill to 60-day DL |work=The Washington Post |date=May 30, 2012 |access-date=June 10, 2012 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/seattle-selects-rhp-stephen-pryor-from-triple-a-tacoma-transfers-george-sherrill-to-60-day-dl/2012/06/01/gJQAj0KS7U_story.html }}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} He got his first MLB win on June 8, as part of a combined no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game started by Kevin Millwood. The game was only his fourth MLB appearance. Charlie Furbush, Brandon League, Lucas Luetge, and Tom Wilhelmsen also appeared in the game for Seattle.{{cite web |author=Star |first=Jon |date=June 9, 2012 |title=Mariners rookie Stephen Pryor earns first career win in no-hitter | MLB.com: News |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120609&content_id=33023652&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417053128/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120609&content_id=33023652&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-date=2014-04-17 |website=MLB.com}}

In April 2013, Pryor was placed on the 60-day disabled list for a torn right latissimus dorsi muscle, and on July 16, he served as a starting pitcher for the Everett AquaSox against the Vancouver Canadians.{{cite news|last=Lommers|first=Aaron|url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130716/SPORTS/707169939/0/sports|title=Mariners pitchers to start for AquaSox|newspaper=The Herald|date=July 16, 2013|access-date=July 17, 2013}} During October 2013, Pryor underwent surgery to repair triceps in his right shoulder and was shut down for the 2014 season.{{cite news|last1=Johns|first1=Greg|title=Inbox: Hultzen and Pryor at different stages of rehabs|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/sea/mariners-inbox-danny-hultzen-and-stephen-pryor-rehabbing?ymd=20131114&content_id=63922778&vkey=news_sea|access-date=July 25, 2014|work=MLB.com|date=November 14, 2013}}

On July 24, 2014, Pryor was traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Kendrys Morales.{{cite news|last1=Divish|first1=Ryan|title=Mariners trade for Kendrys Morales|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/mariners/2024151132_marinersmorales25xml.html|access-date=July 25, 2014|publisher=Seattle Times|date=July 24, 2014}}{{cite news|title=Twins trade 1B Kendrys Morales to Mariners|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=11259920|access-date=July 25, 2014|agency=Associated Press|work=ESPN.com|date=July 24, 2014}}

He was released by the Minnesota Twins on December 17, 2015.