Perci Garner

College career

Perci was a three-sport athlete while attending Dover High School in Dover, Ohio, where he played basketball, football, and baseball. He enrolled at Ball State University to play college football, but only saw two snaps at quarterback in his redshirt freshman season. At the urging of football coach Stan Parrish, Perci tried out for the college baseball team. Garner played two seasons for Ball State. As a redshirt freshman, Perci had a 4.95 ERA across 20 innings in 17 games. The following year, Perci led the team in strikeouts (83) while compiling a 4.62 ERA and a 5-3 record as a starter, earning him First Team All-Mid-American Conference honors.

Professional career

Garner was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent 2010 and 2011 with the Williamsport Crosscutters, and played sparingly. In 2012, Garner was promoted to the Clearwater Threshers, where he had a 7-6 record and a 5.51 ERA in 26 starts. He followed that up with a 6-6 record and a 5.56 ERA in 22 starts for Clearwater the following year. He then split time with Clearwater and the Reading Fightin Phils in 2014 before being released. Prior to the 2015 season he signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians, who converted him from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher.

Garner was called up to the major leagues by Cleveland for the first time on August 31, 2016, and made his debut that same day.