J.A. Happ, Starting Pitcher

Date of Birth: 10/19/1982
Birthplace: Peru, Illinois
College: Northwestern University

J.A. Happ, starting pitcher, was first drafted out of college by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004. He played in the Phillies' minor league system from 2004 through 2008, joining the Phillies for just one game in 2007 and eight games in 2008.

Happ's first full season in the major leagues, 2009, was also his best season. That year, as part of the Phillies starting rotation, he had career highs in games played (35), innings pitched (166.0), and wins (12 to 4 losses). He had a career low ERA of 2.93.

Although Happ had a strong 2009 season, he only played in three games with the Phillies from April through July, 2010. They then traded him to the Houston Astros. He finished the 2010 season with a 6-4 record and 3.40 ERA in 3 games with the Phillies and 13 games with the Astros.

Happ did not have a good first season with the Astros. In 2011, he pitched 156.1 innings in 28 games and he had a 6-15 record with a 5.35 ERA. The following season, the Astros traded him to the Blue Jays in July.

In January, 2013, Happ signed a one-year, $3.7 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had limited playing time in 2013 after he was hit in the head by a line drive in early May. He finished the 2013 season with a 5-7 record and a 4.56 ERA in 18 games.

Happ pitched 158.0 innings in 30 games in 2014. He finished the season with an 11-11 record, 133 strikeouts to 51 walks, and a 4.22 ERA.

On December 3, 2014, Happ was traded to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Saunders. He was traded again on July 31, 2015, this time to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished the 2015 season with an 11-8 record, a career high 151 strikeouts to 45 walks, and a 3.61 ERA in a career high 172.0 innings in 21 games with the Mariners and 11 games with the Pirates.

Happ agreed to return to the Blue Jays on November 27, 2015. He signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the team. He had a strong 2016 season, finishing with career highs in wins (20 to 4 losses), strikeouts (163 to 60 walks), and innings pitched (195.0). He had a 3.18 ERA in 32 games. In the postseason, he pitched 10.0 innings in 2 games and he gave up 13 hits and 3 runs.

In 2017, Happ had a 3.53 ERA in 25 games with the Blue Jays. He had 10 wins and 11 losses and 142 strikeouts to 46 walks in 145.1 innings.

The Blue Jays traded Happ to the New York Yankees on July 26, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 17 wins and 6 losses, 193 strikeouts to 51 walks, and a 3.65 ERA in 20 games with the Blue Jays and 11 games with the Yankees. In the postseason, he pitched 2.0 innings in 1 game and he gave up 4 hits, 1 home run, and 5 runs.

Happ became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He re-signed with the Yankees on December 17, 2018. He finished the 2019 season with 12 wins and 8 losses, 140 strikeouts to 49 walks, and a 4.91 ERA in 161.1 innings in 31 games. In the postseason, he pitched 3.2 innings in 3 games and he gave up 2 hits, including a home run, and 1 run. He struck out 3 batters and walked 2, and he had no wins and 1 loss and a 2.45 ERA.

Happ pitched in nine games in 2020. He finished the season with 2 wins and 2 losses, 42 strikeouts to 15 walks, and a 3.47 ERA in 49.1 innings. In the postseason, he had a 13.50 ERA in 2.2 innings in 1 game. He gave up 5 hits and 4 runs, and he struck out 2 batters and walked 3.

Happ became a free agent on October 30, 2020. He signed with the Minnesota Twins on January 22, 2021. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on July 30, 2021. He finished the season with 10 wins and 8 losses and 122 strikeouts to 48 walks in 19 games with the Twins and 11 games with the Cardinals. He didn't pitch in the postseason.

Happ elected free agency on November 3, 2021.

Career pitching statistics for Happ through 2021 include:

• 354 games played
• 1,893.2 innings pitched
• 133-100 win-loss record
• 1,661 strikeouts to 668 walks
• 4.13 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - J.A. Happ
ESPN - J.A. Happ