Before Michael Brantley stepped foot on a major league baseball field, he competed at Cooperstown Dreams Park. A member of the 1999 Florida Muddogs (FL), Michael and his team competed during week 7 of that year.

Michael graduated from Fort Pierce Central High School (Fort Pierce, FL). In 2005, Michael, who is an outfielder, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 7th round of the 2005 amateur draft. During his first season with the Brewers, Michael played in the Rookie league for the Helena Brewers and Arizona Brewers. In 2006, he was promoted to the Class A West Virginia Power and in 2007, Michael split time between West Virginia Power and the Double-A Hunstville. He spent the entire 2008 season playing for Huntsville.

In October of 2008, Michael was traded to the Cleveland Indians. He made his major league debut in 2009. Michael spent 10 seasons with the Indians. In 2018, he was traded to the Houston Astros where he continued to see success on the diamond. The team reached the 2021 World Series against the Atlanta Braves then won the 2022 World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies.