Jordan McKinley Hicks (born September 6, 1996) 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
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 ...
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 drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the
2015 MLB draft
Fifteen or 15 may refer to:
*15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16
*one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015
Music
*Fifteen (band), a punk rock band
Albums
* ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005
* ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
, and he made his MLB debut with them in 2018. He is one of the hardest throwers in the major leagues, having been clocked as throwing as hard as .
Amateur career
Hicks attended
Klein Oak High School
Klein Oak High School is a public high school serving students grades 9– 12 in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. The school's principal is Thomas Hensley. It was established August 1982.
Klein Oak was the third high school established in ...
in
Klein, Texas
Klein is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, United States, roughly bordering Texas State Highway 99 to the north, Texas State Highway 249 to the west, Interstate 45 to the east, and the city of Houston to the south. It includes ...
, before transferring to
Cypress Creek High School in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, for his senior year. He signed with
Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
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 ...
.
Professional career
Minor leagues
![JHicks2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/JHicks2016.jpg)
Hicks was drafted by 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 the third round of the
2015 Major League Baseball draft
The 2015 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 8 through June 10, 2015, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2014 MLB season standings. As the Diamondbacks ...
out of Cypress Creek High School, and he signed with them for $600,000, forgoing his commitment to Tulane. He made his professional debut in 2016 with the
Johnson City Cardinals
The Johnson City Cardinals were a Minor League Baseball team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The team was affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1975 through 2020 and played in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. The team won ...
of the
Rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...
and was promoted to 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 ...
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
The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
during the season. In 12 starts between the two teams, he was 6–2 with a 2.97 ERA.
Hicks started 2017 with the
Peoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peori ...
of the
Class A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
, where he was named to the Midwest League All-Star game. He was promoted to the
Palm Beach Cardinals
The Palm Beach Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roge ...
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 ...
in July, with whom he was 0–1 with one save and a 1.00 ERA, and 32 strikeouts in 27 innings. Hicks finished 2017 with a combined 8–3 record and a 2.74 ERA in 22 games (19 starts) between the two clubs. After the season, the Cardinals assigned Hicks to the
Surprise Saguaros
The Surprise Saguaros are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Surprise, Arizona, at Surprise Stadium. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Kansas City Royal ...
of the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
(AFL), where he was selected to the Fall Stars Game. He finished the AFL season with nine appearances, an 0–2 record, and a 6.32 ERA and 16 strikeouts over innings, along with hitting up to .
St. Louis Cardinals
2018
Hicks was a non-roster invitee to
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
. He made St. Louis'
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...
roster despite not having ever pitched above
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 ...
. He made his major league debut against 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 ...
and produced the highest average fastball velocity of the day at . He pitched one scoreless inning in which he earned his first strikeout against
Jay Bruce
Jay Allen Bruce (born April 3, 1987) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and New Y ...
. On April 21, Hicks earned his first major league win when he pitched the final innings—all scoreless—versus 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 ...
to help seal a 4–3 victory.
On May 20, Hicks threw the fastest pitch in MLB history, at . He shares this record with
Aroldis Chapman
Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz (; born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball relief pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Chica ...
.
His
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 ca ...
and
sinker had the second- and third-highest average speeds of any MLB pitcher's pitches in 2018, at and .
He continued to garner attention throughout the season as one of the hardest throwing pitchers in MLB. Hicks finished his 2018 rookie campaign with a 3–4 record with six saves, a 3.59 ERA, and a 1.34
WHIP
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
, striking out 70 batters in relief innings.
2019
Hicks began the 2019 season as St. Louis' closer. On June 22, 2019, Hicks was removed from a game with elbow irritation and discomfort, and was originally diagnosed with triceps tendinitis. On June 24, it was revealed he had a torn
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 ...
in his right elbow. On June 25, 2019, Hicks opted to have
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 his right elbow, putting him out for the rest of the 2019. He officially underwent the surgery on June 26. For the 2019 season, Hicks compiled a 2–2 record with 14 saves and a 3.14 ERA, striking out 31 batters in innings.
In 2019, his four-seam fastball was on average the fastest in major league baseball, at . His average pitch velocity was the highest in MLB, at . He threw the fastest pitch of the season, at .
2020
On July 13, 2020, Hicks, who has Type 1 diabetes, announced he would be skipping the 2020 season due to 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 ...
.
2021
On March 14, 2021, Hicks was involved in a 22-pitch at-bat during a spring training game against 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 ...
. Mets shortstop
Luis Guillorme
Luis Miguel Guillorme Gonzalez (born September 27, 1994) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Early life
Guillorme was born in Caracas, Venezuela. His grandparents immigrated fr ...
fouled off 16 pitches before ultimately drawing a walk. This is, to date, the longest at-bat in terms of number of pitches in Major League History.
In early May, Hicks was placed on the injured list due to inflammation in his right elbow. On May 14, Hicks was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He made two rehab starts, but did not make an appearance for the Cardinals for the rest of the season. He was selected to play in the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
for the
Glendale Desert Dogs
The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White ...
after the season.
2022
Hicks signed a one-year, $937,500 contract with the Cardinals to avoid salary arbitration on March 22. On April 6, one day before Opening Day, the Cardinals announced that Hicks would be the team's fifth starter in the absence of
Jack Flaherty
Jack Rafe Flaherty (born October 15, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft, he made his MLB debut in 2017 ...
.
2023
On January 13, 2023, Hicks agreed to a one-year, $1.8375 million contract with the Cardinals, avoiding salary arbitration.
Pitching style
Hicks is one of the hardest throwers in the major leagues, and has been clocked as throwing as hard as 105
miles per hour
Miles per hour (mph, m.p.h., MPH, or mi/h) is a British imperial and United States customary unit of speed expressing the number of miles travelled in one hour. It is used in the United Kingdom, the United States, and a number of smaller countrie ...
. At the start of his professional baseball career, his pitch velocity was inconsistent and he had various mechanical issues. While pitching in an All-Star game, Hicks decided to throw as hard as he could, and reached 100 miles per hour twice. His velocity and overall mechanics began improving, and he continued pitching in the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
after the 2017 season ended, where he regularly threw 100 miles per hour and above.
Personal
Hicks was diagnosed with
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for ...
when he was a junior in high school.
Hicks grew up a
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
fan.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hicks, Jordan
1996 births
Living people
American disabled sportspeople
Baseball players from Houston
Major League Baseball pitchers
St. Louis Cardinals players
Johnson City Cardinals players
State College Spikes players
Peoria Chiefs players
Palm Beach Cardinals players
Surprise Saguaros players
Glendale Desert Dogs players
People with type 1 diabetes