Alex Lange

Alexander Craig Lange (born October 2, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at Louisiana State University (LSU). He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.

Career
Lange was adopted when he was a baby. He attended Lee's Summit West High School in Lee's Summit, Missouri and maintained a 4.0 weighted GPA. As a senior, Lange was named the Missouri Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year (2014). He was scouted by many NCAA Division I colleges, but chose to attend Louisiana State University (LSU). As a college freshman in 2015, Lange was a consensus All-American. He was also named the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Louisville Slugger and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and helped lead LSU to the College World Series. LSU returned to the College World Series in 2017, and facing top-ranked Oregon State in his first College World Series start, Lange pitched seven innings and allowed only two hits to lead LSU to victory.

Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs selected Lange with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He signed with the Cubs and was assigned to the Eugene Emeralds of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, where he posted an 0–1 win–loss record with a 4.82 earned run average (ERA) in $9 1/3$ innings pitched. MLB.com ranked Lange as Chicago's fifth best prospect going into the 2018 season. He spent the 2018 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, going 6–8 with a 3.74 ERA in 23 starts. Lange began 2019 back with Myrtle Beach.

Detroit Tigers
On July 31, 2019, the Cubs traded Lange and Paul Richan to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Nick Castellanos. He was assigned to the Erie SeaWolves. Over 27 games (18 starts) between Myrtle Beach and Erie, he went 5–13 with a 5.45 ERA, striking out 94 batters over $102 1/3$ innings. He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox following the season. Lange did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 20, 2020, the Tigers added Lange to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

On April 10, 2021, Lange was promoted to the majors for the first time and made his Major League debut that day, throwing a scoreless inning. On September 20, 2021, Lange recorded his first career save with a perfect 1–2–3 ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox. He earned his first major league win on September 30 with $1 1/3$ innings of scoreless relief against the Minnesota Twins. Overall, Lange made 36 appearances for the 2021 Tigers, posting a 1–3 record and 4.04 ERA, while striking out 39 batters in $35 2/3$ innings.

In 2022, Lange primarily filled a middle relief and setup role. He led the Tigers with 71 appearances, posting a 7–4 record and a 3.69 ERA, with 82 strikeouts in $63 1/3$ innings.

On July 8, 2023, Lange pitched the last inning of a combined no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays. While Tigers manager A. J. Hinch resisted naming a full-time closer for the 2023 season, Lange made the most appearances for the team in save situations. On the season, he saved 26 games in 32 opportunities. He posted a 7–5 record and a 3.68 ERA, while striking out 79 batters in 66 innings.

Lange made 21 appearances for Detroit in 2024, compiling an 0–3 record and 4.34 ERA with 21 strikeouts across $18 2⁄3$ innings pitched. On June 18, 2024, it was announced that Lange would undergo surgery to repair an avulsion in his right lat.