Brett Graves

Brett Thomas Graves was born on January 30, 1993, in St. Charles, MO. His early athletic career included playing baseball as a pitcher and shortstop, and football as a quarterback at Francis Howell High School. In 2011, his senior year, Graves was recognized as the All-Metro baseball player of the year by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and received the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year honors after achieving a 9-1 record with a 1.95 ERA. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted him in the 26th round of the 2011 MLB draft, but he chose to attend the University of Missouri, where he played college baseball for the Missouri Tigers. At Missouri, he posted a 9-16 record with a 4.39 ERA over three seasons, leading the team in games started, innings pitched, and strikeouts during his junior year.

Graves was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the third round of the 2014 MLB draft. He began his professional career playing for the Arizona Athletics and the Vermont Lake Monsters, recording a combined 3-2 record with a 6.55 ERA in 22 innings. He spent the 2015 season with the Beloit Snappers, where he compiled a 12-8 record with a 5.36 ERA, and the 2016 season with the Stockton Ports, finishing with a 7-10 record and a 4.60 ERA. In 2017, he split his time between Stockton and the Midland RockHounds, going 1-1 with a 4.47 ERA across 56.1 innings, though his season ended prematurely due to a lower leg injury. On June 17, 2018, Graves made his Major League Baseball debut with the Miami Marlins, who had selected him in the 2017 Rule 5 draft. He closed his MLB stint with the Marlins on September 26, 2018. Following his baseball career, Graves transitioned into roles as a business owner and investor, focusing on baseball development.