Phillippe Aumont

From BR Bullpen

Phillippe Aumont

Bats Left, Throws Right
Height 6' 7", Weight 220 lb.
High School Ecole du Versant

Born January 7, 1989 in Hull, QC Canada

[edit] Biographical Information

Phillippe Aumont was the third-highest drafted Canadian ever when he was chosen 11th by the Seattle Mariners in the 2007 amateur draft. Aumont was the ace of the Canadian junior national team but lost in the semifinals to South Korea in the 2006 World Junior Championship. A year later, the Mariners drafted him. The only Canadians who had been drafted higher were Adam Loewen (#4 in 2002) and Jeff Francis (#9 in 2002).

Aumont did not pitch in the minor leagues in 2007. He made his debut for Team Canada's senior team in the 2007 Baseball World Cup, getting the start against the mighty Cuban national team. He pitched two innings, striking out one and allowing two hits, before being relieved by Scott Richmond. It was Aumont's lone appearance of the Cup.

Aumont made his professional debut on April 5, 2008 for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He threw four hitless innings, walking one and striking out four as Wisconsin topped the Quad Cities River Bandits, 2-0. He said "The World Cup definitely helped prepare me for today," he said. "I faced a lot of Double-A and Triple-A hitters, so I had plenty of confidence I could do it here." Aumont finished the season 4-4 with 2 saves and a 2.75 ERA for Wisconsin. Baseball America ranked him as the #8 prospect in the Midwest League. He had initially decided to skip the 2009 World Baseball Classic but later agreed to pitch for Canada. He was used for an inning in Canada's opening game against Team USA on March 7 in Toronto, and impressed everyone when he escaped a none-out, bases loaded jam by striking out Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson and forcing David Wright to hit a soft liner.