Jay Phillip Buente (born September 28, 1983, in Evansville, Indiana) is a former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays.

Early life and college

Buente attended F.J. Reitz High School in Evansville, where he played baseball and earned first-team all-metro honors as a senior after posting a 1.82 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 68 innings. He also participated in wrestling and cross country and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Buente continued his baseball career at Purdue University, pitching for the Boilermakers from 2003 to 2006. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, he played for the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League. In 2005, he was named a Summer League All-American by Baseball America after going 7–2 with a 1.43 ERA and setting franchise records for season and career strikeouts.

As a senior at Purdue, Buente went 6–4 with a 3.40 ERA and 70 strikeouts.

Professional career

Buente was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 14th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent several seasons in the Marlins’ minor-league system before reaching the major leagues.

Buente made his MLB debut with Florida in 2010. In May 2011, he was called up by the Marlins and made his first major-league start before being designated for assignment.

The Tampa Bay Rays claimed Buente off waivers on May 25, 2011. He later pitched for the Rays and their Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls, before being released following the 2012 season.

Buente continued his professional career with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League in 2013.