Rich Hill Bio
Richard Joseph Hill, nicknamed “Dick Mountain,” is an American former professional baseball pitcher whose Major League Baseball (MLB) career stretched across more than two decades. Born on March 11, 1980, in Milton, Massachusetts, Hill made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2005 and went on to pitch for fourteen different MLB franchises, tying Edwin Jackson for the league record. Known for his sharp curveball and remarkable durability through injuries, Hill was the oldest active MLB player during both 2024 and 2025.
Across twenty MLB seasons, Hill compiled a 90–76 win–loss record, a 4.02 earned run average (ERA), and 1,432 strikeouts. He earned both American League and National League Pitcher of the Month honors during his career and received the Tony Conigliaro Award in 2019 for his perseverance. Hill is the only pitcher in MLB history with a perfect game broken up by a ninth-inning fielding error and with a no-hitter broken up in extra innings by a walk-off home run, both occurring in the same game in 2017.
Early Life and Background
Hill was born and raised in Milton, Massachusetts, where he attended Milton High School. He made the varsity baseball team as a freshman, becoming one of only four players in school history to do so. Although he is naturally right-handed, Hill became a left-handed pitcher thanks to his older brother, John, who was a state champion gymnast and performed in the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Following high school, Hill was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 36th round of the 1999 MLB draft but opted to play college baseball instead. He enrolled at the University of Michigan, where he pitched for the Michigan Wolverines. As a freshman, he struggled with a 9.23 ERA in thirteen games, but he became a full-time starter as a sophomore, posting a 3–5 record with a 3.84 ERA. In 2000 and 2001, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Hill was drafted again in the seventh round of the 2001 MLB draft by the Anaheim Angels but returned to Michigan for his junior year. In 2002, he went 3–7 with a 3.55 ERA, recording eight complete games, two shutouts, and 104 strikeouts against only 38 walks. He was eventually selected in the fourth round of the 2002 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs and signed on July 10, 2002, receiving a $302,000 signing bonus.
Path to Professional Baseball
Hill began his professional career with the Boise Hawks of the Northwest League, where he posted an 0–2 record with an 8.36 ERA in his first season. In 2003, he led the league with 99 strikeouts and earned a promotion to the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League. The following year, with the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League, Hill went 7–6 with a 4.03 ERA and 136 strikeouts, and Baseball America recognized him for having the best curveball in the Cubs organization.
In 2005, Hill split time between the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, where he posted a combined 10–4 record with 182 strikeouts across two levels. He was named a Milb.com breakthrough performer of the year. Hill made his major league debut on June 15, 2005, against the Florida Marlins, pitching one inning of relief and striking out Carlos Delgado for his first career strikeout.
Rich Hill Career
Early Career (2005–2009)
Hill debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 2005 and gradually worked his way into the rotation. In 2006, he posted a 6–3 record with a 2.93 ERA after his midseason recall, including his first major league victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 1 and a complete-game shutout against the Cincinnati Reds on September 16. He was the only Cubs pitcher that season to throw two complete games.
By 2007, Hill was a key member of the Cubs’ starting rotation, finishing 11–8 with a 3.92 ERA and 183 strikeouts. He started Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks but lasted only three innings. After struggling with command in 2008, Hill was optioned to the minors and made his final Cubs appearance on May 2. Traded to the Baltimore Orioles in February 2009, he made thirteen starts before a torn left shoulder labrum, which he had pitched through all season, was revealed, leading to season-ending surgery.
Chicago Cubs Breakthrough (2005–2008)
Hill earned his first major league win on August 1, 2006, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and followed it with his first career complete game and shutout against the Cincinnati Reds on September 16, striking out ten. In 2007, Hill opened the season with eighteen consecutive scoreless innings and became a fixture in the Cubs’ rotation. He set career highs with eleven wins and 183 strikeouts, anchoring a rotation that included Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Jason Marquis.
Boston Red Sox Breakthrough (2010–2012)
Hill signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox in June 2010 and made his Boston debut in September. After transitioning to a sidearm delivery in 2011, he was called up in May but suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and underwent Tommy John surgery in June. He returned in 2012, posting a 1.83 ERA in 25 appearances with 21 strikeouts in 19⅔ innings before being non-tendered in November.
Los Angeles Dodgers Era (2016–2019)
Acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 1, 2016, Hill pitched six scoreless innings in his debut against the San Francisco Giants. On September 10, 2016, he threw seven perfect innings against the Miami Marlins before being removed by manager Dave Roberts, a historic decision. In 2017, Hill was named National League Pitcher of the Month for July and delivered one of the most unusual outings in baseball history on August 23 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, retiring the first twenty-four batters before a ninth-inning fielding error broke up his perfect game, followed by Josh Harrison’s walk-off home run in the tenth that ended his no-hitter.
Hill signed a three-year, $48 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2016 and was a steady presence in their rotation through 2019, though recurring blister issues and a left forearm strain limited his availability. He started Game 4 of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, pitching six innings of one-hit baseball before a controversial decision to remove him helped spark a nine-run Boston inning. He finished 2019 with a 4–1 record and a 2.45 ERA in thirteen starts and was awarded the Tony Conigliaro Award.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2021)
Hill signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in February 2021. He struck out a career-high thirteen batters on May 25 against the Kansas City Royals and was named American League Pitcher of the Month for May. Across nineteen starts with Tampa Bay, Hill went 6–4 with a 3.87 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 95⅓ innings.
Free Agency and Journeyman Years (2022–2023)
Hill returned to Boston in 2022, going 8–7 with a 4.27 ERA in twenty-six starts, and dealt with personal losses including the death of his father. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023 with a 7–10 record and a 4.76 ERA before being traded on August 1 to the San Diego Padres, where he struggled to an 8.23 ERA in ten appearances and was waived on September 12.
Return to Boston and Kansas City Royals (2024–2025)
Hill signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox in August 2024 and was promoted on August 27, becoming the oldest active MLB player and the only one to appear in all twenty MLB seasons from 2005 through 2024. After four appearances, he was designated for assignment and released. In May 2025, Hill joined the Kansas City Royals organization and was promoted on July 22, tying Edwin Jackson’s record of fourteen MLB teams played for when he started against the Chicago Cubs that day. In two Royals starts, he went 0–2 with a 5.00 ERA before being designated for assignment on July 29. He elected free agency on August 1.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hill built his reputation around a sharp, biting curveball that teammates and catchers described as electric and nearly unhittable when located properly. His ability to reinvent his delivery, most notably adopting a sidearm motion in 2011, helped him extend his career through multiple injuries. Hill’s craft on the mound and his willingness to pitch in any role allowed him to remain a valuable contributor into his mid-forties.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hill’s appearance on August 23, 2017, against the Pittsburgh Pirates stands as one of the most remarkable single-game achievements in MLB history, featuring both a perfect game broken up by a ninth-inning error and a no-hitter ended by a walk-off home run. He tied Edwin Jackson’s record by playing for fourteen different MLB franchises and was the oldest active player in MLB in both 2024 and 2025. Hill was also named to the All-World Team as the best starting pitcher at the 2024 WBSC Premier12 tournament after posting a 1.04 ERA in 10⅓ innings for Team USA.
Rich Hill Career Wins
Across his MLB career, Rich Hill compiled a 90–76 win–loss record with 1,432 strikeouts. His most productive stretch came during his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he served as a reliable starter and postseason contributor. Hill earned American League Pitcher of the Month honors with the Oakland Athletics in May 2016 and again with the Tampa Bay Rays in May 2021, and he won National League Pitcher of the Month with the Dodgers in July 2017.
Major League Highlights
Hill picked up his first MLB win on August 1, 2006, against the Arizona Diamondbacks and threw his first complete-game shutout against the Cincinnati Reds on September 16, 2006. He won eleven games for the Cubs in 2007 and posted a 2.25 ERA in fourteen starts with the Oakland Athletics in 2016. With the Dodgers in 2017, he went 12–8 with a 3.32 ERA across twenty-five starts. His most recent MLB victory came during his final years as a free agent and veteran journeyman.
Other Wins and Performances
Hill won Player of the Month honors in both leagues and was selected to the All-World Team for the 2024 WBSC Premier12 after leading Team USA starters. He also posted a 3–2 record with a 2.78 ERA in five minor league starts with Triple-A Pawtucket in 2015 before returning to the majors.
Rich Hill Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hill’s older brother, John, was a state champion gymnast who performed in the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympics. John encouraged Rich to throw left-handed, shaping his future on the mound. The Hill family remained closely tied to the Milton, Massachusetts community throughout Rich’s career.
Personal Life
Hill married Caitlin McClellan, a nurse, on November 11, 2007. The couple had two sons, Brice and Brooks. Brooks died in February 2014 at two months old from lissencephaly and congenital nephrotic syndrome, a loss Hill wrote about publicly in 2019. Hill donated $575,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, where Brooks had been treated, as part of a campaign that raised nearly $1 million for research into rare genetic diseases. In December 2019, Hill was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest at a New England Patriots game after attempting to stop police from arresting his wife; charges were later dropped and the couple paid $1,000 in civil fines.
2025 Season Performance
Hill entered 2025 as a free agent before signing a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals on May 13. He began the year at the Royals’ Surprise, Arizona facility before moving to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. After declining an opt-out clause in mid-June, Hill waited for his major league opportunity.
On July 22, 2025, the Royals promoted Hill to the majors and he started against the Chicago Cubs that day, tying Edwin Jackson’s record of fourteen MLB franchises played for. At forty-five, Hill became the eighteenth pitcher to start a major league game at that age or older. In two starts with Kansas City, he went 0–2 with a 5.00 ERA and four strikeouts over nine innings before being designated for assignment on July 29 and electing free agency on August 1.
In a podcast released on January 17, 2026, Hill said he would not play in 2026 but stopped short of announcing his retirement. His brief 2025 stint capped a remarkable twenty-season MLB journey that began with the Chicago Cubs in 2005 and ended with the Kansas City Royals, cementing his legacy as one of baseball’s most enduring journeymen.
