Tempstaff Transaction: Mud Monsters Bolster Pitching Staff with Former Ivy Leaguer Dusty Baird
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AVON, Ohio (May 15, 2026) - The Mississippi Mud Monsters have made their first in-season signing as 6-foot-8 right-hander Dusty Baird joins the team.
Monster Notes
A tall order for opposing hitters just got even taller.
- Dusty Baird joins Mississippi as the team’s first in-season signing of 2026.
- The 6-foot-8 right-hander brings prior Frontier League experience from the New Jersey Jackals.
- In 2025, Baird appeared in 34 games for New Jersey and struck out 46 batters.
- Before professional baseball, Baird pitched collegiately at Brown University and Belmont University.
Adding an Arm
Mississippi brings in a right-hander with size, experience and a familiar Frontier League path.
With Baird, Mississippi brings in a hurler with prior Frontier League experience after spending the 2025 season with the New Jersey Jackals.
Last year, Baird appeared in 34 games for the Jackals, posting a 3-4 record with a 4.72 ERA while striking out 46 batters.
Professional Road
Baird’s path to Mississippi includes stops in the Pioneer League and Frontier League.
From Idaho Falls to New Jersey to Mississippi
Prior to his season in New Jersey, the Indianapolis, Indiana native spent three seasons in the Pioneer League with the Idaho Falls Chukars and Rocky Mountain Vibes. After splitting time between both clubs in 2022, Baird returned to Idaho Falls for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Before beginning his professional career, Baird pitched collegiately at Brown University and Belmont University.
Player History
Track Baird’s college and professional stops before joining the Mud Monsters.
Tall Task
The Mud Monsters add another big presence to the pitching staff.
With Brenton Thiels already standing at 7-foot-0 and Baird now joining the fold, the Mud Monsters will look to make 60 feet, 6 inches feel even shorter for opposing hitters.
About the Mississippi Mud Monsters
Baseball Lives Here. It Just Got a Little Weirder.
The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, competing in the Frontier League. Built in the mud and rooted in Mississippi, the Mud Monsters believe baseball should be unapologetically fun, a little weird, wildly welcoming, and deeply tied to the place it calls home. Real baseball. Real people. This is swamp-built, Mississippi-made baseball, where the vibes matter just as much as the final score.