Cole Sulser Bio
Cole Young Sulser (born March 12, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets. Sulser made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Rays and has built a career as a durable relief pitcher after being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2013.
Early Life and Background
Cole Young Sulser was born on March 12, 1990, in Santa Ysabel, California, a small community located in the San Diego mountains. Although he grew up in Santa Ysabel, he attended elementary, middle, and high school in nearby Ramona, where his mother worked as a teacher. His father worked as a general building contractor and helped coach many of Sulser’s youth baseball teams, giving him steady support and guidance during his formative years.
Sulser started playing baseball at age four and continued with Ramona Pony Baseball until age 14. He also competed on several local travel teams, sharpening his skills against varied competition. At Ramona High School, he played baseball all four years, served as Associated Student Body President, and worked as a peer mentor, balancing athletics with leadership roles in the school community. He graduated from Ramona High School in 2008, going undrafted before pursuing a college career.
Path to Baseball
After high school, Sulser enrolled at Dartmouth College, where he earned two bachelor’s degrees in public policy and mechanical engineering. He played college baseball for the Dartmouth Big Green and quickly emerged as a top starter. As a sophomore, he set a Big Green record by posting an 8–0 win–loss record, a single-season mark for wins, and led the Ivy League in strikeouts.
During his junior year in 2011, Sulser was named to the All-Ivy League team but injured an elbow ligament and underwent Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss his entire senior season. Despite the injury, his teammates chose him as their captain. He was granted a rare redshirt for the 2012 season in the Ivy League and returned in 2013, again earning co-captain honors and All-Ivy League recognition. His 20 career wins ranked second-most in Dartmouth history at the time.
Cole Sulser Career
Early Career (2013–2018)
The Cleveland Indians selected Sulser in the 25th round of the 2013 MLB draft. He began his professional career with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the Low–A New York-Penn League, going 3–2 with a 1.83 earned run average in 54 innings. In 2014, he split the season between the High–A Carolina Mudcats and the Double–A Akron RubberDucks, posting a combined 4–14 record with a 5.43 ERA over 136 innings.
Sulser underwent his second Tommy John surgery in 2015 and missed the entire season while he recovered. He returned in 2016 and split time among Lynchburg, Akron, and the Triple–A Columbus Clippers. In 2017, he split the year between Akron and Columbus, going 3–1 with a 2.70 ERA, and pitched in the Dominican Winter League for Estrellas Orientales. In 2018, he pitched between Akron and Columbus, going 8–4 with a 3.86 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 60⅔ innings, which helped put him on Cleveland’s trade radar.
Tampa Bay Rays Debut (2019)
On December 13, 2018, Cleveland traded Sulser to the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team deal that also sent Yandy Díaz to Tampa Bay. Sulser spent the 2019 minor league season with the Durham Bulls of the International League, going 6–3 with a 3.27 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 66 innings. The Rays selected his contract and promoted him to the major leagues on September 2, 2019.
He made his major league debut with Tampa Bay on September 6, 2019, against the Toronto Blue Jays. He was designated for assignment when the Rays activated Yandy Díaz from the 60-day injured list on September 29, 2019, ending his first major league stint after only a few weeks.
Baltimore Orioles Tenure (2020–2021)
Sulser was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on October 1, 2019. In the shortened 2020 season, he pitched to a 5.56 ERA with 19 strikeouts and a 1–5 record over 19 appearances. On April 3, 2022, the Orioles traded Sulser along with Tanner Scott to the Miami Marlins in exchange for a draft pick, two minor leaguers, Antonio Velez and Kevin Guerrero, and a player to be named later.
Before the trade, Sulser enjoyed a breakout 2021 campaign with Baltimore, going 5–4 with eight saves, a 2.70 ERA, and 73 strikeouts across 63⅓ innings. His late-inning reliability helped stabilize the Orioles’ bullpen during a rebuilding year.
Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks (2022–2023)
After arriving in Miami through the trade, Sulser spent time with the Marlins organization in 2022. On November 8, 2022, he was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he signed a contract for 2023 on November 18 to avoid arbitration. Sulser began 2023 on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain before being reinstated on July 30.
In four games for the Diamondbacks, he allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5⅓ innings pitched. On August 1, 2023, Arizona designated him for assignment, ending a brief and injury-shortened stint in the desert.
Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets (2023–2024)
On August 5, 2023, Sulser was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays for a second stint. In 12 games for the Durham Bulls, he posted a 3.86 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 18⅔ innings, but was removed from the 40-man roster after the season and elected free agency on November 6, 2023. On November 20, 2023, he signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets organization.
After one appearance for the Triple–A Syracuse Mets, the Mets selected Sulser’s contract to the major league roster on April 8, 2024. In four appearances with New York, he struggled to a 9.64 ERA with seven strikeouts over 4⅔ innings. On July 22, 2024, the Mets designated him for assignment, and on July 26, 2024, they traded him back to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations. He made six scoreless appearances for the Rays down the stretch, striking out eight batters in 11⅔ innings.
Current Team Era (2025)
Sulser was optioned to the Triple–A Durham Bulls to begin the 2025 season. He remains within the Tampa Bay Rays organization as a veteran depth arm who can be called upon for major league relief duty when needed. His track record of bouncing between the majors and Triple–A continues to define his role as a reliable organizational piece for the Rays.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sulser is a right-handed relief pitcher who relies on command, pitch efficiency, and the ability to limit walks in short stints. His mechanical engineering background from Dartmouth gives him a methodical, analytical approach to pitching, and he has shown he can handle high-leverage situations, as he did while recording eight saves for Baltimore in 2021. He has also shown the durability to return from two Tommy John surgeries and a shoulder injury.
Notable Events and Milestones
Sulser’s most notable milestones include his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays on September 6, 2019, and his breakout 2021 season with the Baltimore Orioles, when he posted a 2.70 ERA with eight saves. He also made a successful return to Tampa Bay in 2024, firing six scoreless relief appearances after being acquired from the Mets, and he co-wrote and illustrated the children’s book “Benny The Pitcher” with his wife in 2020.
Cole Sulser Career Wins
Cole Sulser has accumulated wins across multiple minor league levels and one full major league season with the Orioles in 2021. His career is defined more by consistent relief appearances, saves, and innings pitched than by a large win total, and he has posted double-digit win seasons in the minors, including 8–0 at Dartmouth and an 8–4 record between Akron and Columbus in 2018.
MLB Highlights
In the major leagues, Sulser’s most productive win totals came during his 2021 season with the Baltimore Orioles, when he went 5–4 with a 2.70 ERA. Outside of that season, he has collected scattered wins with the Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets while frequently moving between the majors and Triple–A.
Other Wins and Performances
In the minors, Sulser set a Dartmouth single-season record with eight wins as a sophomore, finished his college career ranked second in program history with 20 wins, and posted winning records in the upper minors before reaching the majors. He also gained international experience pitching for Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Winter League after the 2017 season.
Cole Sulser Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sulser’s younger brother, Beau Sulser, also plays professional baseball after a college career at Dartmouth. His younger sister, Tiffany, serves in the United States Coast Guard. His father, a general building contractor, helped coach many of his youth baseball teams, and his mother worked as a teacher in Ramona, anchoring the family in the San Diego-area community.
Personal Life
Sulser met his wife, model and actress Dana Sulser, in 2016 while he was playing in Double A for the Akron RubberDucks in the Cleveland Indians organization. The couple married, and in 2020 they co-wrote and illustrated a children’s book called “Benny The Pitcher.” The family has continued to be a steady presence throughout his travels between organizations.
2025 Season Performance
Cole Sulser entered the 2025 season with the Tampa Bay Rays organization after being optioned to the Triple–A Durham Bulls. As a veteran depth option, his role is to stay ready at Triple–A and step into the major league bullpen when Tampa Bay needs a fresh arm. His recent track record of six scoreless appearances for the Rays in 2024 suggests he can still contribute at the highest level when called upon.
Because he is on a minor league contract and outside the major league roster, his 2025 season is likely to be defined by quick call-ups and option trips rather than a locked-in big league role. His ability to throw multiple innings, eat strikes, and limit walks gives the Rays a flexible late-inning option if injuries or performance issues arise in the bullpen. If he stays healthy and pitches well in Durham, Sulser could rejoin the Rays’ major league club at some point during the 2025 campaign.