Maikel Cleto

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Maikel Jose Cleto, born May 1, 1989, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is a former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox. He batted and threw right-handed. Cleto made his MLB debut on June 2, 2011, with the Cardinals, and his last MLB appearance was September 26, 2014, with the White Sox. His MLB career record is 0–1 with a 6.60 ERA and 58 strikeouts.

Cleto began his pro career in 2007 with the Gulf Coast League Mets. He moved through the minors, was traded to the Mariners in December 2008 in a deal for J. J. Putz, and later was traded to the Cardinals in December 2010 for Brendan Ryan. He reached the majors in 2011, but struggled in his early seasons, posting a high ERA in 2011 and 2012 before making a single appearance in 2013. He was claimed off waivers by the Royals in June 2013 and spent time in Triple-A Omaha. In February 2014, the Royals traded him to the White Sox, where he split time between the majors and minors, appearing in 28 games with a 4.60 ERA.

After MLB, Cleto continued his career in the minor leagues and the Mexican League. He played for teams including the Charlotte Knights, the Gwinnett Braves, Leones de Yucatán, Algodoneros de Unión Laguna, Toros de Tijuana, and Rieleros de Aguascalientes, among others, with several trades and signings over the years. His 2021–2022 activity included time with Unión Laguna and a return to Toros de Tijuana before being released in 2022.

Pitching style: Cleto is known as a hard thrower. His main pitch is a four-seam fastball that reaches about 96–99 mph. He also throws a changeup (89–91 mph) to left-handed hitters, a slider (84–86 mph) to right-handers, and a curveball (79–82 mph) to hitters from both sides.