Jeff Bianchi

Jeffrey Thomas Bianchi (pronounced ‘be-YANK-ee’) was born just outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1986 and attended Lampeter-Strasburg High School. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the second round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft.

After five solid seasons in the Royals minor league system, Bianchi underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in early 2010 and missed the whole season. He played Double-A ball for the Royals in 2011 but was waived after the season. The Chicago Cubs signed him in December but waived him the following month. In January 2012, the Brewers claimed Bianchi off waivers.

Bianchi started the 2012 season in the minors and was called up to Milwaukee in mid-July after hitting .325 across 326 at-bats at two stops (Nashville and Huntsville). Bianchi started off his big-league career by going 0-for-15 but then collected two hits in a late August game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He split his time at shortstop, third base, and second base and finished the year with a batting line of .188/.230/.348 in 33 games (69 ABs).

The righty swinging Bianchi played a utility role for Milwaukee in 2013 and ended the year with a slash line of .237/.272/.292 across 236 at-bats. In 2014, Bianchi played only 29 games for Milwaukee and also a couple dozen games in the minors. He went on the DL with a right elbow strain in July and missed the rest of the season.

The Boston Red Sox signed Bianchi in 2015, and he played three games for Boston. Bianchi retired after the 2016 season and became a scout for the Brewers, a position he held through 2020. Jeff currently runs the Bianchi Baseball Academy in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

• Was the 2005 Pennsylvania high school 'Player of the Year'
• Bianchi had a HS 'career' batting average of .492
• Turned down a scholarship to North Carolina State to sign with the Kansas City Royals