About Tom

Tom Koehler is a “right-handed” major league baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tom has distinguished himself in his baseball career for his consistency, durability and … strikeouts.  Tom is partnering with the Blechman Foundation in this year’s “Strikeout PD!” Challenge to raise funds for and community awareness of PD research.  Individuals and companies can pledge money for every strikeout by Tom in April, which is National Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

Tom is from New Rochelle, New York.  He pitched for New Rochelle High School, and in his senior year went 6-1 with a 0.86 ERA and 108 strikeouts in only 58 innings pitched.  Tom then attended and pitched for Stony Brook University.  In 2008, the Miami Marlins drafted Tom, and he started his professional baseball career.

With the Marlins, Tom climbed the ladder from the minor leagues to the major leagues and became a starter.  He played for the Jamestown Jammers in 2008 (58 strikeouts in 15 games), the Greensboro Grasshoppers in 2009 (82 strikeouts in 18 games), the Jupiter Hammerheads in 2009 (25 strikeouts in 6 games) and the Jacksonville Suns in 2010 (16 wins, 2 losses, 2.61 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 28 games).  In 2010, Tom led the Southern League (in which Jacksonville played) in wins and was selected the Pitcher of the Year.

The Miami Marlins eventually called Tom up to the “big leagues,” and on September 5, 2012, he made his major league debut pitching against the Milwaukee Brewers.  In the few weeks remaining that season, Tom pitched 13.1 innings and had 13 strikeouts, including one start against the New York Mets.  The next season, Tom started in the Marlins’ bullpen before the team elevated him to starter status with a game against the San Francisco Giants on June 20, 2013.  Tom pitched 7 innings and gave up only one hit in that game.  Since then, Tom has been a fixture on the Marlins’ pitching staff. Through the 2016 season, Tom has 542 strikeouts in 710.4 innings pitched.