Buck Farmer

Early life

Farmer attended Rockdale County High School where he was a four-year letter winner and three-year captain. During his junior year, he posted a 1.50 earned run average (ERA), with a .443 batting average, while he posted a 2.02 ERA, with a .468 batting average during his senior year. Farmer holds the Rockdale single-game strikeout record with 22 against Dacula High School in 2008. He was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the 2008 Connie Mack World Series, and MVP of the 2008 World Wood Bat Championships. Farmer was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 46th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign and elected to play college baseball at the Georgia Institute of Technology for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

College career

Farmer began his collegiate career in 2010. During his freshman season, he posted a 5–1 record, and a 3.63 ERA in 19 appearances. He recorded his first career win on March 14, in four innings of relief against Wake Forest, holding the Deacons to no runs on just two hits. During his sophomore season, Farmer posted a 11–3 record, and a 2.82 ERA in 16 starts. He went 8–1 in conference play. The eight conference wins were the most by any pitcher in the league in 2011.

During his junior season, Farmer pitched a team-high 106²⁄₃ innings, third in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He posted a 3.54 ERA, and allowed just 100 hits with 37 walks and 115 strikeouts, third-most in the ACC. He was the ACC's only pitcher to pitch a complete-game shutout with his 1–0 win over Duke, earning him the ACC Pitcher of the Week and College Sports Madness National Pitcher of the Week. After the season, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 15th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft, but chose to return to Georgia Tech for his senior season. During his senior season, Farmer posted 9–5 record in 17 starts, and a 2.78 ERA in 113¹⁄₃ innings with 122 strikeouts. He ranked second in the ACC in strikeouts, and finished with a career best in ERA, innings pitched, and strikeouts. He was a semifinalist for the ACC Pitcher of the Year.

Professional career

Farmer was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fifth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft and signed a minor league contract.

Farmer began the 2014 season with the Class A West Michigan Whitecaps, where he made 18 starts, before being promoted to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, where he started two games. Between Class A and Double-A, Farmer is 11–5, with a 2.65 ERA, allowing 101 hits over 115²⁄₃ innings with 127 strikeouts and 28 walks.

Farmer made his major league debut on August 13, 2014, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his debut, he pitched five innings, allowing four runs on six hits, while striking out four, and earning a no-decision. He was optioned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens following his debut. The Tigers called up Farmer again on August 23, 2014 to start the first game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins. In his second major league start, Farmer pitched 1¹⁄₃ innings, allowing seven runs on five hits, while walking two, and striking out three in a 12–4 loss.

In 2015, Farmer was called up during the month of May. He started 2 games for Detroit, losing both decisions and was later optioned back to the minors on June 2nd.

Scouting Report

Throughout his career, Farmer relied on three pitches: a 91-95MPH fastball, a mid 80's slider and a changeup. In 2015, he added a two-seam fastball to his repertoire in order to generate more groundballs, a philosophy taught to him by his AAA pitching coach, Mike Maroth.