Brandon Finnegan
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Brandon Kyle Finnegan (born April 14, 1993) is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
and
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
. Prior to his professional career, Finnegan attended
Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private university, private research university in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison Clark, Addison and Randolph Clark as the AddRan Male & Female College. It i ...
(TCU) and played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the TCU Horned Frogs baseball team. He was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the
2014 MLB Draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...
, and made his MLB debut that season. The Royals traded Finnegan to the Reds during the 2015 season.


Amateur career

Finnegan attended Southwest High School in
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
. The Texas Rangers selected Finnegan in the 45th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft, but he did not sign and attended
Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private university, private research university in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison Clark, Addison and Randolph Clark as the AddRan Male & Female College. It i ...
(TCU) and play
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the
TCU Horned Frogs The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University. The 18 varsity teams participate in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football, competi ...
. As a freshman in 2012, Finnegan pitched in 23 games with 11 starts. He finished the season 4–5 with a 3.47
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) with 56
strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
in innings. As a sophomore in 2013 he pitched in 16 games with 15 starts, going 0–8 but with a 3.18 ERA and 86 strikeouts in innings. After the 2013 season, he briefly played
collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Falmouth Commodores The Falmouth Commodores are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Commodores play their home games at Arnie All ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...
, and also pitched for the United States collegiate national team. After not winning a game during his sophomore season, he earned a victory in his first start of his junior season in 2014. During the season, he missed a few starts due to a minor injury. He finished the year 9–3 with a 2.04 ERA and 134 strikeouts in innings.


Professional career


Kansas City Royals

Finnegan was considered a top prospect for the
2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...
. The
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
selected Finnegan in the first round, 17th overall, of the draft. He signed with the team on June 28, receiving a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
the $2,200,600 slot value of the 17th pick. The Royals promoted Finnegan to the major leagues for the first time on September 1, 2014, becoming the first player from the 2014 draft to be promoted to the majors. He made his major league debut on September 6 against the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. He struck out
Jacoby Ellsbury Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...
for his first Major League strikeout. He earned his first major league hold on September 22 by pitching a scoreless seventh inning against the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. He made his
MLB postseason The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason is the annual playoff elimination tournament held to determine the champion of MLB in the United States and Canada. Since 2022, the postseason for each league— American and National—consists of tw ...
debut in the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
Wild Card game vs the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
on September 30, 2014. He pitched innings, allowing one earned run while striking out three in the extra innings victory. On October 3, 2014, in the second game of the
2014 American League Division Series The 2014 American League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2014 MLB Postseason, 2014 postseason to determine the participating teams in the 2014 American League Championship Series. The Los Ange ...
, Finnegan came in relief and picked up the 4–1 win, becoming the youngest relief pitcher in Royals postseason history to log a win. Finnegan became the first player to play in a
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
and an MLB
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
in the same year when he took the mound in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the 2014 World Series against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. Finnegan took the loss in Game 4, allowing five runs in one inning of work. In 2015, Finnegan began the season with the
Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...
of the Triple–A
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, working as a starting pitcher. During the season, the Royals promoted him to the major leagues, shifting him between the starting rotation and bullpen.


Cincinnati Reds

On July 26, 2015, Finnegan was traded to the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, along with John Lamb and Cody Reed, for Johnny Cueto and cash considerations. Although Finnegan was traded from the team before the Royals won the 2015 World Series, Finnegan was awarded a World Series ring for his contributions before the trade. After the trade, he pitched for the Reds’ Class AAA affiliate, the
Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...
, as a starting pitcher and was promoted to the majors on September 1 as a relief pitcher. Finnegan began the 2016 season pitching out of the rotation for Cincinnati, opening as the team's second starter behind Raisel Iglesias due to a plethora of injuries. In 5 starts in April, Finnegan went 1–1 with a 3.86 ERA, striking out 23 and walking 15 in 28 innings. In 6 starts in May, Finnegan went 0–3 with a 4.37 ERA, striking out 21 and walking 16 in 35 innings. However, in one of his losses, Finnegan threw a complete 8 innings against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, giving up one run and losing to
Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw has spent his entire MLB career with the Dodgers s ...
's two-hit shutout. He finished the 2016 season with a 10–11 record and a 3.98 ERA in 31 starts. Finnegan began the 2017 season in the Reds rotation, but on April 15, he was placed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. On June 26, he was activated off the disabled list. However, on June 27, in his first start back off the disabled list against the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
, he re-injured his shoulder and had to leave the game. He was put back on the DL the next day. He finished the year with 4 starts and was 1–1 with a 4.15 ERA in 13 innings. He was designated for assignment on March 28, 2019. On April 2, 2019, he cleared waivers and was outrighted off the 40 man roster. Finnegan spent the 2019 season with the Double-A
Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
, struggling to a 6.60 ERA in 13 appearances for the team. Finnegan did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In 2021, Finnegan spent the year with the Triple-A
Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...
, recording a 5.53 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 55.1 innings of work across 40 games. He was released by the Reds on November 18, 2021.


Chicago White Sox

On December 11, 2021, Finnegan signed a minor league contract with the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
. Finnegan was assigned to the Triple-A
Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...
to begin the 2022 season. He appeared in 31 games, pitching to a 1–2 record and 6.13 ERA with 45 strikeouts in innings of work. Finnegan was released by the organization on August 10, 2022.


Kansas City Monarchs

On March 4, 2023, Finnegan signed with the Acereros de Monclova of the
Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...
. However, prior to the season on April 17, Finnegan signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the
American Association of Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor ...
. In 19 starts for the Monarchs, he posted a 7–5 record and 4.33 ERA with 89 strikeouts across 104 innings pitched. After the 2023 season, Finnegan became a free agent. On September 18, 2024, Finnegan announced his retirement from professional baseball.


References


External links

*
TCU Horned Frogs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finnegan, Brandon 1993 births Living people Baseball players from Fort Worth, Texas Charlotte Knights players Chattanooga Lookouts players Cincinnati Reds players Falmouth Commodores players Kansas City Monarchs (American Association) players Kansas City Royals players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers Northwest Arkansas Naturals players Omaha Storm Chasers players Pensacola Blue Wahoos players TCU Horned Frogs baseball players Wilmington Blue Rocks players