Daniel Claiborne Hudson (born March 9, 1987) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). Hudson was drafted by the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

in the fifth round of the

2008 MLB draft The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008. First round selections ;Key Supplemental first rou ...

. He made his MLB debut for the White Sox in 2009, and has also played for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

, Pittsburgh Pirates,

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

and

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

. Hudson earned the save in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series to clinch the Nationals' first championship in franchise history.

Amateur career

Hudson attended

Princess Anne High School Princess Anne High School (PAHS) is one of 11 high schools in the Virginia Beach City Public School System. Opened in 1954, it is the oldest remaining high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The school is named after the now extinc ...

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

, and

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia w ...

in Norfolk, Virginia, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...

for the

Old Dominion Monarchs The Old Dominion Monarchs are composed of 18 intercollegiate athletic teams representing Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, Virginia. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, sailing, soccer, swimming, and tennis. Wo ...

. While at Princess Anne, Hudson led the Cavaliers to the 2005 state championship. In 2007, he played collegiate summer baseball with the

Harwich Mariners The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...

of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Hudson finished his collegiate career second all-time in strikeouts with 295 (

Justin Verlander Justin Brooks Verlander ( ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. From Manakin-Sabot, ...

is first all-time), sixth in games started with 40 and seventh in innings pitched with 292. He posted a

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...

of 20–14, and had a 3.79

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA).

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

The

selected Hudson in the fifth round of the

2008 Major League Baseball draft The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008. First round selections ;Key Supplemental first ro ...

. For the remainder of the 2008 season he was assigned to the White Sox rookie-level affiliate, the

Great Falls Voyagers The Great Falls Voyagers are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Great Falls, Montana, and play their home games at Cente ...

, where he posted a win–loss record of 5–4 and an ERA of 3.36 in 14 starts. He struck out 90 batters in innings. Hudson began the 2009 minor league season at Low-A level, with the

Kannapolis Intimidators Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte and is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The city of Kannapolis was incorporated in 1984. The ...

. After posting a 1.23 ERA in four starts, Hudson was promoted to the

Winston-Salem Dash The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games a ...

, the Sox Advanced-A team. After eight starts and a 3.40 ERA in Winston-Salem, Hudson was once again on the move up, this time to the Double-A Birmingham Barons. Hudson's rapid rise through the White Sox minor league system continued in Birmingham, where he posted a record of 7–0, with a 1.60 ERA. After nine starts at Double-A level, Hudson was promoted to Triple-A. With the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...

Hudson went 2–0 with an ERA of 3.00 in five starts.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox promoted Hudson to the majors for the first time on September 3, , after posting a 14–5 record and a 2.32 ERA, and striking out 166 in innings at four minor league levels. In his Major League debut on September 4, 2009, he pitched two innings of scoreless relief. Hudson made three appearances out of the White Sox bullpen before taking over

Gavin Floyd Gavin Christopher Floyd (born January 27, 1983), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto Blue ...

's spot in the rotation for the remainder of the 2009 season, after Floyd sustained a hip injury. He received his first win in his second start on September 27, 2009, allowing two earned runs over six innings at

U.S. Cellular Field Guaranteed Rate Field is a baseball stadium located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It serves as the home stadium of the Chicago White Sox, one of the city's two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, and is owned by the state ...

against the Detroit Tigers. After starting the 2010 season in the minors, Hudson was called up on July 11, 2010, to replace

Jake Peavy Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants. He batted and threw right- ...

, who was out for the season with a torn right latissimus dorsi muscle.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On July 30, 2010, the White Sox traded Hudson and minor league pitcher

David Holmberg David A. Holmberg (born July 19, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox. Career Chicago White Sox ...

to the

for Edwin Jackson. He was 7–1 with a 1.69 ERA with the Diamondbacks that season. Hudson finished the 2011 season 16–12, with a 3.49 ERA and 169 strikeouts over 222 innings pitched. He also hit .277/.309/.369 and led all pitchers with 18 hits and 14 RBIs, winning the 2011

Silver Slugger The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters co ...

as the best batter at his position. He helped lead the team to an NL West division title, but faltered in the

NLDS In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...

as he gave up five runs in Game 2 and was credited with the loss. On July 9, 2012, Hudson underwent Tommy John surgery which eliminated him for the remainder of the 2012 season. Hudson began the 2013 season on the 60-day disabled list still recovering from the Tommy John surgery he previously had. In a rehab start with the Double-A

Mobile BayBears The Mobile BayBears were a Minor League Baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which played in the Southern League, served as the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres (1997–2006), Arizona Diamondbacks (2007–2 ...

on June 4, 2013, Hudson re-tore his

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

. Hudson underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time of his career on June 18, 2013, which shut him down for the entire 2013 season. After the season, Hudson was non-tendered by Arizona, becoming a free agent. It was rumored that Hudson still wanted to return to the Diamondbacks and on December 13, 2013, Hudson signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks. Nearly two years after surgery, Hudson returned as a reliever late into the 2014 season. He pitched in three games, totaling innings. The following season, Hudson pitched exclusively out of the bullpen, appearing in 64 games. In 2016, Hudson pitched in 70 games, collecting 5 saves.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 21, 2016, Hudson signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the 2017 season, Hudson appeared in 71 games for the Pirates, compiling a 2–7 record and a 4.38 ERA. On February 22, 2018, the Pirates traded Hudson, Tristan Gray, and cash considerations to the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

for

Corey Dickerson McKenzie Corey Dickerson (born May 22, 1989) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies (2013–2015), Tampa Bay Rays (2016–2017), ...

. However, the Rays released him on March 28.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On April 2, 2018, Hudson signed a minor league contract with the

. He made the Dodgers major league roster and pitched in 40 games for them (with one start) and was 3–2 with a 4.11 ERA in 46 innings, before missing the last month of the season with an arm injury.

Toronto Blue Jays

On February 9, 2019, Hudson signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

. He was released on March 22, and signed a one-year contract with the

on March 25. Hudson finished his stint with the Blue Jays accumulating a 6–3 record with 2 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 45 games (1 start).

Washington Nationals

On July 31, 2019, the Blue Jays traded Hudson to the

in exchange for Kyle Johnston. With the Nationals in 2019, he was 3–0 with six saves and a 1.44 ERA in 24 relief appearances (25 innings). Between the Blue Jays and the Nationals combined in 2019, he was 9–3 with eight saves and a 2.47 ERA in 69 games (one start) covering 73.0 innings. Hudson missed Game 1 of the

2019 National League Championship Series The 2019 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven series between the two winners of the 2019 National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals, for the National League (NL) pennant and the right to ...

to be with his wife in

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...

, to witness the birth of their third daughter. Hudson was on the mound when the Nationals won the 2019 World Series. On October 30, 2019, he pitched the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, striking out two of the three batters he faced (

José Altuve José Carlos Altuve (; born May 6, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros signed Altuve as an amateur free agent in 2007, and he made his major league debut ...

and

Michael Brantley Michael Charles Brantley Jr. (born May 15, 1987) is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians. The son of former MLB player an ...

) to close out a 6–2 victory as the Nationals defeated the Houston Astros to win the 2019 World Series championship. He signed a two-year, $11 million contract to stay with the Nationals on January 6, 2020. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Hudson earned 10 saves in 15 chances and recorded a 6.10 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 11 walks in innings. Hudson shifted to a setup role in the bullpen after the Nationals signed

Brad Hand Bradley Richard Hand (born March 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Toronto ...

during the 2020-2021 offseason. During the 2021 season, he recorded a 2.20 ERA and 14 holds in innings. Hudson made his final appearance for the Nationals on July 26, 2021, before being placed on the COVID-19 injured list on July 29, 2021.

San Diego Padres

On July 30, 2021, Hudson was traded to the

in exchange for Mason Thompson and Jordy Barley. Hudson was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list on August 11, 2021, and made his debut for the Padres later that day. Following the completion of a suspended game against the Padres and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

on September 24, 2021, Hudson and

Adam Duvall Adam Lynn Duvall (born September 4, 1988) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He played college baseball at the University of Louisville. Duvall was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 11th round of the 201 ...

became the first players in Major League Baseball history to have played in two games for four different teams on the same day. Hudson and Duvall were members of the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins, respectively, when the teams faced each other on July 21, 2021. The Braves–Padres game on that same day had been suspended, and by the time it resumed on September 24, 2021, Hudson had joined the Padres, and Duvall was a Brave. Hudson finished the 2021 season with a 3.31 ERA and 75 strikeouts over innings pitched.

Return to Dodgers

On November 30, 2021, Hudson signed a one-year contract to return to the Dodgers. He pitched in 25 games, with a 2–3 record, 2.22 ERA and five saves. In a game on June 24 against the

, Hudson tore his

Anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...

, leading to season ending surgery. Despite this, the Dodgers chose to exercise a $6.5 million club option on Hudson for the 2023 season and also gained an extra option for the 2024 season.

Pitching style

Hudson's pitch repertoire is as follows: *

Four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

(91–98) *

Two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...

(91–95) *

Slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

(81–84) *

Changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

(82–85) * Cutter (86–89) — added in 2012 About half of Hudson's pitches are four-seamers. He also uses the two-seamer and changeup against left-handers, while using all of them against right-handers. The two-seamer and cutter tend to be used earlier in the count to get ahead, while the slider and changeup are often used in 2-strike counts. Hudson featured an occasional curveball early in his career, but he has not thrown the pitch since 2010.

Personal life

Hudson and his wife Sara have three daughters.

Awards and honors

* 2009

This Year in Minor League Baseball Awards The Minor League Baseball Yearly (MiLBY) Awards are given annually to the most outstanding players, teams, single-game performances, plays, moments, homers, and promotions of the year. Initiated by Minor League Baseball in as the "This Year in ...

"Overall Starter of the Year" * 2011 pitchers'

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters co ...

* 2019 World Series Champion

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Daniel 1987 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Baseball players from Virginia Birmingham Barons players Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players Great Falls Voyagers players Harwich Mariners players Kannapolis Intimidators players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers Mobile BayBears players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Old Dominion Monarchs baseball players Pittsburgh Pirates players Reno Aces players San Diego Padres players Silver Slugger Award winners Sportspeople from Lynchburg, Virginia Toronto Blue Jays players Washington Nationals players Winston-Salem Dash players Princess Anne High School alumni