Daniel Claiborne Hudson (born March 9, 1987) 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, ...

who played 16 seasons of

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) from 2009 to 2024. Hudson was drafted by 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 ...

in the fifth round of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut for the White Sox in 2009 and has also played for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

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 ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

, and

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

. Hudson was on the mound at the end of Game 7 of the

2019 World Series The 2019 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season. The 115th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League champion 2019 ...

to clinch the Nationals' first championship. In his final season, he won his second World Series in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

with the Dodgers.

Amateur career

Hudson attended

Princess Anne High School Princess Anne High School (PAHS) is one of 11 high schools in the Virginia Beach City Public School System. The school features, as its academy, the International Baccalaureate Programme. Opened in 1954, it is the oldest remaining high school in ...

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the most populous city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. It is the sixth-most populous city in the ...

, and

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

, where he 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

Old Dominion Monarchs The Old Dominion Monarchs are composed of 18 college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, Virginia. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, s ...

. While at Princess Anne, Hudson led the Cavaliers to the 2005 state championship. In 2007, he 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

Harwich Mariners The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...

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 ...

. Hudson finished his collegiate career second all-time in

strikeout 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 ...

s with 295 (

Justin Verlander Justin Brooks Verlander ( ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and New York M ...

is first all-time), sixth in games started with 40 and seventh in innings pitched with 292. He posted a

win–loss record Win–loss may refer to: * Win–loss analytics, analysis of the reasons why a visitor to a website was or wasn't persuaded to engage in a desired action * Win–loss record, also winning percentage * Win–loss record (pitching), the number of ...

of 20–14, and had a 3.79

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).

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

The

selected Hudson in the fifth round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. For the remainder of the 2008 season he was assigned to the White Sox rookie-level affiliate, the

Great Falls Voyagers The Great Falls Voyagers are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Great Falls, Montana, and play their home games at Cente ...

, where he posted a win–loss record of 5–4 and an ERA of 3.36 in 14 starts. He struck out 90 batters in innings. Hudson began the 2009 minor league season at Low-A level, with the

Kannapolis Intimidators Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan Counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte, and is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The city of Kannapolis was incorporated in 1984. ...

. After posting a 1.23 ERA in four starts, Hudson was promoted to the

Winston-Salem Dash The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games ...

, the Sox Advanced-A team. After eight starts and a 3.40 ERA in Winston-Salem, Hudson was once again on the move up, this time to the Double-A

Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The Baron ...

. Hudson's rapid rise through the White Sox minor league system continued in Birmingham, where he posted a record of 7–0, with a 1.60 ERA. After nine starts at Double-A level, Hudson was promoted to Triple-A. With the

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 ...

Hudson went 2–0 with an ERA of 3.00 in five starts.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox promoted Hudson to the majors for the first time on September 3, , after posting a 14–5 record and a 2.32 ERA, and striking out 166 in innings at four minor league levels. In his Major League debut on September 4, 2009, he pitched two innings of scoreless relief. Hudson made three appearances out of the White Sox

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...

before taking over

Gavin Floyd Gavin Christopher Floyd (born January 27, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto Blue ...

's spot in the rotation for the remainder of the 2009 season after Floyd sustained a hip injury. He received his first win in his second start on September 27, 2009, allowing two earned runs over six innings at

U.S. Cellular Field Rate Field (formerly named Comiskey Park, U.S. Cellular Field and Guaranteed Rate Field) is a baseball stadium located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox, one of the city ...

against the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

. After starting the 2010 season in the minors, Hudson was called up on July 11, 2010, to replace

Jake Peavy Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who is currently an on-air analyst for MLB Network. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, ...

, who was out for the season with a torn right latissimus dorsi muscle.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On July 30, 2010, the White Sox traded Hudson and minor league pitcher

David Holmberg David Andrew Holmberg (born July 19, 1991) is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher who currently serves as the pitching coach for the Kane County Cougars of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He played in Ma ...

to the

for Edwin Jackson. He was 7–1 with a 1.69 ERA with the Diamondbacks that season. Hudson finished the 2011 season 16–12, with a 3.49 ERA and 169 strikeouts over 222 innings pitched. He also hit .277/.309/.369 and led all pitchers with 18 hits and 14 RBIs, winning the 2011

Silver Slugger The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball (MLB). T ...

as the best batter at his position. He helped lead the team to an NL West division title but faltered in the NLDS as he gave up five runs in Game 2 and was credited with the loss. On July 9, 2012, Hudson underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

which eliminated him for the remainder of the 2012 season. Hudson began the 2013 season on the 60-day disabled list still recovering from the Tommy John surgery he previously had. In a rehab start with the Double-A

Mobile BayBears The Mobile BayBears were a Minor League Baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which played in the Southern League, served as the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres (1997–2006), Arizona Diamondbacks (2007–2 ...

on June 4, 2013, Hudson re-tore his

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL) may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

. Hudson underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career on June 18, 2013, which shut him down for the entire 2013 season. After the season, Hudson was non-tendered by Arizona, becoming a free agent. It was rumored that Hudson still wanted to return to the Diamondbacks and on December 13, 2013, Hudson signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks. Nearly two years after surgery, Hudson returned as a reliever late into the 2014 season. He pitched in three games, totaling innings. The following season, Hudson pitched exclusively out of the bullpen, appearing in 64 games. In 2016, Hudson pitched in 70 games, collecting 5 saves.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 21, 2016, Hudson signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the

. In the 2017 season, Hudson appeared in 71 games for the Pirates, compiling a 2–7 record and a 4.38 ERA. On February 22, 2018, the Pirates traded Hudson, Tristan Gray, and cash considerations to the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

for

Corey Dickerson McKenzie Corey Dickerson (born May 22, 1989) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies (2013–2015), Tampa Bay Rays (2016–2017), Pittsburgh Pirates (2018–2019 ...

. However, the Rays released him on March 28.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On April 2, 2018, Hudson signed a minor league contract with the

. He made the Dodgers major league roster and pitched in 40 games for them (with one start) and was 3–2 with a 4.11 ERA in 46 innings, before missing the last month of the season with an arm injury.

Toronto Blue Jays

On February 9, 2019, Hudson signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

. He was released on March 22, and signed a one-year contract with the

on March 25. Hudson finished his stint with the Blue Jays accumulating a 6–3 record with 2 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 45 games (1 start).

Washington Nationals

On July 31, 2019, the Blue Jays traded Hudson to the

in exchange for Kyle Johnston. With the Nationals in 2019, he was 3–0 with six saves and a 1.44 ERA in 24 relief appearances (25 innings). Between the Blue Jays and the Nationals combined in 2019, he was 9–3 with eight saves and a 2.47 ERA in 69 games (one start) covering 73.0 innings. Hudson missed Game 1 of the

2019 National League Championship Series The 2019 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven series in Major League Baseball’s 2019 postseason between the two winners of the 2019 National League Division Series, the third-seeded St. Louis Cardinals and the fourth-seeded ...

to be with his wife in

Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...

, to witness the birth of their third daughter. Hudson was on the mound when the Nationals won the

. On October 30, 2019, he pitched the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, striking out two of the three batters he faced (

Jose Altuve Jose Carlos Altuve (; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Having played for the Astros since 2011, he is the longest-tenured current member of the team, an ...

and

Michael Brantley Michael Charles Brantley Jr. (born May 15, 1987), is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and the Houston Astros. The son of former MLB player and hitting coach M ...

) to close out a 6–2 victory as the Nationals defeated the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

to win the 2019 World Series championship. He signed a two-year, $11 million contract to stay with the Nationals on January 6, 2020. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Hudson earned 10 saves in 15 chances and recorded a 6.10 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 11 walks in innings. Hudson shifted to a

setup Setup (the noun) or set up (the verb) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Set Up'' (2005 film), a 2005 Hong Kong horror film * ''Setup'' (2011 film), a 2011 action thriller heist film Literature * ''Set Up'', a 1992 nov ...

role in the bullpen after the Nationals signed

Brad Hand Bradley Richard Hand (born March 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Washington ...

during the 2020-2021 offseason. During the 2021 season, he recorded a 2.20 ERA and 14 holds in innings. Hudson made his final appearance for the Nationals on July 26, 2021, before being placed on the COVID-19

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

on July 29, 2021.

San Diego Padres

On July 30, 2021, Hudson was traded to the

in exchange for

Mason Thompson Mason Lane Thompson (born February 20, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres. Amateur career Thompson attended Round R ...

and Jordy Barley. Hudson was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list on August 11, 2021, and made his debut for the Padres later that day. Following the completion of a suspended game against the Padres and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

on September 24, 2021, Hudson and

Adam Duvall Adam Lynn Duvall (born September 4, 1988) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, a ...

became the first players in Major League Baseball history to have played in two games for four different teams on the same day. Hudson and Duvall were members of the Washington Nationals and

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

, respectively, when the teams faced each other on July 21, 2021. The Braves–Padres game on that same day had been suspended, and by the time it resumed on September 24, 2021, Hudson had joined the Padres, and Duvall was a Brave. Hudson finished the 2021 season with a 3.31 ERA and 75 strikeouts over innings pitched.

Los Angeles Dodgers (second stint)

On November 30, 2021, Hudson signed a one-year contract to return to the Dodgers. He pitched in 25 games, with a 2–3 record, 2.22 ERA and five saves. In a game on June 24, 2022, against the

, Hudson tore his ACL, leading to season-ending surgery. Despite this, the Dodgers chose to exercise a $6.5 million club option on Hudson for the 2023 season and also gained an extra option for the 2024 season. Hudson was slowed by right ankle tendinitis in spring training and began the 2023 season on the injured list. He rejoined the Dodgers on June 30 and pitched three scoreless innings over three games before straining his MCL in his right knee on July 5, putting him back on the injured list. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 12. Hudson became a free agent following the season and re-signed with the Dodgers on a minor league contract for the 2024 season on December 13, 2023. The Dodgers purchased his contract and added him to the major league roster on March 16, 2024. He pitched in 65 games in 2024, with a 6–2 record, 3.00 ERA, 63 strikeouts and 10 saves in 63 innings. In the 2024 postseason, Hudson did not allow a run in innings of the

Division Series The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League. 1981 season The first use of the term "Division Series ...

, allowed one run on three hits in two innings in the Championship Series and allowed three hits in innings of the

2024 World Series The 2024 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2024 Major League Baseball season, 2024 season. The 120th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (b ...

, including a

grand slam Grand Slam or Grand slam may refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category terminology originating in contract bridge and other whist card games Athletics * Grand Slam Track, professional track and field league Auto racing * ...

home run by

Anthony Volpe Anthony Michael Volpe (born April 28, 2001) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Yankees selected Volpe in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2023 ...

in Game 4. Hudson announced his retirement from baseball right after the Dodgers won the series.

Pitching style

Hudson's pitch repertoire is as follows: *

Four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...

(91–98) *

Two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...

(91–95) * Slider (81–84) *

Changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

(82–85) *

Cutter Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Cutter (hydraulic rescue tool) * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Pizza cutter * Side cutter People * Cutter (surname) * Cutt ...

(86–89) — added in 2012 About half of Hudson's pitches are four-seamers. He also uses the two-seamer and changeup against left-handers, while using all of them against right-handers. The two-seamer and cutter tend to be used earlier in the count to get ahead, while the slider and changeup are often used in 2-strike counts. Hudson featured an occasional

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

early in his career, but he has not thrown the pitch since 2010.

Personal life

Hudson and his wife Sara have three daughters.

Awards and honors

* 2009 This Year in Minor League Baseball Awards "Overall Starter of the Year" * 2011 pitchers'

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best Batting (baseball), offensive player at each Baseball positions, position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL), as determ ...

* 2×

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- ...

champion (, )

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Daniel 1987 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona Complex League Dodgers players Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Baseball players from Lynchburg, Virginia Birmingham Barons players Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players Great Falls Voyagers players Harwich Mariners players Kannapolis Intimidators players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers Mobile BayBears players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Old Dominion Monarchs baseball players Pittsburgh Pirates players Princess Anne High School alumni Reno Aces players San Diego Padres players Silver Slugger Award winners Toronto Blue Jays players Washington Nationals players 21st-century American sportsmen Winston-Salem Dash players