Brooks Joseph Kriske ( ; born February 3, 1994) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

in the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

organization. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for 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) Am ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

, and

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

, and in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Yokohama DeNA BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current n ...

and

Saitama Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway ...

Amateur career

Kriske played all four years of varsity baseball at

Palm Desert High School Palm Desert High School is a secondary school located in Palm Desert, California. The school is a part of the Desert Sands Unified School District. Academics Palm Desert offers numerous Advanced Placement and Honors courses, amongst CP classes ...

Palm Desert, California Palm Desert is a city in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County, California. The city is located in the Colorado Desert arm of the Sonoran Desert, about east of Palm Springs, northeast of San Diego and east of Los Angeles. The popula ...

. He helped his team to three consecutive

California Interscholastic Federation The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have s ...

(CIF) State Finals from 2010–2012, winning the CIF state championships in 2010 and 2012. Kriske pitched a complete-game shutout in the final in 2012. He was a two-time All State selection. Kriske attended the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

(USC) and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...

. He was drafted by the

in the sixth round of the

2016 MLB draft The 2016 Major League Baseball draft began on June 9, 2016, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2015 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks were distributed for players who ...

Professional career

New York Yankees

Kriske began his professional career in 2016 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 pl ...

. He underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery 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 body, ...

that year, and subsequently missed the 2017 season. He was an all-star in the

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 for the

Tampa Tarpons The Tampa Tarpons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Tampa, Florida. The Tarpons play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is a ...

before being promoted to Double-A with the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...

. The Yankees added him to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

after the 2019 season, before being optioned to the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

of Triple-A in March 2020. Kriske was added to the Yankees' active roster on July 26, 2020. He made his major league debut on July 29 against the

, striking out two batters and walking one in an inning of relief. For the shortened 2020 season, Kriske appeared in four games without registering a

decision Decision may refer to: Law and politics *Judgment (law), as the outcome of a legal case *Landmark decision, the outcome of a case that sets a legal precedent * ''Per curiam'' decision, by a court with multiple judges Books * ''Decision'' (novel) ...

, while pitching to a 14.73

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) while striking out eight batters in innings. Kriske began the 2021 season in Triple-A with the RailRiders. He was recalled by the Yankees twice in June and once in July. On July 21, Kriske recorded his first major league win, throwing a scoreless 10th inning against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

, as the Yankees scored in the bottom half of the inning to win. The next day, Kriske was again used in extra innings, this time in a save situation against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. However, he blew the save and took the loss, tying the MLB regular-season record by throwing four

wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third st ...

es in the inning. He was optioned to Triple-A after the game. On September 14, the Yankees designated Kriske for assignment.

Baltimore Orioles

Kriske was claimed off waivers by the

two days later on September 16 and sent to the

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

.Powers, Shad. "Changing Major League teams, Brooks Kriske dropped by Yankees, picked up by Orioles," ''The Desert Sun'' (Palm Springs, CA), Monday, September 20, 2021.
Retrieved September 22, 2021 After pitching a scoreless inning in his only Tides appearance, he was promoted to the Orioles on September 19. He made his Orioles debut in a 4–3 loss to the

Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Home to Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies, the stadium opened April 3, 2004. It is named after Citizens Financi ...

on September 22. The only batter he faced was

Andrew McCutchen Andrew Stefan McCutchen (born October 10, 1986) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants, New Y ...

whose foul out to the catcher stranded two base runners to end the seventh inning. After appearing in four games with a 12.27 ERA in innings, Kriske requested, and was granted his release to pursue an international opportunity on November 30.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars

On December 8, 2021, Kriske signed with the

. Kriske made 18 appearances for the BayStars in 2022, compiling a 1-1 record and 2.57 ERA with 26 strikeouts and one save over 21 innings of work.

Kansas City Royals

On December 15, 2022, Kriske signed a minor league deal with the

. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...

to begin the 2023 season, posting a 6.00 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 5 saves in 27.0 innings pitched. On June 18, 2023, Kriske had his contract selected to the major league roster. In 4 games for the Royals, he recorded a 4.05 ERA with 6 strikeouts in innings pitched. On July 21, Kriske requested and was granted his released by the Royals to continue his career in Japan.

Saitama Seibu Lions

On July 26, 2023, Kriske signed a $320,000 contract with the

. In 14 appearances for Saitama, he recorded a 1.93 ERA with 13 strikeouts and seven saves across 14 innings pitched. Kriske became a free agent after the season.

Cincinnati Reds

On December 21, 2023, Kriske signed a minor league contract with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

. On June 17, 2024, the Reds added Kriske to their 40–man roster to prevent him from exercising the opt–out clause in his contract. In 42 appearances for the Triple–A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

, he compiled a 5–0 record and 3.10 ERA with 72 strikeouts across innings pitched. Kriske was designated for assignment following the signing of Dominic Smith on August 22.

Baltimore Orioles (second stint)

On August 25, 2024, Kriske was claimed off waivers by the

. In 8 games for the Triple–A

, he posted a 5.00 ERA with 9 strikeouts across 9 innings pitched. Kriske elected free agency following the season on October 31.

Chicago Cubs

On November 29, 2024, Kriske signed a minor league contract with the

. He made 13 appearances for the Triple-A

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

, logging a 2-0 record and 3.38 ERA with 28 strikeouts across innings pitched. On May 24, 2025, the Cubs selected Kriske's contract, adding him to their active roster. He made one scoreless appearance for Chicago, striking out one batter in two innings against the

. Kriske was designated for assignment by the Cubs on May 29. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Iowa on June 5.

Personal life

Kriske is named after

Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (May 18, 1937 – September 26, 2023) was an American baseball player who played his entire 23-year career in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "Mr. Hoove ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kriske, Brooks 1994 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Japan Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Riverside County, California Charleston RiverDogs players Chicago Cubs players Iowa Cubs players Kansas City Royals players La Crosse Loggers players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers New York Yankees players category:Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Norfolk Tides players Palm Desert High School alumni Sportspeople from Palm Desert, California Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Staten Island Yankees players Tampa Tarpons players Trenton Thunder players USC Trojans baseball players category:Yokohama DeNA BayStars players