Brett R. Oberholtzer… Engaged, fiancée's name is Colleen; has one daughter, Olivia (12/2014)… 2007 graduate of William Penn High School in New Castle, DE.… Was named a Louisville Slugger High School All-American entering his senior year… Attended Seminole State College (FL)… Signed by: Gregg Kilby.
2015
Began the season on the 15-day DL (blister on left hand)...Pitched in two games for Fresno (AAA) as part of a rehab assignment, 4/30-5/12...Activated on 5/13 and started that night vs SF; lasted 3.0 innings before being placed back on the DL on 5/14 with the same injury...Was activated on 6/1...Pitched 8.0 scoreless innings, 6/12 vs SEA...Set a HOU record by issuing three walks or fewer in each of his first 39 starts, 7/31/13-6/17/15...Walked a career-high four batters, 6/22 at LAA...Optioned to Fresno on 6/27...Recalled on 7/8 and made one start before being optioned back to Fresno on 7/10...Allowed two ER or fewer in six of his final eight starts for Fresno, 7/20-9/7
2014
Made 24 starts across four stints with the Astros in what was his second Major League season...set career highs in wins (5), innings (143.2), strikeouts (94) and starts (24)...since making his first Major League start on July 31, 2013, at BAL, has posted a 3.71 ERA (84ER/203.2IP) with 20 quality starts in 33 total starts...among Astros pitchers, only LHP Dallas Keuchel (250.2IP) threw more innings than Oberholtzer's 203.2 innings pitched during that time...his ERA ranked 10th among AL lefties in that span...ranked ninth in walks per 9.0 innings (1.75, 28BB/143.2IP) among AL pitchers with at least 135.0 innings...ranked third among lefties, behind only LHP David Price (1.38) and LHP Wei-Yin Chen (1.70)...allowed two walks or less in 22 of his 24 outings...allowed three walks in each of those other two starts...set an Astros franchise record by allowing three walks or less in each of his first 34 career starts (dating back to 2013)...RHP Hal Brown held the previous record (32 straight starts from 1963-64)...tied a franchise record by going at least 5.0 innings in each of his first 14 career Major League starts...RHP Mark Lemongello (1976-77) was the only other Houston pitcher to do so...allowed four earned runs or less in each of his first 14 career Major League starts, becoming the first Astros pitcher to do so since RHP Darryl Kile in 1991...his career mark of 1.71 walks per 9.0 innings (41BB/215.1IP) ranks third in club history among pitchers with at least 200.0 innings, behind RHP Hal Brown (1.12, 34BB/273.1IP) and RHP Wilton Lopez (1.57, 39BB/223.2IP)...began the season in the Astros rotation as the club's No. 3 starter...was optioned to Triple A on May 8 after making seven starts...recalled on May 24, made two starts for Houston, and was optioned back on May 31...returned to Houston on June 28, made two starts, and was optioned to Oklahoma City on July 3...was recalled to Houston for a final time on July 12...on July 12 vs. BOS, pitched the Astros to a 3-2 win after tossing 6.1 innings and allowing two runs on 11 hits...did not issue a walk...became just the third Astros pitcher in 16 seasons to allow 11+ hits and two-or-fewer runs in an outing...the others were RHP Brett Myers (April 25, 2010, vs. PIT) and RHP Matt Albers (Sept. 22, 2007, at STL)...on July 22 at OAK, did not record a strikeout in 7.0 innings pitched...became the sixth Astro since 2000 to go 7.0+ innings without recording a strikeout: also RHP Lucas Harrell (2012), RHP Brett Myers (2011), RHP Chris Sampson (2006-07), LHP Andy Pettitte (2005) and RHP Chris Holt (2000)...went at least 6.0 innings in 11 straight starts from May 6-Aug. 13, going 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA and nine quality starts over that span...allowed one walk or less in seven straight starts from July 28-Aug. 29, the longest streak by an Astro since RHP Brian Moehler went eight straight in 2008...the Astros won nine of his last 17 starts from May 24-Sept. 17...posted a 5-7 record and 3.92 ERA (46 ER/105.2 IP) in that span...made a total of five starts at Triple A, going 1-2 with a 4.65 ERA (16ER/31IP)...struck out 31 and walked just three in his 31.0 innings.
2013
Made 13 appearances for Houston, including 10 starts, in what was his rookie season...named the Astros Pitcher of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America...was dominant as a starter, posting a 4-5 record and a 2.24 ERA (16ER/64.1IP) in 10 starts...allowed a .237 opponent's batting average, including a reverse split against righties (.216)...had two complete games, becoming the first Astros rookie with two complete games in a season since Roy Oswalt in 2001 (3 CG)...the last Astro to throw two complete games in a season was Brett Myers in 2011...posted a 1.82 walks per 9.0 innings ratio (13BB/64.1IP) as a starter, which ranked fifth in the AL after his move to the rotation on July 31...among Astros rookies, his 3.46 strikeout to walk ratio ranked fourth all-time in franchise history for a single season (min. 50 IP)...ranked first by a left-handed rookie...was one of three Astros pitchers to make their first MLB start during the season (also, Clemens, Cosart)...the Astros finished their season with four rookie starters pitching well since July 12... over that time frame, Clemens, Cosart, Oberholtzer and Peacock combined for a 2.70 ERA (63ER/209.2IP) in their 35 starts in that span ... spent his first Spring Training in Major League camp and made four appearances (3ER/7IP) before being optioned to minor league camp on March 12...had three stints with Houston, including a one-day recall on April 21...was also with the Astros from July 2-14 and from July 27 thru the end of the season ... joined the Astros rotation on July 31 and since that date ranked second in the American League in ERA, trailing only Ubaldo Jimenez (1.92)...led all AL lefties in ERA since that date and ranked second in the Majors behind only Clayton Kershaw (1.51)...made his MLB debut in relief on April 21 vs. CLE (2ER/2IP) ... did not issue a walk thru his first four appearances (16IP), which ranks as the second-longest streak in Astros history...Dave Veres began his career with 16.2 consecutive innings without a walk in 1994...on July 31 at BAL, made his first MLB start, earning the win after going 7.0 shutout innings in the Astros 11-0 victory... gave up three hits while striking out six with no walks...became the first pitcher in Astros history to go 7.0 or more shutout innings without allowing a walk in their first MLB start (Elias)...in his second career start on Aug. 5 vs. BOS, held the Red Sox scoreless over 7.0 frames, allowing just four hits...by doing so, became the first pitcher in franchise history to toss 7.0+ scoreless innings in each of his first two MLB starts...also became the first Astro to ever throw 7.0+ scoreless innings against the Red Sox franchise...allowed just two total runs in his first three career MLB starts (July 31-Aug. 12)...became the first Astros pitcher since Randy Niemann in 1979 to go at least 6.2 innings while allowing two or fewer runs in each of his first three career starts...the last MLB pitcher to do this was Jose Contreras, who went three straight while with the Yankees from May 30-Aug. 24, 2003...became the third player in franchise history to record a quality start in his first four MLB starts (July 31-Aug. 18)...the only other two are RHP Jarred Cosart (2013) and RHP Taylor Buchholz (2006)... on Sept. 1 vs. SEA, tossed the Astros first shutout of the season ... allowed just four hits (all singles) across his 9.0 shutout innings...struck out five and walked one on a career-high 113 pitches...at 24 years, 62 days, became the youngest Astros lefty to hurl a shutout since Mike Hampton on May 1, 1996 vs. ATL (23.235 years old)... threw 83 of his 113 pitches for strikes (73.5%)...marked the highest strike % in a complete game shutout by an Astro since Roy Oswalt posted a 76.9% mark on Sept. 11, 2008 vs PIT in a three-hit shutout...allowed two-or-fewer walks in his first eight career MLB starts (July 31-Sept. 14), which tied a franchise record...the other pitchers to do so were Chris Sampson (2006-07), Tom Dixon (1977-78), Ken Forsch (1970-71) and Don Wilson (1967)...was credited with his second complete game of the season in the Astros 2-1 loss on Sept. 20 at CLE, which was shortened due to rain in the 7th inning...went 6.0 innings, allowing two unearned runs on four hits...his 1.95 ERA in September ranked third in Astros history by a rookie ... went 6-6 with a 4.37 ERA (39ER/80.1IP) in 16 starts at Triple A OKC...in his last 11 starts with the RedHawks (since May 10), went 5-3 with a 3.19 ERA (21ER/59.1IP) and 58 strikeouts...gave up just 19 walks over that span and a .220 (47x214) opponent's batting average...named the RedHawks Pitcher of the Month in May by the Astros...went 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA (7ER/26IP) in five starts in the month while holding opponents to a .198 average...was named the Pacific Coast League's Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 6-13 after earning a win on May 10 vs. Tacoma...allowed just one hit in 5.2 innings and struck out nine in the outing.
2012
Entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the Astros No. 7 prospect and as having the best
slider among all prospects...split his campaign between Double A Corpus Christi (13g) and Triple A Oklahoma
City (15g), combining to go 10-10 with a 4.37 ERA (81ER/166.2IP) in 28 starts...began the year with Corpus
Christi and was named a Texas League All-Star, his second consecutive year to earn All-Star honors at the
Double A level...bounced between the two levels before being promoted for the final time to OKC on June
21...named OKCs Pitcher of the Month in August after posting a 2.68 ERA (12ER/40.1IP) in six starts...added to
the club's 40-man roster on Nov. 20
2011
Entered the season ranked as the Braves No. 9 prospect as ranked
by Baseball America...spent the first four months of the season with Double A Mississippi and was named
a Southern League All-Star...traded to Houston on July 31 as part of the Michael Bourn trade to Atlanta...
assigned to Corpus Christi following the trade and made six starts for the Hooks...combined to go 11-12 with
a 4.01 ERA (69ER/155IP) in his 27 starts on the season.
2010
Enters 2011 rated as the ninth-best prospect in the Braves organization by Baseball America...Went a combined 6-8 with a 3.78 ERA (57 ER/135.2 IP) in 26 appearances (22 starts) between Rome (A)
and Myrtle Beach (High-A)...Ranked among the top 10 in several organizational rankings, including innings pitched (T9th, 135.2), strikeouts (7th, 126), ERA (8th, 3.78), and WHIP (10th, 1.24)...Selected as the organization's August Pitcher of the Month for Myrtle Beach (2-2, 3.97 ERA, 6 BB, 40 K).
2009
His .191 opponents batting average was fifth-best among all minor league pitchers and second-best
in the Appalachian League and among Braves farmhands...Pitched at a 2.01 ERA, the second-lowest mark
among Braves minor league starting pitchers...Topped the Appy League with a 0.78 WHIP and his six wins
ranked tied for third in the AL...Named AL Pitcher of the Week, week ending 7/6...Did not earn a decision in
his two starts, but pitched at a 0.82 ERA (11.0 IP/1 ER) while limiting opponents to one hit and striking out
10...Threw a 7.0-inning complete-game, 8/6 vs. PRN (4 H, 2 R/ER, 2 K)...Entered 2010 as Baseball America's
20th-ranked prospect in the Appalachian League.
2008
Signed on 6/7 and made his professional debut on 6/20 at GCL Tigers...Recorded his first professional
win on 7/2 vs. GCL Tigers.