Jacob Daniel Stallings (born December 22, 1989) 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 ...
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
who is a free agent. He made his
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) debut with the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
in 2016. In 2021, Stallings won the
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
and
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...
. After the 2021 season, the Pirates traded Stallings to the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
.
Amateur career
Stallings attended
Brentwood Academy
Brentwood Academy is a coeducational Christian independent college preparatory school located in Brentwood, Tennessee, for grades 6–12.
History
The charter of Brentwood Academy was signed on November 20, 1969, after ten acres of land on Gr ...
in
Brentwood, Tennessee
Brentwood is a city in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 45,373 as of the 2020 United States census.[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...]
, 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 pl ...
for the
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...
. In 2009 and 2010, he played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Chatham Anglers
The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
. The
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
selected Stallings in the 42nd round of the
2011 MLB draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the first ...
, but he did not sign, and returned to North Carolina for his senior year. The
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
selected him in the seventh round of the
2012 MLB draft
The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto R ...
and he signed.
Professional career
Pittsburgh Pirates
Stallings made his professional debut that same year with the
State College Spikes
The State College Spikes are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in State College, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the campus of Pennsylvania State University.
The ...
where he batted .230/.324/.332 in 66 games. He also played in one game for the
Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of the ...
at the end of the season. In 2013, he played for the
Bradenton Marauders
The Bradenton Marauders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Bradenton, Florida, and play their home games at LECOM Park, which also serves as th ...
where he hit .219 with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 78 games, and in 2014, he returned to Bradenton where he batted .241 with four home runs and 30 RBIs in 68 games. Stallings spent 2015 with Altoona where he slashed .275/.313/.370 with three home runs and 32 RBIs in 74 games. He began the 2016 season with the
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...
.
Stallings was called up to the majors for the first time on June 19, 2016. Stallings recorded his first major league hit, a double, on June 21 against the San Francisco Giants. He was
designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
on July 5, and outrighted to back to Indianapolis after clearing
waivers. In 80 games for Indianapolis, he hit .214/.252/.350 with six home runs and 28 RBIs. Stallings was recalled again by the Pirates on September 13. On September 23, he had a game-winning RBI single in the Pirates' 6–5 win over the Washington Nationals. He was outrighted on November 2, 2016.
In 2017, Stallings spent a majority of the season with Indianapolis, slashing .301/.358/.431 with four home runs and 38 RBIs in 62 games. He also played in five games for Pittsburgh. He began 2018 with Indianapolis, and was recalled by the Pirates on June 10. On September 17, he had a game-winning RBI single in the Pirates 7–6 win over the Kansas City Royals.
In 2018 with Pittsburgh he batted 216/.268/.216. He was outrighted off the roster on May 17, 2019.
In 2020, Stallings batted .248/.326/.376 for the Pirates with three home runs and 18 RBIs. He had the slowest time from home plate to first base of all major leaguers, at 5.09.
On July 17, 2021, Stallings hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
9–7, the third walk-off grand slam in
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore (Pittsburgh), North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). It was opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, ...
history. Stallings finished the 2021 season batting .246/.335/.369 with eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 113 games. He won the
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
and
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...
that year.
Miami Marlins
![Jacob Stallings vs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Jacob_Stallings_vs._Josh_Bell_%2852032941126%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On November 29, 2021, the Pirates traded Stallings to the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
for
Zach Thompson and minor leaguers
Kyle Nicolas
Kyle Todd Nicolas (born February 22, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.
Amateur career
Nicolas grew up in Massillon, Ohio and attended Jacks ...
and
Connor Scott
Connor Bryant Scott (born October 8, 1999) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Amateur career
Scott attended Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, where he played four years of varsit ...
.
His salary for the 2022 season was decided in an arbitration hearing on June 18. He requested $3.1 million, and was awarded $2.45 million.
On January 13, 2023, Stallings agreed to a one-year, $3.35 million contract with the Marlins, avoiding salary arbitration. On May 3, Stallings replaced
Devin Smeltzer
Devin Paul Smeltzer (born September 7, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Miami Marlins organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins.
Amateur career
Smeltzer attended Bishop ...
at pitcher in the 9th inning of a game against 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 ...
. After recording a double play, Stallings faced April NL Player of the Month
Ronald Acuña Jr.
Ronald José Acuña Blanco Jr. (born December 18, 1997) is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). After signing with the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, Acuña made hi ...
, who he struck out on four pitches. He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 17.
Personal life
His father,
Kevin Stallings
Kevin E. Stallings (born October 1, 1960) is a former American basketball coach, who formerly served as the head coach at Illinois State University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Pittsburgh. He was an assistant coach at Purdue Univ ...
, was formerly the head basketball coach at
Illinois State
Illinois State University (ISU) is a Public university, public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is reco ...
,
Vanderbilt, and
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stallings, Jacob
1989 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Lawrence, Kansas
Baseball players from Kansas
Major League Baseball catchers
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Miami Marlins players
Gold Glove Award winners
North Carolina Tar Heels baseball players
Chatham Anglers players
State College Spikes players
Altoona Curve players
Bradenton Marauders players
Indianapolis Indians players