John Axford

[Michael Trzinski]

John Berton Axford was born in 1983 in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. He was raised in nearby Port Dover, Ontario and since his school did not have a team, he played for Port Dover Minor Baseball, Team Ontario, and Team Canada.

He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round of the 2001 MLB draft but elected to attend the University of Notre Dame instead. Two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery, he was drafted in the 42nd round of the 2005 MLB draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

“Ax Man” had one year of eligibility left so he played for Canisius College. After a terrible season, the Reds declined to offer him a contract. After a 19-strikeout performance in a Canadian summer league game, the New York Yankees signed him. He spent 2007 in the Yankees chain but was released after the season.

Axford signed with the Brewers in early 2008 and after one season in the minors, he was called up to Milwaukee, where he spent most of the next five seasons. Between 2010-2012, he amassed 105 saves for Milwaukee, including an NL-leading 46 saves in 2011. Axford finished ninth in the NL Cy Young race that year and received a few NL MVP votes.

In 2013, his velocity dropped from the high 90s to the low 90s and he lost his closer job to fellow Canadian Jim Henderson. Axford was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in late 2013 but was released after the season.

Axford pitched for six teams between 2014-2018, and then after two years in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was traded back to Milwaukee in August 2021. He pitched in one game for the Brewers and left because of an injury to his right elbow.

The big righthander pitched one inning for Team Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and announced his retirement from professional baseball March 2024. His 46-save season ranks number one in Brewers history, while his 106 career saves rank third.

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