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). The right-handed reliever has pitched in the majors for the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets, and he made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Rays. A former 25th-round draft pick out of Dartmouth College, Sulser is also a published children’s book author.
Early Life and Background
Cole Sulser was born and raised in Santa Ysabel, a small community in the San Diego County mountains of Southern California. He attended elementary, middle, and high school in nearby Ramona, where his mother worked as a teacher. His father was a general building contractor who also helped coach many of Cole’s youth baseball teams, embedding the sport into the family’s daily life from an early age.
Sulser began playing baseball at age four and progressed through Ramona Pony Baseball until age 14. He also competed on several local travel teams in the region. He graduated from Ramona High School in 2008, lettering in baseball all four years and serving as Associated Student Body President while also working as a peer mentor. Though he went undrafted out of high school, his strong academic and athletic profile earned him a spot at Dartmouth College.
Path to Professional Baseball
At Dartmouth, Sulser earned two bachelor’s degrees, studying both public policy and mechanical engineering. He pitched for the Dartmouth Big Green, and as a sophomore he posted an 8–0 record that set a single-season program mark for wins while also leading the Ivy League in strikeouts. He was named to the All-Ivy League team in 2011, his junior year, but he injured an elbow ligament and underwent Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss his entire senior season.
His teammates still chose him as captain during that missed year. Sulser was granted a rare Ivy League redshirt for the 2012 season and returned to pitch for Dartmouth in 2013, when he was again named co-captain and selected All-Ivy. His 20 career wins stood as the second-most in program history. The Cleveland Indians selected him in the 25th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, launching his professional career.
Cole Sulser Career
Early Career (2013–2018)
Sulser opened his professional career in 2013 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. The next year he split time between the High-A Carolina Mudcats and the Double-A Akron RubberDucks, combining for a 4–14 record and a 5.43 ERA in 136 innings. He underwent a second Tommy John surgery in 2015 and missed the entire season while rehabbing.
He returned in 2016, splitting the year between Lynchburg, Akron, and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, and bounced back in 2017 with a 3–1 record and a 2.70 ERA. After the 2017 season he played winter ball for the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League. In 2018 he went 8–4 with a 3.86 ERA and 95 strikeouts across Akron and Columbus, positioning himself for a major league opportunity.
Tampa Bay Rays (2019)
On December 13, 2018, the Cleveland Indians traded Sulser to the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team deal that sent Jake Bauers to Cleveland, Yandy Díaz to Tampa Bay, Edwin Encarnación to Seattle, and Carlos Santana to Cleveland. Sulser spent the 2019 minor league season with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, going 6–3 with a 3.27 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 66 innings. The Rays selected his contract and promoted him to the majors on September 2, 2019.
He made his major league debut on September 6, 2019, against the Toronto Blue Jays. Later that month, when the Rays activated Yandy Díaz from the 60-day injured list, Sulser was designated for assignment, ending his first Tampa Bay stint on a brief but notable note.
Baltimore Orioles (2020–2021)
The Baltimore Orioles claimed Sulser off waivers on October 1, 2019. In the shortened 2020 season he posted a 5.56 ERA with 19 strikeouts and a 1–5 record over 19 appearances. He broke out in 2021, going 5–4 with eight saves, a 2.70 ERA, and 73 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings, establishing himself as a reliable late-inning option.
Miami Marlins (2022)
On April 3, 2022, the Orioles traded Sulser along with fellow reliever Tanner Scott to the Miami Marlins in exchange for a draft pick, minor leaguers Antonio Velez and Kevin Guerrero, and a player to be named later. The trade brought Sulser to a National League club and added a fresh chapter to his career.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2023)
The Arizona Diamondbacks claimed Sulser off waivers on November 8, 2022, and he signed a contract for 2023 to avoid arbitration. A right shoulder strain sent him to the 60-day injured list on April 9, 2023, and he was reinstated on July 30. In four appearances with Arizona he allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings before being designated for assignment on August 1, 2023.
Tampa Bay Rays (Second Stint, 2023)
The Tampa Bay Rays claimed Sulser off waivers on August 5, 2023. He spent most of the rest of the year with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, posting a 3.86 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings across 12 games. After the season the Rays removed him from the 40-man roster and outrighted him to Durham, and he elected free agency on November 6, 2023.
New York Mets (2024)
On November 20, 2023, Sulser signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets organization. After one appearance for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, the Mets selected his contract to the major league roster on April 8, 2024. In four appearances he struggled to a 9.64 ERA with seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings before being designated for assignment on July 22, 2024.
Tampa Bay Rays (Third Stint, 2024–Present)
On July 26, 2024, the Mets traded Sulser back to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations. Down the stretch he made six scoreless appearances, striking out eight batters in 11 2/3 innings. The Rays optioned him to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to begin the 2025 season, and he returned to the Rays organization in continued relief roles.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sulser works primarily as a relief pitcher and has built his career on a strong strikeout profile, a low-to-mid earned run average in healthy seasons, and the ability to handle late-inning leverage situations. His experience across multiple organizations has made him a flexible bullpen arm capable of pitching in middle relief, setup, and closing roles when needed.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his MLB debut on September 6, 2019, against the Toronto Blue Jays, his 2021 breakout season with the Orioles that included eight saves, and his six scoreless appearances for the Rays after returning in 2024. Through the 2026 season he had logged an 11–14 record, a 3.84 ERA, and 209 strikeouts across his major league career.
Cole Sulser Career Wins
Cole Sulser has compiled his career wins across the major and minor leagues, with his most productive stretch coming in the Cleveland and Tampa Bay developmental systems. His professional track record is highlighted by a record-setting sophomore season at Dartmouth, a productive 2018 campaign in the upper minors, and steady major league contributions as a reliever.
Major League Highlights
In the majors, Sulser has recorded wins with the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles, with his 2021 Orioles season standing out as his most complete major league year. He has also contributed scoreless relief outings in his 2024 return to Tampa Bay, reinforcing his value as a trustworthy bullpen arm.
Other Wins and Performances
In the minor leagues Sulser posted winning records at several stops, including 3–2 with Mahoning Valley in 2013, 8–4 between Akron and Columbus in 2018, and 6–3 with Durham in 2019. He also pitched in the Dominican Winter League after the 2017 season, gaining additional experience in a competitive winter circuit.
Cole Sulser Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sulser’s younger brother, Beau Sulser, also plays professional baseball after a college career at Dartmouth, continuing a strong family connection to the sport. His younger sister, Tiffany, serves in the United States Coast Guard, representing the family’s tradition of public service alongside athletics.
Personal Life
Sulser is married to Dana Sulser, a model and actress whom he met in 2016 while pitching in Double-A for the Akron RubberDucks in the Cleveland Indians organization. In 2020 the couple co-wrote and illustrated a children’s book titled “Benny The Pitcher,” adding a creative endeavor to their shared life.
2025 Season Performance
Sulser began the 2025 season with the Triple-A Durham Bulls after being optioned by the Rays at the end of spring training. The assignment allowed him to refine his repertoire in a familiar system while remaining on the Rays’ organizational depth chart. His prior big league experience across five organizations positioned him as a ready option whenever Tampa Bay needed bullpen reinforcement.
As the 2025 season progressed, Sulser was positioned to provide veteran relief depth for the Rays, with the team’s active bullpen frequently cycling between Durham and the majors. His track record of striking out batters at a solid rate and limiting damage in short stints made him a logical call-up candidate. Throughout the year he balanced minor league innings with brief major league promotions.
Heading into the later stages of 2025, Sulser remained a reliable depth arm in the Rays’ system, capable of stepping into high-leverage situations when called upon. His combination of command, strikeouts, and experience continued to make him a useful piece of the Tampa Bay relief picture.