| Jake Arrieta | |
|---|---|
_(50270741443)_(cropped).jpg) Arrieta with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1986-03-06)March 6, 1986 (age 39) Farmington, Missouri, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 10, 2010, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 19, 2021, for the San Diego Padres | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 115–93 |
| Earned run average | 3.98 |
| Strikeouts | 1,433 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Medals | |
Jacob Joseph Arrieta (born March 6, 1986) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theBaltimore Orioles,Chicago Cubs,Philadelphia Phillies, andSan Diego Padres.
Arrieta played college baseball atWeatherford Junior College and atTexas Christian University (TCU). He was an All-American and was named Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year at TCU. The Orioles selected Arrieta in the fifth round of the2007 MLB draft, and he signed a then record contract for a fifth round draft pick. He pitched for theUnited States national baseball team at the2008 Summer Olympics, winning thebronze medal.
Arrieta made his big league debut for the Orioles in 2010, and after four seasons he was traded to the Cubs in 2013. In 2015, he led MLB in wins with 22, pitched ano-hitter, and won the 2015 National LeagueCy Young Award. In 2016, he was an NLAll Star, threw his second no-hitter, received aSilver Slugger Award, and won aWorld Series with the Cubs.
Prior to the start of the 2018 season, Arrieta signed a three-year, $75 million contract with the Phillies. In August 2019, it was announced that he would have season-ending surgery to remove abone spur in his pitching elbow. He returned to the starting rotation with the Phillies for the shortened 2020 season. In 2021, he returned to the Cubs, but was released partway through the season before signing with theSan Diego Padres. Arrieta announced his retirement from professional baseball after the 2021 season.
Arrieta was born inFarmington, Missouri, to Lou and Lynda Arrieta.[1] They moved to Texas four months after Arrieta was born, and he grew up inPlano, Texas, where he attendedPlano East Senior High School.[1][2] He was 6–1 with a 1.61 ERA as a junior, and 5–4 with a 1.30 ERA as a senior.[3] As a high school senior he was selected by theCincinnati Reds in the 31st round of the2004 draft, but instead he chose to attend college.[4][5]
Arrieta attendedWeatherford Junior College for his freshman year in 2005, posting a 6–2win–loss record with a 3.43 ERA.[4] Following his freshman year, he was selected by theMilwaukee Brewers in the 26th round of the2005 Major League Baseball draft.[3]
Instead, he opted to transfer toTexas Christian University (TCU), where he played for theTCU Horned Frogs baseball team for his sophomore and junior seasons, and studiedsport psychology.[4][6] During the summer of 2005, prior to enrolling at TCU, Arrieta participated in summer collegiate baseball with the McKinney Marshalls of theTexas Collegiate League, and posted a 4–3 record in 10 starts with a 1.87 ERA over62+2⁄3innings pitched.[4] During his sophomore year in 2006, he ledcollege baseball with 14 wins and had a 2.35 ERA over 19 appearances, and he had 111strikeouts in 111 innings.[3][6] He won theMountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year Award and was named aSecond-Team College Baseball All-American after his sophomore year.[7]
In 2007, his junior year, he was 9–3 with a 3.01 ERA.[3] He was named First-team All-Mountain West in 2007.[3]
Arrieta first joined theUnited States national baseball team in 2006, and helped the team win theWorld University Baseball Championship inCuba. He was 4–0 with 34 strikeouts and a 0.27 ERA—allowing just oneearned run in 35 innings pitched over six starts for the team.[8] In his first start at the2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Arrieta pitched six innings and struck out seven in Team USA's 9–1 victory over theChina national baseball team.[9]
TheBaltimore Orioles selected Arrieta in the fifth round, 159th overall, of the2007 MLB Draft, and he joined the team on asigning bonus of $1.1 million, almost ten times higher than the recommended bonus for a fifth-round pick.[10] Because he signed with the team late, he was not eligible to play for a regular-seasonMinor League Baseball (MiLB) team and made his professional debut in theArizona Fall League (AFL),[11] where he was named a Preseason All-Star.[12] He made an impression there by pitching 16 scoreless innings for thePhoenix Desert Dogs, keeping hiswalks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP) below 1.00 for the AFL championship-winning team.[13]
He opened the 2008 season with theClass AFrederick Keys of theCarolina League. Minor league pitching coachBlaine Beatty remembered Arrieta entering the season with a strong pitching repertoire, but struggling with the mental aspect of the game, particularly with maintaining his composure under duress.[14] He made 20 starts for the Keys, going 6–5 in the process. Additionally, Arrieta served as the Keys' opening day starter, received both Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star honors, and pitched in theAll-Star Futures Game.[15] He pitched a scoreless inning at the Futures Game, allowing only one hit and striking out one. Arrieta was also the only minor league baseball player belowDouble-A to be named to theUnited States national baseball team for the2008 Summer Olympics.[16] He started in one game for the USA team, pitching six scoreless innings in a 9–1 group stage victory overChina. Arrieta and the rest of Team USA ultimately took bronze in the Olympic tournament.[17] Although he missed the final six weeks of the season due to the Olympics, Arrieta led the Carolina League with a 2.87 ERA, while his 120 strikeouts were fourth in the league.[18] When he returned from Beijing, he was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year.[19]
Arrieta received his first Oriolesspring training invitation in 2009, although he was not expected to make his major league debut that season.[12] During spring training, he kept a personal blog that criticized the Orioles' training facilities, as well as the physical abilities of multiple teammates. One Oriole discovered this blog and printed out excerpts that he displayed around the clubhouse; this discovery caused friction between Arrieta and the rest of the team.[20] He opened the regular season with the Double-ABowie Baysox, posting a 6–3 record with a 2.59 ERA in 11 starts before receiving a promotion to theTriple-ANorfolk Tides on June 12.[10] Although he took the loss in his 2–0 club debut against theIndianapolis Indians, Arrieta pitched six solid innings for Norfolk, allowing only two hits and one solohome run.[21] He made 17 starts for Norfolk that season, posting a 5–8 record and a 3.93 ERA while striking out 78 batters in91+2⁄3 innings.[22]
Arrieta received another spring training invitation in 2010, but he was assigned to the Tides on March 25, as Baltimore already had a completestarting rotation, and the club was not interested in having him start as along reliever.[23] Difficulties from Baltimore's starting rotation, however, forced the team to begin calling up minor league pitchers by the end of May. Arrieta was one of the top choices to replaceDavid Hernandez on May 25, butChris Tillman received the promotion in his stead, as Tillman was already on the 40-man roster, which made a promotion logistically simpler.[24] Arrieta received his chance shortly afterwards, replacing a strugglingBrad Bergesen for a June 10 game againstA. J. Burnett and theNew York Yankees.[25] Arrieta pitched for six innings in his debut, allowing three earned runs while striking out six to earn the win in Baltimore's 4–3 victory.[26] WhenBuck Showalter took over as manager for the Orioles on August 3, Arrieta and the rest of the Baltimore rotation showed immediate improvement: after going 14–45 with a combined 5.50 ERA before Showalter, the rotation improved to 15–11 with a 3.23 ERA in the month after his hiring.[27] On September 18, the Orioles decided to shut Arrieta down for the remainder of the season, both because abone spur in his pitching elbow had led totriceps tightness in his last start and because he had pitched a career-high173+1⁄3 innings between Norfolk and Baltimore. After going 6–2 with a 1.85 ERA in 12 minor-league games, Arrieta finished his rookie season 6–6 with a 4.66 ERA in 18 starts, having struck out 52 batters in100+1⁄3 innings.[28] After receiving a second medical opinion, he decided against an offseason surgery to remove the spur.[29]
After securing his position in the Orioles' 2011 starting rotation,[30] Arrieta made his season debut for the Orioles' home opener atCamden Yards on April 4. He allowed one earned run on six hits while striking out three in six innings of the Orioles' 5–1 victory over theDetroit Tigers.[31] He began the season as one of Baltimore's best starters, leading the team with nine wins in 18 starts, but there was some concern over his health and command: his ERA was 4.90 in that same time frame, he rarely lasted beyond six innings, and he frequently walked batters. Additionally, by early July, the bone spur in his elbow had begun to bother him again.[32] He walked at least one batter per game until July 20, when he threw a career-high 111 pitches in seven innings against theBoston Red Sox.[33] The fibrous mass in his elbow continued to affect his command, however, to the point where he walked a career-high six batters in a game against theNew York Yankees.[34][35] Arrieta underwent a season-ending surgery to remove the mass on August 12, and he finished his sophomore season with a 10–8 record and 5.05 ERA in 22 starts.[36]
.jpg)
WhenJeremy Guthrie, who had been the Orioles' Opening Day starting pitcher the last three seasons, was traded to theColorado Rockies, Arrieta was selected to pitch the first game of Baltimore's 2013 season.[37] He earned the win in the Orioles' 5–2 victory over theMinnesota Twins, allowing only two hits and striking out four batters in seven innings.[38] Arrieta was far less successful as the season progressed, going 3–9 with a 6.13 ERA in 18 starts.[39] He briefly spent time in thebullpen in June, but on July 6, after allowing six runs in3+2⁄3 innings of a 9–7 loss to theLos Angeles Angels, Arrieta was demoted to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. ManagerBuck Showalter told reporters, "I think our guys understand that carrying around 6.00 ERAs in the American League just don't cut it".[40] After a minor-league start in which he allowed five earned runs in3+2⁄3 innings against theGwinnett Stripers, Arrieta acquired asport psychologist to aid in the mental aspect of his pitching. His performance improved in kind: Arrieta had a 5.75 ERA in his first six starts for Norfolk and a 1.82 ERA in his last four.[41] In 10 starts for Norfolk, including onecomplete game, Arrieta went 5–4 with a 4.02 ERA.[22] He was promoted back to Baltimore on September 7,[42] and he made six more major-league appearances to close out the season, all of which came in relief.[43] In 24 appearances for Baltimore, 18 of which were starts, Arrieta went 3–9 with a 6.20 ERA, and he struck out 109 batters in114+2⁄3 innings.[44] He dressed for the2012 American League Division Series but was not on the active roster and did not appear in a game. The Orioles lost the series to theNew York Yankees and were eliminated from the postseason.[45]
Arrieta outpitched bothBrian Matusz andSteve Johnson during spring training to win back a position in the Orioles' 2013 Opening Day starting rotation.[46] He struggled with pitch command through his first four starts of the season, during which he went 1–1 with a 6.63 ERA, as well as 16 walks in 19 innings. On April 22, the Orioles demoted Arrieta to Triple-A and promoted right-handed relieverAlex Burnett in his stead.[47] He spent the remainder of his time with the organization bouncing between Baltimore and Norfolk. In five starts for Baltimore across three major-league stints, Arrieta was 1–2 with a 7.23 ERA.[48] He also made nine appearances for Norfolk, all but one of which were starts, and went 5–3 with a 4.41 ERA there.[22]
On July 2, 2013, the Orioles traded Arrieta and fellow pitcherPedro Strop to theChicago Cubs in exchange for starting pitcherScott Feldman and catcherSteve Clevenger. The trade was met with criticism from members of the Cubs clubhouse, who were displeased with the decision to trade away Feldman, whose season by that point had been stronger than that of Strop and Arrieta. Arrieta, meanwhile, was assigned to the Triple-AIowa Cubs in order to reclaim the command that had eluded him in Baltimore.[49] He was first called up to Chicago for a spot start in the second game of adoubleheader against theMilwaukee Brewers, but did not join the Cubs full-time until August 14, when he replaced a strugglingCarlos Villanueva in the rotation. ManagerDale Sveum had planned to call up Arrieta for the final stretch of the season in order to find him work with pitching coachChris Bosio; rather than movingChris Rusin from the rotation as planned, Villanueva was moved to the bullpen to make room for the new pitcher.[50] He went 4–2 in nine starts for his first season in Chicago, recording a 3.66 ERA and 37 strikeouts in51+2⁄3 innings.[44] Additionally, in Iowa, Arrieta posted a 2–2 record with a 3.56 ERA and 39 strikeouts in seven starts and30+1⁄3 innings.[22]
Although he was named to the Opening Day starting rotation,[51] Arrieta missed the first month of the 2014 season with right shoulder tightness before he was activated on May 3.[52] Once healthy, Arrieta showed an increased command of hisslider andcut fastball, which made him more effective against right-handed batters.[53] As a result, he went 4–0 in six starts during the month of June, and his 0.92 ERA was the lowest of any Cubs pitcher in June sinceRick Reuschel in 1977.[54] After losing twono-hitter bids earlier in the season against theCincinnati Reds andBoston Red Sox, Arrieta posted his first major leaguecomplete game shutout on September 16. The Cubs defeated the Reds 7–0, while Arrieta took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before allowing adouble toBrandon Phillips. It was the only hit he allowed that game, giving him the team's first one-hit shutout sinceJon Lieber in 2001.[55][56] Arrieta finished the season with a 10–5 record and 2.53 ERA in 25 starts, and he struck out 167 batters in156+2⁄3 innings.[44]
On July 12, 2015, Arrieta pitched acomplete game victory over the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field, his second complete game of the season and the third of his major league career.[57][58] On August 20, he became the first MLB pitcher to win 15 games in the 2015 season.[59] Ten days later, Arrietano-hit theLos Angeles Dodgers atDodger Stadium for the14th no-hitter in Cubs history. He struck out 12 batters, including all three batters he faced in both the first and ninth innings.Sandy Koufax had been the last pitcher to complete a no-hitter by striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning, doing so against the Cubs inhis 1965 perfect game—a game also played at Dodger Stadium.[60] Arrieta was named theNL Player of the Week for August 24–30 andNL Pitcher of the Month for August with a 6–0 and a 0.43 ERA and the no-hitter. The right-hander held opposing hitters to a .130 batting average and a .196 on-base percentage in August and struck out 43 batters while walking just 10.[61][62] On September 22, Arrieta won his 20th game of the season, throwing a three-hitter against the Brewers.[63] With 11 more strikeouts in that 4–0 Cubs victory at Wrigley, he was the first MLB pitcher to win 20 games this season and had his fourth complete game and third shutout of the season.
After the 2015 All-Star break, he gave up 9 earned runs during 15 starts over107+1⁄3 innings for a 0.75 ERA, the lowest in MLB history in the second half.[64][65] On October 5, he was again named NL Pitcher of the Month for his 4–0 September record with a 0.45 ERA.[66]
For the season, Arrieta's 22–6 record and 1.77 ERA (second in the NL) made him only the fifth pitcher to win at least 22 games with no more than six losses and a sub-2.00 ERA since the earned run became an official stat in 1913.[67] Arrieta's 2015 season has been widely compared toBob Gibson's 1968 season in which Gibson won the National League MVP and Cy Young Awards after posting alive-ball era record 1.12 ERA.[68][69][70] He led the majors in wins, complete games (4), andshutouts (3), and led the National League in hits per 9 innings pitched (5.895) and games started (33).[71] He also led the majors in lowesthome runs per nine innings (0.39).[72] His .786 win–loss percentage and his 0.865walks plus hits per innings pitched were second in the NL.[71]
Arrieta started the2015 National League Wild Card Game.[73] He pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out 11 batters and allowed only four hits to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–0.[74] He became the first pitcher to post a postseason shutout while striking out at least 10 batters and walking zero.[75] He is also the first pitcher to have morestolen bases than runs allowed in a postseason game when he stolesecond base in the top of the 7th inning. Arrieta was the pitcher of record in the Game 2 loss of the2015 National League Championship Series to the New York Mets.
Arrieta won theNL Cy Young Award to become the first Cubs pitcher to do so sinceGreg Maddux in 1992.[76] He was the fifth Cubs winner overall, also joiningFergie Jenkins (1971),Bruce Sutter (1979) andRick Sutcliffe (1984).[77] He also came in sixth in the voting for 2015 NLMost Valuable Player Award.[71]
.jpg)
On February 5, 2016, Arrieta and the Cubs agreed on a recordarbitration deal worth $10.7 million 2016 salary, the largest one-year contract for a second-time arbitration eligible pitcher, toppingDavid Price's $10.1 million salary in 2013.[78] The club chose him as the2016 season Opening Day starting pitcher against theAngels on April 4.[79]
On April 21, Arrieta pitched his second career no-hitter and the15th no-hitter in Cubs history against the Cincinnati Reds in a 16–0 blowout win. He walked four and struck out six.[80] Arrieta, who at the time of the no-hitter had not recorded a loss in his previous 17 regular-season starts, became only the second MLB pitcher ever to go unbeaten in regular-season play between no-hitters, with the only other beingJohnny Vander Meer, who threw consecutive no-hitters in 1938.[81] TheArizona Diamondbacks defeated Arrieta and the Cubs 3–2 on June 5, even with 12 strikeouts in his first five innings, stopping a 20-game regular season winning streak and giving him his first loss in 11 months.[82]
In 2016, he was 18–8 with a 3.10 ERA (10th in the NL) in197+1⁄3 innings.[71] He led the league for the second consecutive year with 6.294 hits per 9 innings pitched, his 18 wins were third in the league, his .692 win–loss percentage was sixth, his 1.084 walks plus hits per innings pitched and 0.730home runs per 9 innings pitched were seventh, his 190 strikeouts and197+1⁄3 innings pitched were eighth, and his 8.666 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched were tenth.[71] He won aSilver Slugger Award after batting .262/.304/.415 with 2 home runs and 7RBIs in 65 at bats, and came in ninth in voting for the 2016 NL Cy Young Award.[71]
In Game 3 of the2016 NLDS, Arrieta hit a three-run home run off ofSan Francisco Giants' pitcherMadison Bumgarner, the first time that a pitcher hit a home run off Bumgarner, which ended Bumgarner's consecutive playoff scoreless innings streak of over 24 innings. Arrieta won Game 2 and Game 6 of the2016 World Series.[83] The Cubs won Game 7 of the series 8–7 in 10 innings, giving them their first World Series title after a 108-year drought.[84]
On January 13, 2017, he agreed to a contract for the 2017 baseball season. He was NL Pitcher of the Month in August.[71]
In 2017, Arrieta made 30 starts with a 14–10 record and a 3.53 ERA (eighth in the National League) in168+1⁄3 innings.[71] He threw 14wild pitches, tied for most in the National League, his 10 hit by pitch were 5th in the NL, and his 8.020 hits per 9 innings pitched and 1.218 walks plus hits per 9 innings pitched were tenth in the league.[71] The Cubs finished the season 92–70 and clinched another NL Central division title.
Arrieta started Game four of the2017 NLDS and, after 90 pitches, left in the fourth inning trailing 1–0. The Cubs and Arrieta lost that game to theWashington Nationals but won Game Five and moved on to the2017 NLCS. After three losses and facing elimination, Arrieta was the starter and winning pitcher in a Game Four victory against theDodgers. After the Cubs season ended in a Game Five loss to the Dodgers, he declined the Cubs' $17.4 million qualifying offer and became afree agent for the first time in his career.[85]
_(cropped).jpg)
On March 11, 2018, shortly before opening day, thePhiladelphia Phillies signed Arrieta to a three-year, $70 million contract with additional options of up to $135 million over five years.[86] The late signing prevented Arrieta from being named to the opening day 25-man roster, as he required additional training time with the Class A-AdvancedClearwater Threshers, but he opened the season shortly afterwards with a start against theMiami Marlins on April 8.[87] Despite a career-low 6.2strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), down from his 9.3 high in 2015, Arrieta posted an ERA of 0.90 in May 2018 by generating weak contact ground balls for easy outs.[88] This strategy was short-lived: the following month, Arrieta went 0–4 with a 6.66 ERA, telling reporters, "The ball is getting hit. That's it. Making mistakes, too many mistakes, especially against an aggressive, a good lineup."[89] After one game in which the Phillies lost 6–1 to theSan Francisco Giants, Arrieta criticized his teammates for their poor defense, especially oninfield shifts. He targetedScott Kingery in particular for not moving quickly enough on the ball that ultimately set upAndrew McCutchen for a three-run home run.[90] Arrieta was also frustrated with himself as the season went on, mostly because he could not explain why his pitching suddenly faltered.[91] He finished the season 10–11 with a 3.96 ERA in 31 starts, with 138 strikeouts in172+2⁄3 innings.[44]
Following the 2018 season, Arrieta revealed that he had injured his knee in June, and that he had chosen to pitch through the pain, hiding the injury from his teammates and from managerGabe Kapler.[92] After re-injuring his knee during an offseason workout, Arrieta discovered that he had suffered ameniscus tear, and he underwent surgery in January to repair the joint.[93] Believing himself healthy and with an improved arm angle while pitching leading into the 2019 MLB season,[94] Arrieta captured his 100th career win on April 12, pitching seven innings of the Phillies' 9–1 rout of theMiami Marlins.[95] By July 7, however, Arrieta seemed mired in a slump, with a 6.63 ERA through his last seven starts.[96] On August 17, Arrieta and the Phillies announced that the pitcher would undergo a season-ending surgery to remove abone spur in his pitching elbow. The spur had been causing pain over Arrieta's last seven starts of the year, limiting him to fewer than six innings per outing.[97] By the time his season ended, Arrieta was 8–8 with a 4.64 ERA in 24 starts for the Phillies, and he struck out 110 batters in135+2⁄3 innings.[44]
Entering spring training in 2020, Arrieta declared himself "100 percent healthy" and was confident that he would be able to perform during the regular season.[98] TheCOVID-19 pandemic, which shortened the2020 MLB season to only 60 regular-season games, proved an added challenge for Arrieta, who was entering the final year of his contract with the Phillies. Rather than having 30 starts to prove himself to the free market crowd as expected, the shortened schedule meant that starters like Arrieta would only expect to see around 10 games of action.[99] He opened the season as the Phillies' No. 3 starter, behind Nola and recent acquisitionZack Wheeler.[100] Two positive COVID-19 tests in the Phillies clubhouse shut the team down for one week, and Arrieta did not receive his first start of the season until August 3, his first MLB appearance in nearly one year. He allowed three runs in five innings of a 6–3 loss to theNew York Yankees.[101] Arrieta remained healthy until September 15, when he was shut down for the season with a hamstring injury. In nine starts for the Phillies, he posted a 4–4 record and a 5.08 ERA. Philadelphia chose not to extend his contract at the end of the season, leaving him a free agent.[102]
On February 17, 2021, Arrieta rejoined the Cubs on a one-year, $4 million contract.[103] After spending spring training tweaking his pitching delivery, Arrieta opened the season as Chicago's No. 2 starter, behindKyle Hendricks.[104] Arrieta's return to the Cubs was marred by injury. First, he suffered a cut on his right thumb on April 30 during a game against theCincinnati Reds; after giving up seven runs in3+1⁄3 innings, Arrieta was removed from the game and was placed on the 10-day injured list.[105] On June 4, he attempted to play through a bout ofgastroenteritis and proceeded to allow six runs in two innings of an 8–5 loss to theSan Francisco Giants.[106] As the season progressed, Cubs management began to voice concerns about Arrieta's pitch command and durability: not once in his first 13 starts of the year did he remain on the mound past the fifth inning.[107] On July 5, Arrieta faced the Phillies for the first time since leaving the team. He threw only 55 pitches across1+2⁄3 innings, allowing seven runs in the process, including a first-inninggrand slam to outfielderAndrew McCutchen.[108] The Cubs unconditionally released Arrieta on August 12, the day after he allowed seven runs on eight hits in one inning against theMilwaukee Brewers. He posted a 5–11 record with a 6.88 ERA during his second stint with the Cubs.[109]
Four days after his release from the Cubs, Arrieta signed a minor league contract with theSan Diego Padres, whose starting rotation had been depleted by injuries toChris Paddack andYu Darvish.[110] He made his first start for the team on August 18, allowing five earned runs in3+1⁄3 innings before departing with a hamstring injury.[111] The injury caused Arrieta to miss 10 games on the injured list; three starts later, on September 19, he departed a game against theSt. Louis Cardinals in the first inning with a rightadductor magnus muscle strain. He faced only six batters and allowed five runs on two hits and a walk.[112] Arrieta wasdesignated for assignment on September 21. In only four starts for the Padres, he recorded a 10.95 ERA, allowing 15 earned runs in12+1⁄3 innings.[113][114] He was released the following day.[115]
On April 18, 2022, Arrieta announced his retirement from professional baseball on theBarstool Sports podcastPardon My Take, saying, "I haven't signed the papers, but I'm done ... At some point, the uniform goes to somebody else, and it's just my time."[116][117] He finished his career with a 115–93 record and a 3.98 ERA in 285 games, all but six of which were starts, across 12 seasons. Arrieta struck out 1,433 batters while walking 571 and allowing 713 earned runs in1,612+1⁄3 career innings pitched.[44]
During his MLB career, Arrieta threw five different kinds of pitches: afour-seam fastball, asinker, achangeup, a slider, and acurveball.[118] During 2015 and 2016, his two most dominant seasons, Arrieta's most effective pitch was a cross between a slider and a cut fastball. He described the pitch as taking on more of a cutter shape towards right-handed batters while leaning towards a slider for left-handed opponents.[119] The hybrid pitch proved effective in inducing strikeouts: in the first three weeks of the 2016 season, Arrieta struck out 17 batters in 80 at bats where his last pitch was the slider/cutter.[120] Later in his career, Arrieta struggled with decreasing velocity on most of his repertoire: between 2015 and 2021, his sinker dropped from 95.3 mph (153.4 km/h) to 91.2 mph (146.8 km/h), while his slider fell from 90.8 mph (146.1 km/h) to 88.1 mph (141.8 km/h).[121] To combat this decreased velocity, Arrieta increased his use ofbreaking balls to confuse hitters while also relying on a sinking fastball to keep pitches low to the ground and playable for fielders.[122]
Arrieta and his wife, gymnast Brittany Arrieta, have known each other since elementary school, and they began dating during their junior year of high school.[123] They have two children together: a son, Cooper, and a daughter, Palmer.[124] The family lives inAustin, Texas, where they are frequent hikers.[125] Arrieta took upPilates in 2013 and began incorporating it into his everyday workouts when he saw an improvement in his pitching.[126]
Politically, Arrieta does not identify with either theDemocratic orRepublican political parties, and he did not vote in the2016 United States presidential election.[127] When the Cubs visited theWhite House to meet with then-President of the United StatesBarack Obama after their World Series victory in 2016, Arrieta clarified that his absence was not for political reasons, but due to the needs of his family.[128] In 2021, Arrieta voiced his skepticism towards theCOVID-19 vaccine, referencing the fact that several members of theNew York Yankees tested positive for the virus despite being vaccinated.[129] That May, he told reporters that he doubted the need to vaccinate as long as other COVID-19 safety guidelines were being followed.[130]
Outside of baseball, Arrieta has made multiple television appearances. In the "Baseball" episode of theHBO comedy seriesVeep, protagonistSelina Meyer meets several members of the Orioles, including Arrieta and teammateTommy Hunter.[131] In 2017, Arrieta and Cubs teammateKris Bryant appeared in an episode ofChicago Fire that focuses on a young Cubs fan injured in a car accident.[132]
| Award/honor | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Major League accomplishments & awards | ||
| Chicago Cubs Opening Day starting pitcher | April 4, 2016 | [79] |
| National League Cy Young Award | 2015 | [77] |
| MLB Wins Leader | 2015 | [77] |
| Pitched ano-hitter | August 30, 2015; April 21, 2016 | [62] |
| National League Pitcher of the Month | 2015 (August & September); 2016 (April); 2017 (August) | [62][66] |
| National League Player of the Week | 2015 (July 6–12, August 24–30, & September 21–27) | [61] |
| Baltimore Orioles Opening Day starting pitcher | April 5, 2012 | [133] |
| Minor League accomplishments & awards | ||
| Eastern League Pitcher of the Week | 2009 (May 18–24 & June 8–14) | [134] |
| All-Star Futures Game | 2008 | [135] |
| Carolina League Pitcher of the Year | 2008 | [134] |
| Carolina League Postseason All-Star | 2008 | [134] |
| Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star | 2008 | [136] |
| Carolina League Pitcher of the Week | 2008 (May 12–18 & May 26 – June 1) | [134] |
| Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team | 2007 | [134] |
| College Baseball Accomplishments & Awards | ||
| Baseball America Second-Team All-American | 2006 | [137] |
| NCBWA second-team All-American | 2006 | [138] |
| NCAA Division I baseball Wins leader | 2006 | [139] |
| Mountain West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Year | 2006 | [4] |
| First-team All-Mountain West | 2006 & 2007 | [4] |
| Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week | 2006 (Feb. 13–19, May 8–14, May 22–28) | [4] |
| Houston College Classic All-Tournament team | 2006 | [4] |
| Other | ||
| Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award | 2016 | [140] |
Jake Arrieta—awards and honors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
