Jack Flaherty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jack Flaherty |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flaherty with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022
|
||||||||||||||
| Free agent | ||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||
| Born: October 15, 1995 Burbank, California, U.S. |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| debut | ||||||||||||||
| September 1, 2017, for the St. Louis Cardinals | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) |
||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 55–41 | |||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.63 | |||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 942 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Jack Rafe Flaherty (born October 15, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher. He is currently a free agent, meaning he can sign with any team. Jack has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cardinals chose him in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft. He made his big league debut with them in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Jack Flaherty grew up in Burbank, California. He went to Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. There, he played baseball for all four years. His pitching coach was Ethan Katz, who later coached in MLB.
Jack was a pitcher and also played shortstop and third base. When he was a sophomore, two of his teammates, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito, were also drafted into MLB.
In 2013, as a junior, Jack had an amazing year. He won 13 games and lost none (13–0). His ERA was very low at 0.63, which means he gave up very few runs. He also struck out 112 batters.
During his senior year, his high school team was ranked number one in the country for a while. Jack helped the U.S. national team win a Gold Medal. This was at the 2013 18U Baseball World Cup.
In 2014, Jack continued his winning streak. He won a game against Bishop Alemany High School, making his two-year record 20–0. Overall, he finished his last two high school seasons with a 23–0 record. He was named the Southern Section Division I Player of the Year. He was also the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year.
He pitched 78 innings and struck out 125 batters. In his last high school game, he threw a no-hitter. This means no opposing player got a hit off him. He was named the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year for baseball in California. In his four years, his pitching record was 35 wins and only 3 losses.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Jack Flaherty had planned to go to the University of North Carolina. However, the St. Louis Cardinals drafted him in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft. He was the 34th player chosen overall. This pick was given to the Cardinals because Carlos Beltrán, a player, left them to sign with the New York Yankees.
Jack signed with the Cardinals on June 17, 2014. He received a $2 million bonus. He began his minor league career with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals. In 2015, he played for the Peoria Chiefs. He won 9 games and had a 2.84 ERA in 18 starts.
Before the 2016 season, Baseball America magazine said he was the third-best young player in the Cardinals' system. He then played for the Palm Beach Cardinals. In 2016, Baseball America ranked him among the top 100 young players in all of baseball.
In 2017, Jack started with the Springfield Cardinals. He had a great record of 7–2 with a 1.42 ERA. This led to him being promoted to the Memphis Redbirds. There, he continued to pitch well, with a 7–2 record and a 2.74 ERA. Overall, he struck out 147 batters in the minor leagues that year.
Time with the St. Louis Cardinals (2017–2023)
Making His MLB Debut
On September 1, 2017, Jack Flaherty was called up to the MLB. He made his first big league start against the San Francisco Giants. He pitched four innings and struck out six batters. He finished the 2017 season with a 0–2 record and a 6.33 ERA. After the season, the Cardinals named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
First Full Season (2018)
In 2018, Jack made the Cardinals' Opening Day roster. This means he was on the team at the very start of the season. He was sent back to the minor leagues a few times. But he soon earned a spot in the starting rotation.
Jack earned his first MLB win on May 20, 2018. He pitched a great game, striking out 13 batters. He finished his first full season with an 8–9 record. His ERA was 3.34, and he struck out 182 batters in 151 innings.
A Standout Year (2019)
The 2019 season was a huge year for Jack. After the All-Star break, he had an amazing ERA of 0.91. This was one of the lowest ERAs ever recorded in the second half of a season. He was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for both August and September.
He ended the 2019 season with an 11–8 record and a 2.75 ERA. He struck out 231 batters. He was nominated for a Gold Glove for his fielding. He also finished fourth in the voting for the Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher. He was named to the All-MLB Second Team.
Jack also made his first appearance in the playoffs this season. He pitched well in the Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. He also started a game in the Championship Series.
Shortened Season and Injuries (2020–2022)
In 2020, the baseball season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jack made his first Opening Day start. He finished the season with a 4–3 record and a 4.91 ERA. He also started a game in the Wild Card Series.
In 2021, Jack won his salary arbitration case against the Cardinals. This meant he would earn more money. He made his second Opening Day start. He also hit his first career home run! However, he dealt with injuries this season. He was placed on the injured list twice, first for an oblique strain and then for a shoulder strain. He finished the season with a 9–2 record and a 3.22 ERA in 17 games.
In 2022, Jack signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals. He started the season with a shoulder injury. He made only nine appearances that year due to injuries. He finished with a 4.25 ERA.
Final Season with Cardinals (2023)
In 2023, Jack signed another one-year contract with the Cardinals. He made 20 starts for the team. He had a 4.43 ERA and struck out 106 batters.
Moving to Other Teams (2023–2024)
Baltimore Orioles (2023)
On August 1, 2023, Jack was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. He made his Orioles debut two days later and earned a win. He pitched in nine games for the Orioles. He also pitched in the playoffs for them in the Division Series.
Detroit Tigers (2024)
On December 20, 2023, Jack signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. He had a very good season with the Tigers. In 18 starts, he had a 7–5 record with a low 2.95 ERA. He also struck out 133 batters.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2024)
On July 30, 2024, the Tigers traded Jack to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made 10 starts for the Dodgers, with a 6–2 record and a 3.58 ERA. He struck out 61 batters.
Jack pitched in the playoffs for the Dodgers. He started Game 2 of the 2024 NLDS against the San Diego Padres. He also started Game 1 of the 2024 NLCS against the New York Mets, pitching seven scoreless innings. He was chosen to start Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees. He pitched well, holding the Yankees to only two runs. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series!
Personal Life
Jack Flaherty was adopted by Eileen Flaherty when he was three weeks old. He is Catholic. Jack is biracial and identifies as Black. He has been active in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice causes.
