Jeff Ames

Prior to becoming a professional ballplayer, Ames pitched for Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington, near his hometown of Vancouver, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. A graduate of Skyview High School, he was noted for a fastball topping out at 100 mph in college.[1]

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Ames in the 46th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, but he chose to attend college instead of signing. He also declined to go professional after being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 30th round of the 2010 draft. After the Tampa Bay Rays selected Ames in the supplementary phase of the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft with the 42nd overall pick, a compensation pick for losing free agent closer Rafael Soriano to the New York Yankees the previous off-season, he signed for a reported $650,000 bonus and was assigned to the Princeton Rays of the Appalachian League.[1]

In Ames' first professional season for Princeton, he struggled to a 7.12 ERA while exhibiting a mid-90s fastball.[2] Ames broke out in 2012, however, pitching to a 1.96 ERA that led the Rays' organization with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York–Penn League while working almost exclusively out of the rotation. He advanced to the Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods in 2013 and was named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week several times while compiling a 2.98 ERA over 23 starts.[3] But Ames' 2014 season with the High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs was derailed by injury; he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and experienced complications, including a collapsed lung, that required him to spend two weeks in the intensive care unit. Ames returned to action in 2015, which he split between the Carolina League and the Class-AA Southern League, in which he pitched for the Montgomery Biscuits, but worked exclusively in relief following his return from surgery. After posting a 2.71 ERA across 63 innings out of the Biscuits' bullpen in 2016, Ames was invited to participate in the Rays' 2017 spring training.[4][5]

Following the 2017 season, in which he compiled a 3.98 ERA with the Class-AAA Durham Bulls of the International League,[6] Ames became a minor league free agent, alongside several other Rays farmhands who were not placed on the team's 40-man roster.[7]

Ames signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals before the 2018 season.[8] He was released on June 25, 2018.

On July 17, 2018, Ames signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He elected free agency on November 2, 2018.

On January 14, 2019, Ames signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. He was released on July 15, 2019.

On July 19, 2019, Ames signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He became a free agent following the season.