Steven R. Cishek is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball.
Education
Born and raised in Falmouth, Massachusetts, Cishek attended Falmouth High School where he starred as a pitcher and also played basketball. Not heavily recruited out of high school by Division I schools, Cishek attended Division II Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee, and led the team to a conference championship in 2007.
Career
He previously played for the Miami Marlins and Saint Louis Cardinals. He holds the Marlins franchise record for consecutive saves with 33 in a row. Florida / Miami Marlins
Cishek was selected by the Marlins in the fifth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.
Cishek was called up to the major leagues for the first time on September 20, 2010.
He pitched 4.1 scoreless innings towards the end of the season. On May 24, 2011, Cishek was called up once again to join the Marlins after Jay Buente was designated for assignment.
In 2012, Heath Bell was demoted as the team"s closer and Cishek assumed the role for about a week. After a few relief appearances by Bell, he regained the closer"s role.
After about two months as the closer, Bell was demoted to a relief pitcher and Cishek took over the closer role again.
Cishek flourished in 2013, his first full season as Miami"s closer, converting 34 of his 36 save opportunities, while posting a 2.33 European Research Area and 1.08 WHIP. He played with Miami again in 2014 and 2015. On June 1, 2015, Cishek was optioned to Double-A Jacksonville to work on his mechanics. To that point in the season, he had posted a 6.98 European Research Area with 17 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Saint Louis Cardinals
On July 24, 2015, Cishek was traded to the Saint Louis Cardinals for RHP Kyle Barraclough.
He debuted for the Cardinals on July 26 in a 3–2 loss to the Atlanta Braves, pitching one scoreless inning but being charged with an error on a pickoff attempt. The Cardinals did not tender Cishek a contract for the 2016 season, making him a free agent.
Seattle Mariners
On December 14, 2015, Cishek agreed to a two-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. Cishek is primarily a sinkerballer who, despite utilizing a sidearm delivery, is able to throw his sinker with above-average velocity ranging from 91 miles per hour (146 km/h) to 94 miles per hour (151 km/h).
His secondary pitch is a slider in the 82 miles per hour (132 km/h) to 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) range, a pitch he uses more commonly against right-handed hitters.
Additionally, he has a four-seam fastball and a changeup. He uses the changeup exclusively against left-handed hitters, and that pitch ranges from 83 miles per hour (134 km/h) to 86 miles per hour (138 km/h). Cishek features his slider liberally in two-strike counts, especially 1–2.