Jeremy Jeffress, Relief Pitcher

Date of Birth: 9/21/1987
Birthplace: South Boston, Virginia

Jeremy Jeffress, relief pitcher, was first drafted in 2006 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched in the Brewers' minor league system from 2006 through 2009. He pitched in 10 games with the Brewers in 2010 and he had a 2.70 ERA in 10.0 innings. He also pitched in 24 games in the minors.

The Brewers traded Jeffress to the Kansas City Royals on December 19, 2010. He spent most of the 2011 and 2012 seasons in the minors. He pitched in 14 games with the Royals in 2011 and he had a 4.70 ERA. In 2012, he had a 6.75 ERA in 13 games with the Royals.

Jeffress was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in November, 2012. He again spent most of the 2013 season in the minors, pitching just 10.1 innings in 10 games with the Blue Jays.

Jeffress became a free agent on April 17, 2014, and a day later, he returned to the Brewers on a minor league contract. He finished the 2014 season with a 2.81 ERA in 3 games with the Blue Jays and 29 games with the Brewers.

Jeffress had his first full season in the majors in 2015, when he pitched in 72 games with the Brewers. He finished the 2016 season with 5 wins and no losses, 67 strikeouts to 22 walks, and a 2.65 ERA in 68.0 innings.

The Brewers traded Jeffress to the Texas Rangers on August 1, 2016. He finished the season with 3 wins and 2 losses, 27 saves (with the Brewers), 42 strikeouts to 18 walks, and a 2.33 ERA in 47 games with the Brewers and 12 games with the Rangers. In the postseason with the Rangers, he pitched 1.0 innings in 1 game and he gave up one hit.

Jeffress returned to the Brewers once again in a trade on July 31, 2017. He finished the 2017 season with 5 wins and 2 losses, 51 strikeouts to 34 walks, and a 4.68 ERA in 39 games with the Rangers and 22 games with the Brewers.

Jeffress finished the 2018 season with 8 wins and 1 loss, 15 saves, 89 strikeouts to 27 walks, and a 1.29 ERA in 76.2 innings in 73 games. In the postseason, he pitched 8.0 innings in 8 games, and he gave up 16 hits, 2 home runs, and 6 runs. He struck out 11 batters and walked 4, and he had a 6.75 ERA.

Jeffress spent time on the DL in 2019 with a right shoulder injury and with a left hip strain. He finished the season with 3 wins and 4 losses, 1 save, 46 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a 5.02 ERA in 52.0 innings in 48 games.

The Brewers released Jeffress on September 1, 2019. He signed with the Chicago Cubs on February 1, 2020. He pitched in 22 games in 2020, and he finished the season with 4 wins and 1 loss, 17 strikeouts to 12 walks, 8 saves, and a 1.54 ERA in 23.1 innings.

Jeffress became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on February 26, 2021, and he was released on March 7th. He played in the independent Atlantic League and the Puerto Rican Winter League in 2021.

Career pitching statistics for Jeffress through 2020 include:

• 414 games played
• 424.1 innings pitched
• 32-12 win-loss record
• 52 saves
• 387 strikeouts to 175 walks
• 3.08 ERA

Personal Life

Jeffress was diagnosed with juvenile epilepsy in June, 2013.

On August 26, 2016, Jeffress was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jeremy Jeffress
ESPN - Jeremy Jeffress