Eric Haase Bio
Eric Michael Haase is an American professional baseball catcher who has spent parts of multiple Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons with the Cleveland Indians / Guardians, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers. Born on December 18, 1992, in Detroit, Michigan, Haase has built his career on his power at the plate and his work behind it. After being released by the San Francisco Giants organization in March 2026, he currently sits in free agency while he awaits his next opportunity.
Early Life and Background
Eric Michael Haase was born on December 18, 1992, in Detroit, Michigan, to Don and Lori Haase. He grew up in Westland, a suburb on the west side of the Detroit metro area, in a household that centered much of its life around baseball. The family regularly followed the Detroit Tigers, and a young Haase developed an early admiration for Tigers catcher Lance Parrish, the player he most often mentioned as a childhood favorite.
His father, Don, played a major role in shaping his son’s hitting mechanics. Don Haase converted a 12-car pole barn on the family property into a private batting cage so that Eric could take year-round batting practice and build the raw power that would later define his game. The setup gave Haase a quiet, controlled place to refine his swing long before he reached high school competition.
Haase attended Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan. In 2008, his freshman year, he did not originally make the varsity roster, but he was added when the team advanced to the state playoffs and served mostly as a courtesy runner, getting an early look at a state championship. He won another state title with Divine Child as a junior in 2010, playing primarily at third base, and he batted .454 with eight home runs, 15 doubles, and 47 runs batted in (RBIs) that season. During his senior year, Gatorade named him High School Baseball Player of the Year for the state of Michigan, and he was also named Michigan’s Mr. Baseball in 2011 after batting .495 with 14 home runs and 54 RBIs.
Path to Major League Baseball
The Cleveland Indians selected Haase in the seventh round, 218th overall, of the 2011 MLB draft, drawing him away from a previous commitment to play college baseball at Ohio State. He signed for a $580,000 bonus and began his professional career that summer in the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he batted .300 with two RBIs in four games.
From 2012 through 2014, Haase climbed steadily through Cleveland’s minor league system, spending time in the Arizona League, with the Low-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the Single-A Lake County Captains, and the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. A focused offseason of strength training and defensive work transformed his profile behind the plate, and by 2015, his coaches at Lynchburg were praising his improved blocking and game-calling. The Indians added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season to shield him from the Rule 5 draft, opening the door to his first big league call-up.
Eric Haase Career
Early Career (2011–2017)
Across his first seven professional seasons, Haase moved through every level of Cleveland’s farm system while steadily adding power. He spent the bulk of 2012 in the Arizona League, hit 14 home runs for Lake County in 2013, and split 2017 between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, combining for 27 home runs and 61 RBIs.
His 2017 production convinced the Indians to protect him on the 40-man roster that November, and he opened 2018 back at Columbus before earning his first promotion. On September 1, 2018, Cleveland called him up to the majors, and he made his MLB debut the following day.
Cleveland Indians (2018–2019)
Haase debuted for Cleveland on September 2, 2018, going 1-for-16 with a .125 average across his first major league action. The following season, he opened 2018 back in the minors and returned to the big league club in September, where he launched his first MLB home run on September 28, 2019, in one of his final at bats as an Indian.
His time in Cleveland ended on December 29, 2019, when the Indians designated him for assignment following the signing of infielder César Hernández, setting the stage for a fresh start with his hometown team.
Detroit Tigers (2020–2023)
On January 8, 2020, Cleveland traded Haase to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations, and after a delayed 2020 debut, he joined the big league club in mid-September. He batted .176 with no home runs and two RBIs in seven appearances during the shortened season before being designated for assignment that December.
After clearing waivers in January 2021, Haase was sent outright to Triple-A Toledo, but the Tigers recalled him on May 12, and he responded with one of the most memorable stretches of his career. On May 17, 2021, he hit his first two major league home runs in a single game against the Seattle Mariners, and the very next night he caught Spencer Turnbull’s no-hitter, the eighth in Tigers history. His July surge, which included nine home runs and 29 RBIs, earned him American League Rookie of the Month honors, making him the first Tiger to win the award since Brennan Boesch in 2010.
Cleveland Guardians (2023) and Milwaukee Brewers (2024–2025)
Haase returned to Cleveland briefly in August 2023 when the Guardians claimed him off waivers from Detroit. He went 2-for-10 in three games before being designated for assignment again, clearing waivers, and electing free agency at the end of the minor league season. On December 20, 2023, he signed a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Haase was designated for assignment at the end of spring training in 2024 and spent the early part of that season with Triple-A Nashville before being recalled on June 26. He appeared in 30 games for the Brewers in 2024, slashing .273/.304/.515 with five home runs and 14 RBIs, then elected free agency after the team declined his option. He returned to Milwaukee on a new deal in 2025, appeared in 30 more games, and was designated for assignment on July 28, 2025, following the team’s acquisition of catcher Danny Jansen. He elected free agency once again on October 14, 2025.
San Francisco Giants Era (2026)
On January 9, 2026, Haase signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants, but the organization released him on March 25, just before the regular season began. He re-signed with the Giants on a minor league deal on April 1, played nine games for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and was added to the major league roster on April 21 after an injury to catcher Daniel Susac. Following his release prior to Opening Day, Haase is once again a free agent.
Driving Style and Strengths
Haase is best known for his right-handed power, developed through years of offseason cage work and a swing geared to drive the ball. Behind the plate, he has earned praise for his blocking, his game-calling, and a caught-stealing rate that has consistently sat above the league average, including a 31 percent mark in 2021 compared to a 23 percent league average.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his Turnbull no-hitter catch in 2021, Haase authored one of the rarest moments in league history on July 27 of that year, when he and Minnesota’s Mitch Garver became the first pair of opposing catchers to hit grand slams in the same MLB game. He has also slugged two career grand slams, posted a five-hit game in 2022, and won American League Rookie of the Month honors in July 2021.
Eric Haase Career Wins
Eric Michael Haase has built his professional resume on steady power production across the minors and the majors, with consistent run production at every stop.
Major League Baseball Highlights
Through his MLB career, Haase has appeared for the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Francisco Giants. His first major league hit and home run came in limited duty with Cleveland in 2018 and 2019, and he reached his peak production in a 2021 season that included 22 home runs and 61 RBIs in 98 games. His first career multi-homer game came against the Seattle Mariners on May 17, 2021, and his first grand slam came on July 27, 2021, against the Minnesota Twins.
Other Wins and Performances
Haase also earned high school state championships with Divine Child in 2008 and 2010, was named Michigan’s Mr. Baseball in 2011, and has been a steady run-producer at the Triple-A level with Columbus, Toledo, Nashville, and Sacramento.
Eric Haase Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Haase was raised in the Detroit suburb of Westland by his parents, Don and Lori Haase. His father played a hands-on role in his baseball development, building a 12-car pole barn into a personal batting cage where Eric could take year-round swings. The family supported the Detroit Tigers throughout his childhood, and his admiration for Tigers catcher Lance Parrish helped point him toward a career behind the plate.
Personal Life
Haase and his wife, Maria, first met when they were high school freshmen, and the couple has four children together. Maria and their family have been a steady presence through his stops in Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, and the San Francisco organization.
2025 Season Performance
Haase entered 2025 still under contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, looking to build on a productive 30-game stint the previous season. In limited opportunities, he batted .229/.289/.357 with two home runs and nine RBIs across 30 appearances, serving mostly as a depth catcher and right-handed bat off the bench.
His season ended on July 28, 2025, when the Brewers designated him for assignment to make room on the roster for catcher Danny Jansen, whom they had just acquired in a trade. Haase cleared waivers shortly after and elected free agency on October 14, 2025, wrapping up his second stint in Milwaukee without a postseason appearance.
Heading into the 2025 offseason, Haase was a free agent with a track record of above-average power, solid defensive metrics behind the plate, and recent experience catching a no-hitter. He landed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants in January 2026, giving him a clear path back to the majors if he could outperform the depth chart in spring training and at Triple-A Sacramento.
