Rich Hill Has Now Pitched with 14 Teams Tying All-Time MLB Record

Tonight, Rich Hill took the mound at Wrigley Field for the visiting Kansas City Royals.

In so doing, Hill tied an MLB record for having pitched for 14 big league teams sharing the record with Edwin Jackson, who pitched in MLB between 2006 and 2019.

It is perhaps fitting that Hill tied the mark at Wrigley Field as he made his MLB debut more than 20 years ago with the Chicago Cubs. 

The 45-year-old Boston born southpaw acquitted himself reasonably pitching 5 innings surrendering 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out one batter and walking two. Unfortunately, Hill got tagged with the loss as the Royals were shutout by the Cubs 6-0. Still, the fact that Hill can compete at the big-league level is a testament to his determination and his perseverance. 

Hill pitched parts of the four seasons for the Cubs before he was sold to the Baltimore Orioles where he pitched during the 2009 season. In 2010, Hill pitched for his hometown Boston Red Sox for the first of four stints. After parts of three seasons at Fenway working exclusively out of the bullpen, Hill spent the 2013 season with the Cleveland Indians. In 2014, Hill split team between the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees before rejoining the Red Sox for his second stint in 2015 and with it a return as a starting pitcher.

Hill would win a career high 12 games in 2016 splitting the season with the Oakland A's and the Los Angeles Dodgers. This proved to be the most productive phase of Hill's career as he would enjoy three more seasons in a Dodgers uniform with another 12-win campaign in 2017 followed by 11 wins in 2018. That year, Hill would start Game 4 of the 2018 World Series against his hometown Red Sox. Unfortunately for Hill, the Dodgers bullpen would blow it for him.

During the COVID shortened 2020 season, Hill would pitch for the Minnesota Twins before splitting the 2021 season between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets. In 2022, Hill rejoined the Red Sox for a third time. Hill split 2023 between the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres before briefly returning to the Red Sox for a fourth time late in the 2024 season after starting the year coaching his son's little league team.

Hill has now entered his 21st MLB season. In 16 of those seasons including this year, Hill spent time in the minor leagues. He was also briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals organizations in 2010 and 2015, without getting to pitch at the big-league level with either club. Yet Hill has rode the peaks and valleys. Then again, when a father loses a newborn son, pitching in the minor leagues is little cause for complaint.

Hill now has a career record of 90-75 with a 4.00 ERA. We'll see how Hill sticks around in Kansas City. Who knows? Before the season is over, Hill might end up with an MLB record breaking 15th club.