Garrett Richards

Richards attended Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he was a four-year letterwinner. His best season was in 2005, where he went 8–5 with a 2.97 ERA and 106 strikeouts. The team won regional championships in 2005 and 2006.\n', ' Undrafted out of high school, Richards attended the University of Oklahoma and played college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. In 2007, his freshman year, he recorded nine saves, the fourth most in team history. That summer, he played with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 2008, he made his first career collegiate start. He played the summer with the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League. 2009 was his best season, being a full-time starter he led the team in strikeouts (85) and wins (9).\n', ' He was drafted in the first round, 42nd overall, by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, and earned an $802,800 signing bonus. He made his professional debut with Rookie level Orem, going 3–1 with a 1.53 ERA and a 7.50 strikeout to walk ratio. He started 2010 with Single-A Cedar Rapids, going 8–4 in 19 starts, earning a Midwest League All-Star selection. However, his walk total (34) did significantly rise in comparison to his strikeout total (108). He earned a mid-season promotion to High-A Rancho Cucamonga, going 4–1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts. He started 2011 with Double-A Arkansas, going 12–2 with a 3.06 ERA and three complete games in 21 starts, earning a Texas League All-Star selection.\n', '