Duane Underwood Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Duane Underwood Jr. |
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Underwood with the Chicago Cubs in 2019
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| Free agent | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 20, 1994 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 25, 2018, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 5–10 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.63 | ||
| Strikeouts | 179 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Duane Lee Underwood Jr. (born July 20, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also plays for the Puerto Rico national baseball team. Currently, he is a free agent, meaning he can sign with any team.
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Duane Underwood Jr.'s Baseball Journey
Starting Out in Baseball
Duane Underwood Jr. grew up playing baseball. He went to Alan C. Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia. After high school, he planned to play college baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Playing for the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs picked Duane in the second round of the 2012 MLB draft. This meant they wanted him to join their team. He signed with the Cubs and started his professional career that same year. He played for different minor league teams like the Arizona League Cubs and Kane County Cougars.
In 2015, Duane moved up to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He pitched very well there. He then played for the Tennessee Smokies and other teams. In 2017, he had a good year with the Smokies, winning 13 games.
Duane made his big league debut with the Cubs on June 25, 2018. This was a huge step for him! He pitched against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent most of 2018 and early 2019 in the minor leagues. But he came back to the Chicago Cubs in August 2019. In one game, he was amazing, striking out all six batters he faced. He played 17 games for the Cubs in 2020.
Moving to the Pittsburgh Pirates
In March 2021, the Cubs traded Duane to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in 43 games for the Pirates that year. He had 65 strikeouts in over 72 innings. Later that year, he had to take some time off because of a shoulder injury.
In 2022, Duane pitched in 51 games for the Pirates. He continued to be a strong pitcher from the team's bullpen. In 2023, he signed a new contract with the Pirates. He pitched in 20 games for them. After that, he became a free agent again.
Time with the New York Yankees
On December 14, 2023, Duane signed a contract with the New York Yankees. He played for their Triple-A team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He pitched well for them, getting 40 strikeouts. In August 2024, he was released by the Yankees.
Playing for Puerto Rico
Duane has family from Puerto Rico through his grandmother. Because of this, he was able to play for the Puerto Rico national baseball team! He joined them for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
In a game on March 13, 2023, Duane pitched against Israel. He helped his team keep a "perfect game" going for a while. A perfect game means no batter from the other team reaches base. Even though the game ended early due to a special rule, it was a very exciting moment for the team.
