| Penn Murfee | |
|---|---|
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1994-05-02)May 2, 1994 (age 31) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 29, 2022, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 5–3 |
| Earned run average | 3.38 |
| Strikeouts | 105 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
William Penn Murfee (born May 2, 1994) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theSeattle Mariners andChicago White Sox.
Murfee attendedMontgomery Bell Academy inNashville, Tennessee.[1] Undrafted out of high school in 2013, Murfree attendedVanderbilt University.[2] Murfee redshirted his freshman season, and playedcollege baseball for theCommodores for three seasons.[2] Murfee was an infielder his first two seasons, before converting to pitching for his final year at Vanderbilt.[1] Murfee transferred toSanta Clara University for his redshirt senior season.[2]
Murfee was drafted by theSeattle Mariners in the 33rd round, with the 988th overall selection, of the2018 Major League baseball (MLB) draft.[3]
He spent the 2018 season with theEverett AquaSox, going 3–2 with a 6.55 ERA over 33 innings. In 2019, he split between theModesto Nuts,Arkansas Travelers, andTacoma Rainiers, going a combined 6–5 with a 3.57 ERA and 136 strikeouts over113+1⁄3 innings.[4] Murfee received the Mariners 2019 minor league "60 ft., 6-in Club” Award.[5]
After the season, he played for thePeoria Javelinas of theArizona Fall League.[6] And also, on October 10, 2019, he was selected for theUnited States national baseball team at the2019 WBSC Premier 12.[7] Murfee did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[8] In 2021, he split the season between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma, posting a 7-3 record and 4.23 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched across 26 appearances (14 starts). He was assigned to Tacoma to begin the 2022 season.
On April 20, 2022, Murfee was added to the Mariners active roster.[9] Murfee was unused out of the Mariners bullpen in the six days he spent on the active roster, and was removed from the 40-man roster and returned to Triple-A on April 27. Due to his time spent on Seattle’s active roster, but no major league playing time, Murfee became aphantom ballplayer.[10] The following day, Murfee was re-selected to the 40-man and active rosters.[11] He made hisMLB debut on April 29, 2022, pitching against theMiami Marlins and recording his first two strikeouts.[12] He made 64 appearances for Seattle in his rookie campaign, pitching to a 4-0 record and 2.99 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 69.1 innings of work.
Murfee pitched in 16 contests for Seattle in 2023, registering a 1.29 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 14.0 innings of work. On June 27, 2023, it was announced that Murfee would undergo season–ending surgery on hisulnar collateral ligament.[13]
On October 31, 2023, Murfee was claimed off waivers by theNew York Mets.[14] On November 14, Murfee was once again claimed off waivers, this time by theAtlanta Braves.[15] The Braves non-tendered him on November 17,[16] and he re-signed with Atlanta on November 30. He was then placed on release waivers by the Braves on March 25, 2024[17] On March 27, Murfee was claimed off waivers by theHouston Astros.[18] The next day, the team placed him on the 15–day injured list, moving him to the 60–day injured list on April 4.[19] Murfee made one rehab appearance for the Single–AFayetteville Woodpeckers but was shut down after experiencing elbow discomfort.[20]
On November 4, 2024, Murfee was claimed off waivers by theChicago White Sox.[21] In 15 appearances for the White Sox, he struggled to an 0-1 record and 7.82 ERA with 13 strikeouts across12+2⁄3 innings pitched. On May 6, 2025, Murfee was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-ACharlotte Knights.[22] In 22 appearances for Charlotte, he logged a 2-1 record and 4.09 ERA with 16 strikeouts and one save over 22 innings of work. Murfee was released by the White Sox organization on August 1.[23]