1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Timothy Max Adleman's foundational years in baseball laid the groundwork for his professional journey, starting from his youth in New York and culminating in his selection in the Major League Baseball Draft.
1.1. Birth and Background
Timothy Max Adleman was born on November 13, 1987, in Staten Island, New York City, New York, United States.
1.2. College Baseball and MLB Draft
Adleman played college baseball at Georgetown University. His performance led to him being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 24th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, marking the beginning of his professional baseball career. He was the 718th overall pick in that draft.
2. Professional Career
Adleman's professional career was characterized by a persistent ascent through various levels of baseball, including minor league affiliations, independent league stints, a significant period in Major League Baseball, and an international experience in the KBO League, before his eventual transition to a post-playing career.
2.1. Baltimore Orioles and Independent Leagues
Adleman began his professional career within the Baltimore Orioles organization after being drafted. He made his professional debut with the Low-A Aberdeen IronBirds. In the 2011 season, Adleman played for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, where he achieved a 5-7 record with a 6.01 ERA and 72 strikeouts across 28 games, including nine starts. On March 27, 2012, after two seasons in the Orioles' minor league system, Adleman was released, a common challenge faced by many aspiring professional players.
Following his release from affiliated baseball, Adleman continued his career in independent leagues, seeking to prove his abilities and earn another opportunity in an MLB system. He first signed with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. During his time with the Saltdogs, he appeared in five games, allowing three runs over 7.0 IP. On June 18, 2012, Adleman was traded to the El Paso Diablos, also in the American Association. For the Diablos, he pitched in 29 games, recording a 5.94 ERA with 30 strikeouts. In 2013, Adleman joined the New Jersey Jackals of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball. This season proved to be a turning point, as he posted an impressive 1.46 ERA over 40 games, accumulating 62 strikeouts, which caught the attention of Major League organizations.
2.2. Cincinnati Reds (First Stint)
Adleman's strong performance in the independent leagues earned him a new opportunity when he signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds organization on October 14, 2013. This marked his return to affiliated professional baseball.
In 2014, Adleman split his time between the Single-A Bakersfield Blaze and the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Across 38 games (including six starts), he registered a combined 3-9 record with a 3.72 ERA and 77 strikeouts. The 2015 season saw him spend the entire year with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He continued to develop as a pitcher, achieving a 9-10 record with a significantly improved 2.64 ERA over 150.0 IP, recording 113 strikeouts in 27 games (26 starts).
Adleman began the 2016 season with the Triple-A Louisville Bats. After demonstrating solid performance with a 2.38 ERA in 10 Triple-A games, he received his first call-up to Major League Baseball on May 1, 2016. He made his MLB debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the same day, pitching over six innings, striking out six batters, and allowing only three hits and two runs. Notably, on August 24, 2016, during a game against the Texas Rangers, Adleman conceded the first professional home run of Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish's career, spanning both Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and MLB. For the 2016 MLB season, Adleman registered a 4.00 ERA in 13 games, all of which were starts, compiling a 4-4 record with 47 strikeouts.
In 2017, Adleman spent the majority of the season in the major leagues, with only one brief appearance for the Louisville Bats. He appeared in 30 games for the Reds, starting 20 of them, and pitched 122.1 IP. He concluded the season with a 5-11 record and a 5.52 ERA. On November 30, 2017, the Reds released Adleman to allow him to pursue an opportunity to play in the KBO League in South Korea.
2.3. KBO League Career (Samsung Lions)
On November 30, 2017, Adleman officially signed a one-year contract valued at 1.05 M USD with the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. He was brought in to replace previous foreign pitchers, Anthony Renado and Zack Petrick.
During the 2018 KBO League season, Adleman played as a starting pitcher for the Samsung Lions. He made 31 appearances, all of which were starts. He finished the season with an 8-12 record and a 5.05 ERA across 171.0 IP, recording 137 strikeouts. Despite his efforts, he became a free agent after the season, as the Lions opted not to re-sign him.
2.4. Later Professional Career
Following his time in the KBO League, Adleman continued his professional career with further stints in both affiliated MLB minor league systems and independent leagues before transitioning away from active play.
2.4.1. Return to MLB System and Independent Leagues
Adleman returned to the Cincinnati Reds organization on January 23, 2019, signing a minor league deal that included an invitation to major league spring training. However, he was released by the Reds on March 22, before the regular season began.
On April 11, 2019, Adleman signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, another independent league. He made three appearances for the Ducks, posting a 1.64 ERA. His strong performance quickly earned him another chance in affiliated baseball when his contract was purchased by the Detroit Tigers on May 11, 2019. He was assigned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. With the Mud Hens, Adleman had a very successful season, recording a 9-4 record with a 3.32 ERA, which would have been the best in the International League had he qualified for the pitching statistic leaderboard. He struck out 119 batters and finished the season with a 1.15 WHIP. He became a minor league free agent on November 4, 2019.
Despite becoming a free agent, Adleman re-signed with the Tigers on a minor league contract on November 5, 2019, and was invited to spring training for the 2020 season. However, he did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted the careers of many minor league players. He became a free agent again on November 2, 2020.
On April 30, 2021, Adleman signed his third minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds organization. He made 31 appearances for the Triple-A Louisville Bats, posting a 3.80 ERA with 41 strikeouts across 45 IP.
His final affiliated baseball stint came when he signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on March 16, 2022. He pitched in 17 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, struggling to a 6.04 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 44.66 IP. Adleman was released by the Mets organization on August 10, 2022, marking the end of his active playing career.
2.4.2. Post-Playing Career
After concluding his professional baseball playing career, Tim Adleman transitioned into a new professional role in sports media. In May 2023, he joined Firebrand Sports Media as a sports streaming and sponsorship sales executive, leveraging his background in professional sports into a business development capacity.
3. Playing Style
Tim Adleman was a right-handed pitcher known for his distinctive mechanics and a repertoire of pitches that included various types of fastballs, a changeup, and a curveball. He typically employed a three-quarters delivery from the mound. A notable characteristic of his pitching motion was a distinctive two-stage delivery, where he would momentarily pause before completing his throw, a technique that could disrupt a hitter's timing. His fastball, which included both four-seam and two-seam variations, reached a maximum velocity of 94.6 mph (approximately 94 mph (152 km/h)) and averaged around 91 mph (approximately 91 mph (146 km/h)). Complementing his fastball, Adleman also utilized a changeup, which averaged around 85 mph (approximately 85 mph (137 km/h)), and a curveball, typically thrown at an average of 75 mph (approximately 75 mph (121 km/h)).
4. Career Statistics
Adleman's professional career statistics reflect his time in Major League Baseball and the KBO League, showcasing his performance across different competitive environments.
4.1. Major League Baseball Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | CG | SHO | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | CIN | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 287 | 69.2 | 64 | 13 | 20 | 1 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 31 | 4.00 | 1.21 |
| 2017 | CIN | 30 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 2 | .313 | 531 | 122.1 | 124 | 29 | 51 | 1 | 108 | 1 | 1 | 79 | 75 | 5.52 | 1.43 |
| MLB Totals (2 years) | 43 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 2 | .375 | 818 | 192.0 | 188 | 42 | 71 | 2 | 155 | 1 | 1 | 111 | 106 | 4.97 | 1.35 | |
4.2. KBO League Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Samsung | 31 | 31 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | .400 | 202 | 171.0 | 101 | 20 | 54 | 0 | 137 | 0 | 1 | 101 | 96 | 5.05 | 1.50 |
5. Personal Life
During his time with the Cincinnati Reds, Timothy Adleman earned the nickname The Microwave. This nickname was notably featured on the back of his jersey during the Players Weekend event in 2017, where players wear nicknames instead of their last names.