Jeurys Familia, Relief Pitcher

Date of Birth: 10/10/1989
Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Jeurys Familia, relief pitcher, was signed by the New York Mets in July, 2007. He pitched in the Mets' minor league system from 2008 through part of 2013. During that time, he had a 32-32 record, 551 strikeouts to 252 walks, and a 3.81 ERA in 118 games.

Familia joined the Mets for eight games in 2012. The following season, he played in just nine games, spending the rest of the season on the DL after having elbow problems and surgery. In 2014, he was the Mets' setup man and he pitched in 76 games with them. He finished the season with a 2-5 record, 5 saves, 73 strikeouts to 32 walks, and a 2.21 ERA in 77.1 innings.

Familia became the Mets' closer in 2015 after Jenrry Mejia was suspended. He had a strong season, finishing with 43 saves, 86 strikeouts to 19 walks, and a 1.85 ERA in 78.0 innings in 76 games. In postseason play, he gave up 5 hits, including a home run, and 1 earned run in 14.2 innings in 12 games. He had a 0.81 ERA and 5 saves and he struck out 9 batters and walked 2.

Familia had another strong season in 2016, finishing with a 2.55 ERA in 78 games. He had 3 wins and 4 losses, 51 saves, and 84 strikeouts to 31 walks in 77.2 innings. He pitched one inning in the Wild Card game and he gave up 2 hits and 3 runs in the ninth inning, resulting in the Mets' loss to the San Francisco Giants.

On March 29, 2017, Familia received a 15 game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy. After returning to the Mets, he spent time on the DL. He finished the 2017 season with 2 wins and 2 losses, 6 saves, 25 strikeouts to 15 walks, and a 4.38 ERA in 24.2 innings in 26 games.

The Mets traded Familia to the Oakland Athletics on July 21, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 8 wins and 6 losses, 18 saves, 83 strikeouts to 28 walks, and a 3.13 ERA in 72.0 innings in 40 games with the Mets and 30 games with the Athletics.

Familia became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He re-signed with the Mets on December 14, 2018. His new contract is for 3 years and $30 million.

Familia struggled in 2019, finishing with a 5.70 ERA in 66 games. He had 4 wins and 2 losses and 63 strikeouts to 42 walks in 60.0 innings.

Familia pitched in 25 games in 2020. He finished the season with 2 wins and no losses, 23 strikeouts to 19 walks, and a 3.71 ERA in 26.2 innings.

Familia finished the 2021 season with 9 wins and 4 losses, 72 strikeouts to 27 walks, and a 3.94 ERA in 59.1 innings in 65 games.

Familia became a free agent on November 3, 2021. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on March 15, 2022. He was released on August 6th. He signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox on August 9th. He elected free agency on September 16th.

Familia signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 3, 2023, and he was released on March 24th. Two days later, he signed with the Oakland Athletics, who released him on May 6th.

Career pitching statistics for Familia through 2021 include:

• 499 games played
• 498.2 innings pitched
• 32-25 win-loss record
• 125 saves
• 527 strikeouts to 231 walks
• 3.28 ERA

Personal Life

Familia was arrested for domestic violence on October 31, 2016. The charges were dismissed by a New Jersey judge on December 15, 2016.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jeurys Familia
ESPN - Jeurys Familia
Baseball Reference - Jeurys Familia