Dietrich Enns

Dietrich Enns (born May 16, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the LG Twins of the KBO League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Saitama Seibu Lions.

Amateur career
Enns attended Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, Illinois, and Central Michigan University. He played college baseball for the Central Michigan Chippewas. In 2011, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star. In 2010, he was named the Mid-American Conference's Freshman of the Year after allowing the fewest hits per nine innings in NCAA Division I and posting the fifth-best earned run average in Division I.

New York Yankees
The New York Yankees selected Enns in the 19th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut for the Staten Island Yankees. In 22 games, he had a 2–0 win–loss record with a 2.11 earned run average (ERA) and 33 strikeouts over $42 2/3$ innings. He started the 2013 season with the Charleston RiverDogs and was a Mid-Season All-Star. He was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Tampa Yankees in June of that year. Overall, he pitched in 28 games with eight starts, and went 4–6 with a 2.94 ERA and 112 strikeouts in $82 2/3$ innings.

In 2014, he stayed with Tampa where he posted a 1.42 ERA in 13 games and $25 1/3$ innings, but his season was ended by an injury which required Tommy John surgery. He returned in June 2015, to pitch with the Gulf Coast League Yankees and the Tampa Yankees, where he put up a 0.61 ERA and 55 strikeouts in $58 2/3$ innings between the two clubs. Whereas Enns had primarily appeared out of the bullpen prior to his surgery, he made 12 starts in his 13 games in 2015.

2016 saw Enns make both his Double-A and Triple-A debuts, moving back and forth between the Trenton Thunder and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He put up a 1.73 ERA in 22 starts between the two levels, striking out 124 in 135 innings. He earned Eastern League Player of the Month honors in April and was a Mid-Season All-Star.

Minnesota Twins
On July 30, 2017, the Yankees traded Enns and Zack Littell to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Jaime García and cash consideration. He pitched in three games with the Rochester Red Wings before he was promoted to the big leagues. He made hisis major league debut on August 10, where hallowed one earned runs on five hite over 2.1 innings in a start against the Milwaukee Brewers. Enns made a relief appearance on August 15, where he allowed two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings of work against the Cleveland Indians. Enns was scheduled to start again on August 20, but instead was placed on the disabled list with a strained shoulder, having allowed three earned runs in four innings. Enns made two rehab starts with Rochester, and then was activated and optioned to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts in September.

Enns began the 2018 season with the RedWings, again working as a starter. After putting up a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings over four starts, Enns was designated for assignment on May 1 and was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester. He finished the season with a 4.60 ERA in 22 starts between Rochester and Chattanooga, posting 106 strikeouts in 129 innings. Enns elected free agency following the season on November 2.

San Diego Padres
On November 29, 2018, Enns signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. In 2019 he was 11–11 and led the minor leagues in home runs given up (37). He became a free agent following the 2019 season.

Seattle Mariners
On January 29, 2020, Enns signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. On May 27, Enns was released by the Mariners organization amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After his release, Enns pitched 18 innings for the independent Tully Monsters, allowing only 2 runs and 10 hits.

Tampa Bay Rays
On August 18, 2020, Enns signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. On August 3, 2021, the Rays selected Enns' contract. In his Rays debut on August 7, Enns tossed one scoreless inning against the Baltimore Orioles. Enns was released by the Rays on November 17, 2021, after recording a 2.82 ERA in $22 1/3$ innings.

Saitama Seibu Lions
On November 23, 2021, Enns signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. In 2022, Enns pitched in 23 games, going 10–7 with a 2.94 ERA and 92 strikeouts in $122 1/3$ innings of work. He became the first non-Japanese left-handed pitcher for the franchise to win 10 games in a season since Marion O’Neil in 1953. He also became the third non-Japanese pitcher to win 10 games for the Lions in his first NPB season. He became a free agent following the 2023 season.

LG Twins
On November 19, 2023, Enns signed a one–year, $1 million contract with the LG Twins of the KBO League.

Personal life
Enns and his wife, Julie Anne, married in 2019. In May 2022, while playing for Seibu Lions in Japan, he graduated Northeastern University utilizing online degree program.