{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Michael Mercado |team=Philadelphia Phillies |number= |position=Pitcher |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{birth date and age|1999|4|15}} |birth_place=Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate = June 24 |debutyear = 2024 |debutteam = Philadelphia Phillies |statleague = MLB |statyear = 2025 season |stat1label = Win–loss record |stat1value = 1–2 |stat2label = Earned run average |stat2value = 11.81 |stat3label = Strikeouts |stat3value = 14 |teams = * Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|2024}}–{{mlby|2025}}) |image=MichaelMercado3.jpg|image_size=270px|caption=Mercado in July 2024}} '''David Michael Mercado''' (born April 15, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2024.
==Career== ===Tampa Bay Rays=== Mercado attended Westview High School in San Diego, California. The Tampa Bay Rays drafted Mercado in the second round, with the 40th overall selection, of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2017/06/12/westview-pitcher-one-of-three-locals-taken-in-draft/|title=Westview pitcher one of three locals taken in draft|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref> Though he committed to attend Stanford University, Mercado signed with the Rays rather than attend college.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.delcotimes.com/2024/06/29/de-george-surrounded-by-top-starters-phillies-michael-mercado-has-chance-to-succeed/|title=De George: Surrounded by top starters, Phillies' Michael Mercado has chance to succeed|work=Delco Times|date=June 30, 2024|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> He made his professional debut with the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Rays, logging a 1.69 ERA across 8 starts. Mercado made 11 starts for the Low–A Hudson Valley Renegades in 2018, registering a 5.22 ERA with 38 strikeouts across 50 innings pitched.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michael Mercado - Baseball Stats|url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/209826/|access-date=July 21, 2024|website=thebaseballcube.com|language=en}}</ref>
Late in 2018, Mercado suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and underwent Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss the entirety of the 2019 season. As he rehabilitated and endured the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020,<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled|access-date=July 21, 2024|website=mlb.com|language=en}}</ref> he did not pitch professionally again until the 2021 season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/hot_rods/mercado-learning-from-his-journey-back-to-the-mound/article_501339cb-a082-5516-861f-37140158167c.html |title=Mercado learning from his journey back to the mound |first=Michael |last1=Compton |date=July 17, 2021 |website=Bowling Green Daily News|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref>
Mercado made 22 appearances (18 starts) for the High–A Bowling Green Hot Rods in 2021, recording a 5.35 ERA with 81 strikeouts over {{fraction|70|2|3}} innings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michael Mercado - Baseball Stats|url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/209826/|access-date=July 21, 2024|website=thebaseballcube.com|language=en}}</ref> He spent 2022 with the Double–A Montgomery Biscuits, compiling a 4–8 record and 4.91 ERA with 115 strikeouts across 24 games (20 starts).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michael Mercado Stats & Scouting Report|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/7466-michael-mercado/stats/|access-date=July 21, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|language=en}}</ref>
Mercado split the 2023 campaign between Montgomery and the Triple–A Durham Bulls, accumulating a 4.79 ERA with 95 strikeouts and 6 saves over 52 appearances.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Phillies Minor Leaguers: Michael Mercado|url=https://allphly.com/phillies-minor-leaguers-michael-mercado/|access-date=July 21, 2024|website=allphly.com|language=en}}</ref>
===Philadelphia Phillies=== On November 6, 2023, the Rays traded Mercado to the Philadelphia Phillies, who added him to their 40-man roster.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/rays-trade-michael-mercado-to-phillies.html|title=Rays Trade Michael Mercado To Phillies|date=November 6, 2023|website=MLB Trade Rumors}}</ref> He was optioned to the Triple–A Lehigh Valley IronPigs to begin the 2024 season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Phillies' Michael Mercado: Optioned to minors|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/phillies-michael-mercado-optioned-to-minors/amp/|access-date=March 15, 2024|website=cbssports.com|language=en}}</ref> Mercado was promoted to the majors for the first time on June 23, replacing the injured Taijuan Walker.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Phillies Place Taijuan Walker On 15-Day Injured List|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/06/phillies-place-taijuan-walker-on-15-day-injured-list.html|access-date=June 23, 2024|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}}</ref> He made his major league debut the following day, pitching one scoreless inning.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/prospect-michael-mercado-makes-mlb-debut-vs-tigers|title=No. 30 prospect Mercado perfect in long-awaited debut|website=MLB.com|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}</ref> On June 28, the Phillies announced that Mercado would be assuming Walker's vacant slot in the rotation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Steve |date=June 28, 2024 |title=Michael Mercado Joining Phillies' Rotation |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/06/phillies-rotation-michael-mercado-spencer-turnbull-taijuan-walker.html |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=MLB Trade Rumors |language=en-US}}</ref> On July 2, Mercado made his first start, pitching five innings and earning the win.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2024 |title=Trea Turner homers twice, Michael Mercado gets first MLB win as Phillies hold off Cubs - CBS Philadelphia |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/trea-turner-michael-mercado-philadelphia-phillies-cubs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240704163322/https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/trea-turner-michael-mercado-philadelphia-phillies-cubs/ |archive-date=July 4, 2024 |access-date=July 19, 2024 |website=CBSNews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In 5 appearances (2 starts) for Philadelphia during his rookie campaign, Mercado struggled to a 1–2 record and 11.08 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 13 innings pitched.
Mercado was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin the 2025 season.<ref>{{cite web | title=Phillies' Michael Mercado: Doesn't make Opening Day roster | website=CBS Sports | date=2025-03-23 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/phillies-michael-mercado-doesnt-make-opening-day-roster/ | access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref> He made three appearances for the Phillies, but struggled to a 15.00 ERA with four strikeouts over three innings of work. On November 21, 2025, Mercado was non-tendered by Philadelphia and became a free agent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National League Non-Tenders: 11/21/25|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/national-league-non-tenders-11-21-25.html|access-date=November 27, 2025|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}}</ref>
On November 24, 2025, Mercado re-signed with the Phillies on a minor league contract.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McDonald |first=Darragh |date=December 4, 2025 |title=Phillies Re-Sign Michael Mercado To Minor League Deal |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/phillies-re-sign-michael-mercado-to-minor-league-deal.html |access-date=2026-01-01 |website=MLB Trade Rumors |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Personal life== Mercado's sister, Maddie Mercado, is a professional soccer player. Their father played college tennis at UCF and their mother played at Florida.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maddie Mercado |url=https://fightingirish.com/roster/madison-mercado/ |publisher=Notre Dame Fighting Irish |access-date=25 January 2026 |date=2 July 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|mlb=675650|espn=40999|br=m/mercami01|fangraphs=23223|brm=mercad000mic|retro=M/Pmercm002}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercado, Michael}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from Greenville, South Carolina Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Gulf Coast Rays players Category:Hudson Valley Renegades players Category:Bowling Green Hot Rods players Category:Montgomery Biscuits players Category:Durham Bulls players Category:Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Category:Clearwater Threshers players Category:Jersey Shore BlueClaws players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Baseball players from San Diego