Full name is Burch Taylor Smith…resides in hometown of Tyler, Texas during the offseason ... Graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, where he was a 2008 All-East Texas selection…did not make the baseball team as a freshman ... Spent two seasons at Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas (2009-10)…named a WJCAC All-American as well as the 2010 Pitcher of the Year…led Howard to the 2009 NJCAA National Championship and a 63-1 record, which included a 57-game winning streak ... Drafted twice by Cleveland (2009 and 2010), but did not sign ... Transferred to the University of Oklahoma for the 2011 baseball season…named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, going 10-4 with a 3.90 ERA ... He is the first Major League player with the first name of Burch…it is his mother's maiden name ... Younger brother, Blake, was drafted in the 29th round by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft…Blake played baseball collegiately at West Virginia University ... Growing up in Tyler, Texas, former Cleveland Browns' quarterback Johnny Manziel was a frequent guest at the Smith family house.
2020
Was acquired from San Francisco just prior to the start of Spring Training and made the A’s Opening Day roster…was 2-0 with a save, a 2.25 ERA and .163 opponents batting average in six relief appearances before his season was cut short in mid-August with a forearm injury…walked just one batter in 12.0 innings for a .163 opponents on-base percentage…struck out 13 (9.75 per nine innings)…his opponents batting average broke down to .133 (4-for-30) against right-handed hitters compared to .231 (3-for-13) against left-handers…yielded all three of his extra base hits to righties (two doubles, one home run) but issued his only walk to a lefty…allowed a .083 average with two outs…stranded his only inherited runner…first batters faced were 1-for-6 (.167) with a double…did not allow a run over his first five games and 10.1 innings, all against the American League…then surrendered three runs in 1.2 innings against his former team, San Francisco, on Aug. 15…tossed at least one inning in each of his six appearances, including two or more three times.
OAKLAND: Made his A’s debut on Opening Day, July 24 against Los Angeles (AL)…tossed a scoreless 10th inning and picked up the win in the first game in Major League history to start extra innings with a runner on second base…also won his next outing with two scoreless innings of relief against the Angels on July 27…logged a season-high 3.1 scoreless innings Aug. 5 against Texas and retired all 10 batters that he faced…is the first A’s reliever to toss at least 3.1 innings and not allow a baserunner since Zach Neal on Sept. 30, 2016 against Seattle (5.0 ip)…then pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in his next outing Aug. 9 against Houston for his first career save…allowed just one base runner, a Reddick single in the eighth inning that snapped a streak of 17 consecutive batters retired…struck out four batters in each of those two outings, matching his career-best as a reliever…extended his season-opening scoreless streak to 11.1 innings with a scoreless sixth inning on Aug. 15 at San Francisco but then allowed a three-run home run to Ruf in the seventh inning…it snapped a 12.1-inning scoreless streak dating back to Sept. 29, 2019…was placed on the 10-day injured list the next day with a strained right forearm and missed the remainder of the season…was transferred to the 45-day day IL on Aug. 26.
2019
Spent most of the season in the Milwaukee organization and was 0-1 with a 7.82 ERA in seven relief appearances over four stints with the Brewers…was claimed off waivers by San Francisco on Aug. 12 and had no decisions and a 2.08 ERA in 10 relief appearances during a September call-up with San Francisco…combined for a 5.48 ERA and .289 opponents batting average in 17 relief appearances overall…struck out 20 batters in 21.1 innings but also walked 14 for a .390 opponents on-base percentage…his opponents batting average broke down to .275 against right-handed hitters compared to .308 against left-handers…had a .776 OPS against righties, .962 against lefties…allowed 1-of-7 (14.3%) inherited runners to score but first batters faced were 6-for-15 (.400) with two walks (.471 on-base percentage)…was selected by Milwaukee on May 5 and compiled a 1.59 ERA in three relief appearances before he was optioned back to San Antonio May 11…did not allow a run in his first two outings (2.1 ip)…then struck out four in 3.1 innings May 11 at Chicago (NL), matching his career high as a reliever…also walked three…returned for his second stint July 6, allowing five runs on six hits in 2.0 innings that day at Pittsburgh, and was sent back to Triple-A San Antonio following the game…pitched twice during his third stay from July 15 to 19 and did not allow a run in 3.0 innings (1 h, 4 bb)…was recalled for his final stint July 22 and allowed five runs on six hits in 2.0 innings the next day against Cincinnati before he was optioned to San Antonio following the game…was designated for assignment Aug. 9 and claimed off waivers by San Francisco Aug. 12…was assigned to Triple-A Sacramento before being called up by San Francisco in September…compiled a 2.08 ERA in 10 appearances over the final month of the season…did not allow a run over his first four games (3.2 ip) and did not yield an earned run over his first eight (6.1 ip)…began the season at San Antonio where he went 6-3 with a 2.33 ERA in 15 starts…was also 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA in three games (two starts) with Sacramento…combined for a 7-4 record and a 2.63 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) at the Triple-A level… struck out 103 batters in 92.1 innings, an average of 10.04 per nine innings…however, walked a minor league career-high 46 (4.48 per nine innings)…surrendered just seven home runs (0.68 per nine innings)…held the opposition to a .198 batting average, including .197 against right-handed hitters compared to .199 against left-handers…opponents batted .205 with runners in scoring position and were 0-for-5 with the bases loaded…yielded a .161 batting average and .247 on base percentage to batters leading off an inning…was 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA in nine starts at home for San Antonio compared to 2-3 with a 3.43 ERA in nine games in all other ballparks…tossed 5.0 scoreless innings in his first start April 8 at Oklahoma City but walked a minor league career-high tying five and had a no decision in a 5-4 loss…then won each of his next three starts, including back-to-back scoreless outings on April 20 at Nashville (5.0 ip) and April 25 against Oklahoma City (5.1 ip)…surrendered just one run in 21.1 innings in his four April starts and was 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA and .130 opponents batting average…was 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA in five starts when he was selected by Milwaukee May 5…returned to the Missions May 20…won three straight starts from June 13 to 27, allowing just two runs in 16.0 innings (1.13 ERA)…struck out a season-high 10 batters in 5.0 innings June 13 against Tacoma, his fourth career 10-strikeout game as a minor leaguer…combined with three relievers on a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 win at San Antonio on June 27…tossed a season-high tying 6.0 scoreless innings (also April 13 vs. Nashville and July 2 vs. Iowa)…was designated for assignment Aug. 9, claimed off waivers by San Francisco Aug. 12, and assigned to Sacramento…made his only relief appearance Aug. 20 against Albuquerque and picked up the win (5.0 ip, 4 h, 2 r, 2 er, 4 bb, 6 so)…combined with San Antonio and Sacramento to go 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA in five games, four starts, in August.
2018
2017
Returned from nearly a three-year absence from professional baseball, appearing in 13 games (12 starts) in the Tampa Bay Rays' minor league system - Gulf Coast League Rays (Rookie), Charlotte (A) and Durham (AAA) ... Posted a 5-3 record with a 2.40 ERA (15 ER in 56.1 IP), while holding the opposition to a .198 average combined between his three stops ... Made his season debut on June 26, working the first 3.0 innings in a 3-2 loss to the GCL Red Sox…it marked his first professional outing since April 12, 2014 with El Paso (AAA) ... Recorded the win in his first outing with Charlotte, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings of relief in a 7-0 triumph over Tampa…it was his first victory since Sept. 15, 2013, with San Diego, 4-0 at Atlanta ... Fanned a season-high nine hitters in 6.0 shutout innings at Jupiter on Aug. 16, his final outing with the Stone Crabs ... Won each of his final two starts (Aug. 27 vs. Norfolk and Sept. 1 at Gwinnett), allowing just one earned run over his last 11.1 innings ... Made two postseason starts with Durham, going 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA (4 ER in 8.1 IP)…suffered a 5-0 loss to Indianapolis in Game 3 of the International League finals and took a no-decision in Game 4 of the league's Governor's Cup Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ... Also received six starts with Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, going 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA (9 ER in 20.1 IP), holding opponents to a .176 average (12-for-68).
2015-16
Did not pitch professionally in 2015 or 2016, recovering from Tommy John surgery which was performed in April, 2015.
2014
One of five players acquired by the Rays from San Diego on Dec 19 in a three-team, 11-player trade, largest in club history...Spent the 2014 season with Triple-A El Paso, where he made two April starts before missing the remainder of the season with a right forearm strain...Was able to pitch in one Instructional League game in September…returned to pitch in the Arizona Fall League and appeared in 9 games with the Surprise Saguaros…was 3-0 with a 5.52 ERA…5 of the 9 runs he allowed came in one appearance...Entered the 2014 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the Padres organization.
2013
After not appearing above High-A, opened the year with Double-A San Antonio, but also made starts for Triple-A Tucson and got his first taste of the big leagues with 10 outings, seven starts, for the Padres...Posted a 3.80 ERA (10 ER, 23.2 IP) with 31 strikeouts over his final four big league starts (September 6-end of season) after posting an 18.41 ERA (15 ER, 7.1 IP) with 11 strikeouts in his fi rst three starts (May 11-22)...His 12.19 strikeouts-per-nine ratio led all of baseball among pitchers with at least 30 innings and was the best-ever by a Padres starter (min. 30 IP)...His four stints with San Diego were May 11-22, June 8-10, June 28-July 5 and September 2 through the end of the season...Made his Major League debut on May 11 at Tampa Bay, retiring all three batters in the first inning before allowing six runs in the second frame without the benefit of an out...Earned his first Major League win on September 15 at Atlanta, tossing 7.0 shutout innings and recording a career-high 10 strikeouts, becoming just the third rookie pitcher in Padres history to record at least seven shutout innings with 10 or more strikeouts...the 10 strikeouts marked just the eighth instance a Padres rookie pitcher posted double-digit punch outs and the first time since Oliver Perez on July 31, 2002 at the Cubs...Was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week on September 3...also was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week on April 15...named the Padres' Organizational Pitcher of the Month for April after posting a 1-2 record with a 1.38 ERA in five starts with San Antonio...Following the season, was named by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the Padres organization.
2012
Spent the entire season with High-A Lake Elsinore, making 26 starts and striking out 137 in 128.2 innings.
2011
Made just two relief outings with Rookie-Level Arizona in his first professional season.
