John Fulboam Brebbia (born May 30, 1990) 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
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
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 played college baseball for
Elon University
Elon University is a private university in Elon, North Carolina. Founded in 1889 as Elon College, Elon is organized into six schools, most of which offer bachelor's degrees and several of which offer master's degrees or professional doctorate d ...
. The
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
selected Brebbia in the 30th 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 ...
. He made his MLB debut for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
in 2017, and pitched for them through 2019. He had
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
in 2020.
Early life and amateur career
Brebbia grew up in
Sharon, Massachusetts
Sharon is a New England town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,575 at the 2020 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about southwest of downtown Boston, and is connected to both Boston and Providence by ...
, and attended
Sharon High School
Sharon High School (SHS) is a public high school serving the residents of the town of Sharon, Massachusetts, United States. It serves grades 9 to 12, and is a part of Sharon Public Schools district. The building is located at 181 Pond Street, less ...
through his junior year. He transferred to
Wellington High School in
Wellington, Florida
Wellington is a village just west of West Palm Beach in Palm Beach County and north of Miami. As of 2019, the city had a population of 65,398 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, making it the most populous village in the state. It is the ...
, for his senior year to improve his chances of earning a college baseball scholarship. As a senior at Wellington, he had a 10–1
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 match ...
with a 0.83
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), and recorded an 18-
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
game.
After graduating from Wellington, Brebbia attended
Elon University
Elon University is a private university in Elon, North Carolina. Founded in 1889 as Elon College, Elon is organized into six schools, most of which offer bachelor's degrees and several of which offer master's degrees or professional doctorate d ...
in
Elon, North Carolina
Elon () is a town in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington metropolitan statistical area. The population as of the 2020 census was 11,324. The town of Elon is home to Elon University.
Elon began in 1881 as ...
, where he was a pitcher for the
Elon Phoenix baseball team. During his freshman year, Brebbia helped the Phoenix secure an at-large bid to the
2009 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. In 2011, his junior year, he went 7–1 with a 1.76 ERA in 27 relief appearances. He was named 2011 First Team All-Southern Conference.
In 2010 and 2011, 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 ...
for the
Orleans Firebirds
The Orleans Firebirds, formerly the Orleans Cardinals, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Orleans, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Firebirds play 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 ...
.
Professional career
Early professional career
The
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
selected Brebbia in the 30th round of the
2011 Major League Baseball 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 ...
, with the 929th pick. He signed and made his professional debut that same season with the
Staten Island Yankees
The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and pla ...
of the
Class A-Short Season
Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
New York-Penn League
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, where he was 0–1 with a 0.00 ERA in eight innings.
He spent the 2012 season with the
Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The RiverDogs' home stadium is Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park.
Hi ...
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 ...
, and pitched to a 3–1 record with two saves and a 2.96 ERA in innings over 29 relief appearances.
He spent 2013 with Charleston and the
Tampa Yankees
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
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 ...
; he was a combined 0–5 with one save and a 4.06 ERA in innings pitched in relief.
He was released by the organization on December 13, 2013.
On January 7, 2014, Brebbia signed with the
Sioux Falls Canaries
The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major L ...
of the
American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...
.
In 34 games with the Canaries, he pitched to a 3–2 record with one save and a 3.31 ERA, while striking out 10.5 batters/9 IP (5th-best in the league).
On December 22, 2014, Brebbia was traded to the
Laredo Lemurs
The Laredo Lemurs were a professional baseball team based in Laredo, Texas, that played in the independent American Association from 2012 to 2016. The team played their home games at the Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo, replacing the Laredo Broncos o ...
alongside AJ Kirby-Jones and Joe Testa in exchange for Byron Minnich, Harrison Kain, Jeremy Strawn, Josh Strawn, Tyler Pearson, Gerardo Avila, and cash considerations.
In 2015 with Laredo, Brebbia logged a 7–2 record with a 0.98 ERA (second-best in the league), in 51 games (third-best), with 19 saves (third-best), an 0.762 WHIP (second-best), 4.8 hits/9 IP (second-best), and 11.1 strikeouts/9 IP (fourth-best).
On September 21, 2015, Brebbia signed a minor league contract with 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 f ...
organization and was assigned to 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 ...
.
St. Louis Cardinals
The
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
selected Brebbia from the Diamondbacks in the minor league phase of the
Rule 5 draft at the December 2015
Winter Meetings
Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...
. In 2016, Brebbia played with both the
Springfield Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005.
The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...
of the
Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
and
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...
of the
Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
. He was 5–5 with a 5.03 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 68 innings over 43 games.
Brebbia began the 2017 season with Memphis. There he was 1–1 with three saves, a 1.69 ERA and 29 strikeouts in innings pitched when the Cardinals promoted him to the major league on May 27, 2017. He made his major league debut against the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
on May 28 and remained with the Cardinals for the rest of the season. He finished his 2017 rookie campaign with a 2.44 ERA, 11 walks and 51 strikeouts in innings, and a 0.929 WHIP,
leading all Major League rookie relief pitchers in ERA and WHIP.
He began 2018 with Memphis but was recalled to St. Louis and optioned back to Memphis multiple times during the season. For Memphis, he was 2–0 with two saves, a 4.61 ERA and 24 strikeouts in innings.
In 45 relief appearances for St. Louis, he was 3–3 with two saves and a 3.20 ERA, striking out 60 batters in innings pitched. On October 29, 2018, Brebbia was selected to the MLB All-Star team at the
2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series
The 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series was the twelfth edition of the MLB Japan All-Star Series, a best-of-six series between an All-Star team from Major League Baseball (MLB) and for the second time in series history, the Japanese national team, Sa ...
, pitching in three games in the series.
Brebbia returned to St. Louis' bullpen for the 2019 season. Over 66 appearances during the regular season he went 3–4 with a 3.59 ERA, striking out 87 batters over relief innings.
After first trying
platelet-rich injection (
PRP) treatment for a torn
ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to:
* Ulnar carpal collateral ligament
* Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint
* Ulnar collateral ligament of thumb
The ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb runs along the ulnar side of the met ...
in his right elbow Brebbia underwent
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
on June 1, 2020, causing him to miss the 2020 season.
On December 2, Brebbia was nontendered by the Cardinals. In his three seasons with the Cardinals, Brebbia had a 3.14 ERA, and 10.2 strikeouts/9 IP.
San Francisco Giants
On December 21, 2020, Brebbia signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. On February 17, 2021, Brebbia was placed on the 60-day injured list as he continued to recover from Tommy John surgery. He was activated off of the injured list on June 20, recovering from Tommy John surgery faster than the normal 13–15 month recovery timeframe.
In the 2021 regular season for the Giants, Brebbia was 0–1 with a 5.89 ERA. He pitched 18.1 innings over 18 games. For AAA Sacramento, he was 3–0 with a 2.93 ERA in 17 games (2 starts) in which he pitched 15.1 innings. On November 30, Brebbia signed a $838,000 contract with the Giants, avoiding salary arbitration.
In 2022 with the Giants, Brebbia was 6–2 with a 3.18 ERA in 68 innings, as he pitched in a league-leading 76 games (11 starts).
Pitching style
Brebbia throws a mid-90s
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...
, an effective 80 mph
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), ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy t ...
, and occasionally a
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 ...
.
Personal
Brebbia and his wife, Amanda, welcomed a son in June 2019.
They live in
Smyrna, Georgia
Smyrna is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It is located northwest of Atlanta, and is in the Interstate 285 (Georgia), inner ring of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. It is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs–Alpharetta MSA, which i ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brebbia, John
1990 births
Living people
Baseball players from Massachusetts
Charleston RiverDogs players
Elon Phoenix baseball players
Laredo Lemurs players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Memphis Redbirds players
Orleans Firebirds players
People from Sharon, Massachusetts
San Francisco Giants players
Sioux Falls Canaries players
Springfield Cardinals players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Staten Island Yankees players
Tampa Yankees players
Mankato MoonDogs players