Frederic Michael Tarnok (born November 24, 1998) 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 baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
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
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
of
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). He was selected by the
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) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
in the third round of the
2017 Major League Baseball draft
The 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 12, 2017. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first 36 picks, including the first round and compensatory picks, were broadcast on MLB Network on J ...
. He made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2022.
Amateur career
Tarnok attended
Riverview High School in
Riverview, Florida
Riverview is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. It is located south of Brandon. The population was 107,396 in the 2020 census, up from 71,050 in the 2010 census.
Many of Tampa Bay's radio a ...
, where he played
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
. In 2017, his senior year, he went 7–0 with a 0.66 ERA while also batting .393. Following his senior season, he was selected by the
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) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
in the third round of the
2017 Major League Baseball draft
The 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 12, 2017. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first 36 picks, including the first round and compensatory picks, were broadcast on MLB Network on J ...
. He signed with the Braves, forgoing his commitment to play
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 pl ...
at the
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa (UT) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UT offers more than 200 programs of study, including 22 master's degrees and a broad variety of majors, ...
.
Professional career
Atlanta Braves
Tarnok made his professional debut with the
Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves
The Florida Complex League Braves are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Braves. The team plays at CoolTo ...
, going 0–3 with a 2.57 ERA over 14 innings. In 2018, he pitched with the
Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served ...
of the
Class A South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
, with whom he was named an All-Star. Over 27 games (11 starts), Tarnok went 5–5 with a 3.96 ERA, striking out 83 batters over innings. Tarnok missed time during the 2019 season due to injury, but still started 19 games for the
Florida Fire Frogs
The Florida Fire Frogs were a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League from 2017 to 2020. They were located in North Port, Florida, and served as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
Founded in 2017, the Fire Frogs ...
of the
Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
, pitching to a 3–7 record with a 4.87 ERA. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Tarnok missed the beginning of the 2021 season while rehabbing and made his first appearance in mid-June for Rome, now members of the
High-A East
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...
. After innings pitched with Rome, he was promoted to the
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. T ...
of the
Double-A South
AA, Aa, Double A, or Double-A may refer to:
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* ''America's Army'', a 2002 computer game published by the U.S. Army
* ''Ancient Anguish'', a computer game in existence since 1992
* Aa!, a J-Pop musical group
* Doub ...
in mid-July with whom he finished the year. Over 16 games (14 starts) between the two teams, Tarnok went 6–4 with a 3.44 ERA and 109 strikeouts over innings.
On November 18, 2021, the Braves selected Tarnok's contract and added him to the 40-man roster. He returned to Mississippi to begin the 2022 season. In early July, he was promoted to the
Gwinnett Stripers
The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...
of the
Triple-A International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
. On August 16, 2022, Tarnok was called up to the majors. He made his MLB debut on August 17 from the bullpen. He pitched two-thirds of an inning with no hits or walks and his first career strikeout against
Tyler Naquin
Tyler Wesley Naquin ( ; born April 24, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Prior to playing professi ...
.
Oakland Athletics
On December 12, 2022, the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
acquired Tarnok from the Braves in a three-team trade in which the
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) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
acquired
Sean Murphy Sean Murphy may refer to:
Sports
* Seán Óg Murphy (1897–1956), Irish hurler
* Seán Murphy (hurler) (born 1947), Irish hurler
* Seán Murphy (Gaelic footballer) (born 1932), Irish Gaelic football player
* Sean Murphy (footballer, born 1995), Sc ...
, the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
acquired
William Contreras,
Joel Payamps
Joel Elias Payamps (born April 7, 1994) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, a ...
, and
Justin Yeager, and the Athletics also acquired
Manny Piña
Manuel Elías Piña Reyes (; born June 5, 1987) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Br ...
,
Kyle Muller
Kyle Douglas Muller (born October 7, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2016 MLB draft. He made his MLB debu ...
,
Esteury Ruiz
Esteury Ruiz (born February 15, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022 with the San Diego Padres and also played for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Car ...
, and
Royber Salinas. On April 13, 2023, Tarnok was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. He was activated from the injured list on July 8 and subsequently optioned to the Triple–A
Las Vegas Aviators
The Las Vegas Aviators, formerly known as the Las Vegas 51s and Las Vegas Stars, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Summerlin South, Nevad ...
. He was recalled to the active roster on July 14. In 5 appearances for Oakland, he logged a 4.91 ERA with 14 strikeouts in innings pitched. On August 31, Tarnok underwent season–ending surgery to repair the labrum and cartilage in his right hip.
Personal life
Tarnok's parents are Jeff and Neung. He has a brother, Christopher, and a half-brother, Nick. Through his mother, Tarnok is of Thai descent.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarnok, Freddy
1998 births
Living people
American sportspeople of Thai descent
Arizona Complex League Athletics players
Atlanta Braves players
Florida Fire Frogs players
Gulf Coast Braves players
Gwinnett Stripers players
Las Vegas Aviators players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Mississippi Braves players
Oakland Athletics players
People from Brandon, Florida
Baseball players from Hillsborough County, Florida
Rome Braves players