Jacob Todd Odorizzi (born March 27, 1990) is an American 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 is a free agent. He has previously 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 ...

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 ...

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

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 ...

, 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 ...

. The

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

selected Odorizzi in the first round, with the 32nd overall choice, of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2012 with the Royals.

Amateur career

Odorizzi attended Highland High School in

Highland, Illinois Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,991 at the 2020 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants. Highland is a sister city of Sursee in Switze ...

, where he helped lead the Highland Bulldogs to the Illinois state championship.

Professional career

Milwaukee Brewers

The

selected Odorizzi in the first round, with the 32nd overall choice, of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. He had a 9–9 record, a 3.68

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), and 197

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 in the three years in the Brewers farm system. He played for the Arizona Brewers in 2008,

Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pioneer League located in Helena, Montana, from 1978 to 2018. The team played their home games at Kindrick Legion Field, which was built in 1939. They were affiliated with the Milwaukee ...

in 2009, and the

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, a town on the outskirts of Appleton in the Fox Cities, and are nam ...

in 2010.

Kansas City Royals

On December 17, 2010, the Brewers traded Odorizzi, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress, and Lorenzo Cain to the

for

Zack Greinke Donald Zackary Greinke ( ; born October 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Greinke last played for the Kansas City Royals, with whom he played across two stints, from his 2004 debut to 2010, and from 202 ...

and Yuniesky Betancourt. ''

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'' ranked Odorizzi as the 69th best prospect in baseball prior to the 2011 season and the 23rd best prospect at midseason. After the 2011 season, he was named the fifth best prospect in the Double-A

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. He was named to appear in the 2012

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...

. Odorizzi split time in 2012 between the Double-A

Northwest Arkansas Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. T ...

and the Triple-A

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 ...

, posting an overall record of 15–5 and a 3.03 ERA. On September 16, 2012, the Royals purchased Odorizzi's contract from Omaha. He made two starts for the team before season's end. He earned the loss in his MLB debut against Cleveland. In two games, both against Cleveland, he pitched innings

Tampa Bay Rays (first stint)

On December 9, 2012, the Royals traded Odorizzi along with Mike Montgomery,

Patrick Leonard Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), '' Who ...

, and Wil Myers to the

for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. He was optioned to the Triple-A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

on March 12. In early May, he threw a combined no-hitter for the Bulls against the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

. He was recalled by the Rays on May 20 to start in Toronto against the Blue Jays. He was sent back to the Bulls on May 29. He was recalled on August 29 for a start against the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

, and optioned back to Durham the next day. He was recalled on September 20. Odorizzi spent majority of the 2013 season in the minor leagues posting a 9–6 with a 3.33 ERA in 22 Starts with the

. He got a late call up at the end of 2013, playing in 7 games (4 starts) and had a 3.94 ERA. In 2014, Odorizzi was the fourth pitcher in the rotation for most of the season. He pitched moderately well, posting an 11–13 won–loss record, and a 4.13 ERA in 33 starts, pitching 168 innings with 174 strikeouts. He came in 8th for AL Rookie of the Year receiving one third place vote. In the 2015 season, Odorizzi posted a record of 9–9 with an ERA of 3.25 and FIP of 3.16 in 169.1 innings, despite only making 28 starts. He led all major league pitchers in

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 ...

percentage (30.0%). In the 2016 season, Odorizzi went 10–6 with an ERA of 3.69 in 33 games over 187.2 innings. His 17

no decision A no decision (sometimes written no-decision) is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports. Baseball and softball A starting pitcher who leaves a game withou ...

s were the most among MLB starting pitchers in 2016. As of July 26, 2017, 18.3% of all fly balls hit against Odorizzi went for a home run, up 7.2% from his career average (11.1%). As of July 26, his

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

had ballooned to 4.47, an FIP of 5.74, and had allowed 23 home runs in 18 games, even with these stats, Odorizzi had a winning record of 6–4. On July 26, the Rays put Odorizzi on the 10-day DL with a lower back strain. On August 9, Odorizzi was activated from the DL. After posting a strong September, going 3–1 with a 1.03 ERA in 26.1 innings, Odorizzi ended the season 10–8 with a 4.14 ERA in 143.1 innings pitched.

Minnesota Twins

On February 17, 2018, the Rays traded Odorizzi to the

for minor leaguer Jermaine Palacios. On September 12, Odorizzi pitched no-hit innings before Greg Bird of 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 ...

hit a run-scoring double in the 8th inning. Overall on the season, Odorizzi finished with a 7–10 record and 4.49 ERA in 32 starts. He had the lowest

ground ball In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

percentage among major league pitchers (28.4%). He also tied for the major league lead in bunt hits allowed, with six. In 2019, Odorizzi had a career year despite averaging under 6 innings per start. He finished 15–7 with a 3.51 ERA in 159 innings, striking out a career high 178. On November 14, 2019, Odorizzi agreed to the

qualifying offer of a one-year, $17.8 million contract. Odorizzi began the 2020 season on the injured list due to a right intercostal strain and made his season debut on August 8, 2020, against the

. On August 21, Odorizzi was struck in the chest by a

line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

off the bat of Kansas City Royals outfielder

Alex Gordon Alexander Jonathan Gordon (born February 10, 1984) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Prior to playing professional ...

. Odorizzi suffered a right abdomen contusion and was placed on the injured list, missing about a month of action before returning in late September. In his return start on September 16, Odorizzi suffered a blister on his right middle finger and was again placed on the injured list, returning before the Twins' playoff run. Overall in 2020, Odorizzi was limited to 13.2 innings across 4 starts, recording a 6.59 ERA with 12 strikeouts.

Houston Astros

On March 8, 2021, Odorizzi signed a two-year, $23.5 million contract with the

, with a player option for the 2023 season. In 2021, he was 6–7 with a 4.21 ERA in 24 games (23 starts). Odorizzi won his first game of the

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

season on April 26 to end a 10-game winless streak spanning since the previous August. He hurled six innings versus the Texas Rangers and allowed one run on one hit . He led a 5–0 win over

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

on May 8 with a five-inning, one-hit, and five strikeout effort. In a game versus the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

on May 16, Odorizzi fell as he sprinted to cover first base and left the game. He was activated from the injured list on July 4, 2022, after a 42-game absence to start against the

. In a July 31 start versus the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

, Odorizzi delivered seven shutout innings for a

game score Game score is a metric devised by Bill James as a rough overall gauge of a starting pitcher's performance in a baseball game. It is designed such that scores tend to range from 0–100, with an average performance being around 50 points. F ...

of 79, allowing just two hits and one walk while attaining a season-high of eight strikeouts. Odorizzi was traded after the game, but he received a World Series ring for his contributions to the championship that year.

Atlanta Braves

The Astros traded Odorizzi to the

for reliever

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

on August 2, 2022.

Texas Rangers

On November 9, 2022, the Braves traded Odorizzi and cash considerations to the Texas Rangers for pitcher Kolby Allard. On April 7, 2023, it was announced that Odorizzi would miss the entire 2023 season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.

Tampa Bay Rays (second stint)

On March 15, 2024, Odorizzi signed a minor league contract with the Rays. After two starts for the Triple–A

, Odorizzi was released by the Rays organization on April 11.

Pitching style

Odorizzi throws five pitches. He leads with a

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 ...

at 91–96 mph. He also has a cutter (mid 80s), slider (low 80s), splitter (mid 80s), and

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 ...

(low-mid 70s). The slider is mostly used against right-handed hitters, the changeup mostly against left-handed hitters. Scouts originally regarded his fastball as his best pitch and his changeup as the least developed. With the help of Alex Cobb, Odorizzi developed "the thing": a split-change similar to Cobb's main strikeout pitch. This led to Odorizzi winning the 5th starter's job in spring training in 2014.

Personal life

Odorizzi married Carissa Boxell in November 2012. The couple had their first child, a son, in 2016, and reside in

Lutz, Florida Lutz is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Hillsborough County, Florida, Hillsborough County and Pasco County, Florida, Pasco County, Florida, United States, north of Tampa. While there is a Census-designated plac ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Odorizzi, Jake 1990 births Living people American League All-Stars Arizona League Brewers players Atlanta Braves players Corpus Christi Hooks players Durham Bulls players Helena Brewers players Houston Astros players Kansas City Royals players Major League Baseball pitchers Minnesota Twins players Northwest Arkansas Naturals players Omaha Storm Chasers players People from Breese, Illinois People from Highland, Illinois Baseball players from Madison County, Illinois Sugar Land Skeeters players Sugar Land Space Cowboys players Tampa Bay Rays players Wilmington Blue Rocks players Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players 2017 World Baseball Classic players Baseball players from Clinton County, Illinois