Michael De Wayne Paxton (born September 3, 1953) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He batted and threw right-handed. Paxton was originally drafted out of Oakhaven High School in Memphis by the New York Yankees in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign, choosing instead to attend Memphis State. After four seasons with the Memphis Tigers, in which he was a four-year letter winner under head coach Bobby Kilpatrick, Paxton was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 Major League Baseball draft.