Triston McKenzie
Quick facts for kids Triston McKenzie |
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McKenzie with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024
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| Cleveland Guardians | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 2, 1997 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 22, 2020, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics (through April 16, 2025) |
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| Win–loss record | 21–29 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.07 | ||
| Strikeouts | 462 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Triston Andrew McKenzie, born on August 2, 1997, is an American professional baseball pitcher. He plays for the Cleveland Guardians organization. The Cleveland team chose him as the 42nd player overall in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. Triston first played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2020.
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Triston's Early Baseball Days
Triston McKenzie went to Royal Palm Beach High School in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. In 2015, during his last year of high school, he had a great pitching record. He won 9 games and lost 5, with a very low earned run average (ERA) of 0.79.
The Cleveland team picked him in the 2015 MLB draft. He was the 42nd player chosen overall. Triston decided to sign with the team for $2.3 million. This meant he would not go to Vanderbilt University to play college baseball.
Triston's Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Triston McKenzie began his professional career in 2015. He played for the Arizona League Indians, a rookie league team. He had a 0.75 ERA in 12 innings pitched.
In 2016, Triston started with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He then moved up to the Lake County Captains. Between these two teams, he had a 1.62 ERA. He also struck out 104 batters in 83 and one-third innings.
In 2017, Triston played for the Lynchburg Hillcats. He won 12 games and lost 6, with a 3.46 ERA in 25 starts. That same year, he got to pitch in the All-Star Futures Game. This game features top young players.
He spent the 2018 season with the Akron RubberDucks. He had a 7–4 record with a 2.68 ERA. Experts thought Triston was Cleveland's best young player before the 2019 season. However, he missed the entire 2019 season. This was due to injuries to his lat and pectoral muscles. After that season, Triston was added to the Indians' main 40-man roster.
Making His MLB Debut
On August 22, 2020, Triston McKenzie played his first Major League Baseball game. He pitched against the Detroit Tigers. He struck out 10 batters in six innings. This was the second-highest number of strikeouts for an Indians pitcher in their first MLB start.
During the 2020 Cleveland Indians season, Triston played in 8 games. He had a 2–1 record with a 3.24 ERA. He also had 42 strikeouts in 33 and one-third innings pitched.
Playing in the Big Leagues
Triston started the 2021 season as a starting pitcher for Cleveland. On May 22, 2021, he was sent to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. This happened after he had a 1–3 record and a 6.89 ERA. He also walked 30 batters in 31 and one-third innings.
Triston was called back up on May 26. On May 31, against the Chicago White Sox, he set a team record. He struck out 8 White Sox hitters in a row. Triston was sent down again on June 12. This was because he was walking too many batters.
He was called back for one game on July 9. In that game, he pitched seven innings without giving up any runs. He allowed only one hit and one walk. He also struck out nine Kansas City Royals batters. On August 21, he pitched more than 7 innings against the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed only two hits and struck out Shohei Ohtani three times.
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Before the 2022 season, another player, Marcus Stroman, made a public promise. He said on Twitter he would buy Triston a Rolex watch. This would happen if Triston pitched more than 160 innings and had an ERA below 3.70. Triston finished the year with an 11–11 record. His ERA was 2.96 in 191.1 innings. This was called a "breakout season" by The Athletic magazine. Triston said it felt "refreshing."
Triston started the 2023 season on the injured list. He had a strain in his right teres major muscle. He returned to play on June 4, 2023. After only two starts, Triston had to miss a game on June 16. This was due to pain in his right elbow. The next day, he was placed on the injured list. An MRI scan showed a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament. He was moved to the 60-day injured list on July 6. Triston returned from the injured list on September 24.
In 2024, Triston made 16 starts for Cleveland. He had a 3-5 record and a 5.11 ERA. He struck out 74 batters in 75 and two-thirds innings. Triston began the 2025 season pitching from the bullpen. He made four relief appearances for the Guardians in 2025. He had an 11.12 ERA with four strikeouts in 5 and two-thirds innings. On April 21, 2025, Cleveland decided to remove Triston from their main roster. He was then sent to the Columbus team on April 28.
Triston's Family Life
Triston McKenzie has a younger brother named T.J. T.J. was also drafted by a baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, in 2019. However, T.J. chose to go to Vanderbilt University to play college baseball.
