Mike Hessman

Michael Steven Hessman (born March 5, 1978) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman. He is currently a hitting coach for the Toledo Mud Hens. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes. Hessman served as an interim manager for the Toledo Mud Hens for six games in the 2026 season.

Hessman holds the all-time record for International League home runs, when he hit his 259th on June 30, 2014, breaking Ollie Carnegie's record set in 1945. In 2015, he broke Buzz Arlett's record for the most career minor league home runs, hitting his 433rd on August 3, 2015. In 2018, Hessman was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame for his accomplishments and the Toledo Mud Hens where he played a majority of his professional career retired his number 27.

Professional career Hessman was originally drafted out of Mater Dei High School in the 15th round (452nd overall) by the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 MLB draft. He spent eight years in the Braves organization before making his Major League debut on August 22, 2003. His first major league hit was a pinch-hit home run on August 26, 2003, off New York Mets pitcher Mike Stanton.

Hessman signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers on January 7, 2005. He played for the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, for the whole season, and helped them win the International League championship for the first time in 38 years. Hessman batted .214 with 28 home runs and 74 RBI. He spent the entire 2006 season with the Mud Hens, contributing to the Mud Hens' second consecutive Governors' Cup. Though he hit 24 home runs that season, he batted just .165. Hessman also appeared in 17 games with the Tigers in 2007, hitting .235 with 4 home runs and 12 RBI.

Hessman began the 2008 season with Toledo. On July 16, 2008, he was named to the United States national baseball team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Despite missing an entire month of the minor league season, Hessman hit 34 home runs for the Mud Hens in 2008. In total, he hit .217 with 23 home runs and 77 RBI in 2009, The Mets assigned Hessman to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he hit .274 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI in 64 games. Hessman signed with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2011 season. He appeared in 48 games for Orix, batting .192 with 6 home runs and 14 RBI. – off Dustin McGowan of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, setting a new minor league baseball record for the most home runs in a career, surpassing the 78-year-old record set by Buzz Arlett of the Oakland Oaks in 1937.

On November 28, 2015, Hessman announced his retirement.

Coaching career On December 3, 2015, less than a month after announcing his retirement from professional baseball, Hessman was named the hitting coach for the Low-A Connecticut Tigers for the 2016 season. He was named the hitting coach for the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps for the 2017 season, and coached the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League after the regular season. In 2018, Hessman was the hitting coach for the Erie SeaWolves. Hessman served as a hitting coach for the Toledo Mud Hens beginning with the 2019 season. On June 12, 2021, Hessman was promoted to assistant hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers. Hessman went back to being the hitting coach for the Toledo Mud Hens in the beginning of the 2023 season. On May 5, 2026, Hessman will serve as the Toledo Mud Hens interim manager after the Tigers fire Gabe Alvarez as the Mud Hens manager due to a violation of club policy. Hessman had a 3–3 record as the Toledo Mud Hens interim manager Gary Jones will be the Toledo Mud Hens new manager replacing interim manager Hessman starting May 12, 2026.