Liam Hendriks, Relief Pitcher, Chicago White Sox

Date of Birth: 2/10/1989
Birthplace: Perth, Australia

Liam Hendriks, relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, started playing baseball in Australia at the age of 10. Eight years later, in February, 2007, he signed with the Minnesota Twins. He played in the Twins' minor league system from 2007 through most of 2011. He missed the 2008 season after having back surgery.

Hendriks first joined the Twins in 2011. He pitched in 4 games as a starting pitcher and he finished with no wins and 2 losses and a 6.17 ERA in 23.1 innings. He didn't do much better in his next two seasons with the Twins, finishing with a 5.59 ERA in 85.1 innings in 16 games in 2012 and with a 6.85 ERA in 47.1 innings in 10 games in 2013. He also played in the minor leagues in all three seasons.

Hendriks was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs on December 13, 2013. Ten days later, he was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles. He was claimed one more time, on February 21, 2014, by the Toronto Blue Jays. He played with the Blue Jays until July 28, 2014, when he was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He spent most of the 2014 season in the minor leagues, pitching in 3 games with the Blue Jays and 6 games with the Royals. He had a 5.23 ERA in 32.2 innings.

Hendriks returned to the Blue Jays in a trade on October 30, 2014. He moved full-time to the bullpen in 2015 and he fared much better as a reliever than as a starter. He finished the season with 5 wins to no losses, 71 strikeouts to 11 walks, and a 2.92 ERA in 64.2 innings in 58 games.

The Oakland Athletics acquired Hendriks in a trade on November 20, 2015. He finished the 2016 season with no wins to 4 losses, 71 strikeouts to 14 walks, and a 3.76 ERA in 64.2 innings in 53 games.

Hendriks pitched in 70 games in 2017. He finished the season with 4 wins and 2 losses, 1 save, 78 strikeouts to 23 walks, and a 4.22 ERA in 64.0 innings.

Hendriks spent time on the DL in 2018 with a right groin strain. He had a 4.13 ERA in 24.0 innings in 25 games. In the postseason, he pitched 1.0 innings in 1 game and he gave up 1 hit, 1 home run, and 2 runs.

Hendriks finished the 2019 season with 4 wins and 4 losses, 25 saves, 124 strikeouts to 21 walks, and a 1.80 ERA in 85.0 innings in 75 games. He didn't pitch in the postseason.

Hendriks pitched in 24 games in 2020. He finished the season with 3 wins and 1 loss, 37 strikeouts to 3 walks, 14 saves, and a 1.78 ERA in 25.1 innings.

Hendriks became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He signed with the White Sox on January 15, 2021. He finished the 2021 season with 8 wins and 3 losses, 113 strikeouts to 7 walks, and a 2.54 ERA in 71.0 innings in 69 games. He led American league relief pitchers in saves with 38. In the postseason, he gave up 3 hits, 1 home run, and 3 runs in 3.0 innings in 3 games.

Career pitching statistics for Hendriks through 2021 include:

• 413 games played
• 587.1 innings pitched
• 27-30 win-loss record
• 78 saves
• 639 strikeouts to 142 walks
• 3.91 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Liam Hendriks
ESPN - Liam Hendriks