Nate Jones (baseball)

Nathan Andrew Jones (born January 28, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox.

Nate Jones
Jones with the Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds – No. 57
Relief pitcher
Born: (1986-01-28) January 28, 1986
Butler, Kentucky
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 8, 2012, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2019 season)
Win–loss record22–13
Earned run average3.12
Strikeouts318
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  United States
World Baseball Classic
2017 Los Angeles Team

Baseball career

Jones attended Pendleton County High School in Falmouth, Kentucky. He was undrafted out of high school, and moved on to Northern Kentucky University and played college baseball for the Northern Kentucky Norse. The Chicago White Sox selected Jones in the fifth round, 179th overall, in the 2007 MLB Draft.[1]

Jones was assigned to the Rookie-level Bristol White Sox, where he went 0–4 in 10 starts with a 5.13 ERA. Despite his slow start, Jones started 2008 with the Single-A Kannapolis Intimidators, but was demoted back to Bristol. He played 4 games with Bristol before being promoted back to Kannapolis. He was promoted to the High-A Winston-Salem Dash, then the Warthogs, where he played his last 2 games of the 2008 season. In total that year, Jones went 2–7 with a 6.14 ERA. He started 2009 with Kannapolis, where he had a 2.41 ERA in 13 games before being promoted to Winston-Salem, now the Dash, where he had a 3.65 ERA in 32 games. His biggest season to date was the 2010 season. He played it with Winston-Salem, going 11–6 with a 4.08 ERA. He led the league in starts (28), innings pitched (152.1) and winning percentage (.647). He was invited to spring training with the White Sox, where he played 3 games and had a 2.25 ERA and a win. He was placed on the 40-man roster for the season to be protected from the Rule V Draft. He played 2011 with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, where he had a 3.27 ERA and 12 saves.[2]

Chicago White Sox

In 2012, Jones made the White Sox 25-man roster out of spring training. Jones made his MLB debut on April 8, 2012, against the Texas Rangers pitching one inning, walking two and striking out one.[3] Jones got his first career win on May 5, against the Detroit Tigers pitching one inning yielding one hit during a 3–2 White Sox victory.[4] He finished the year 8—0, with a 2.39 ERA in 65 games.

In 2013, Jones went 4—5, recording a 4.15 ERA in 70 appearances. Jones lost much of the 2014 season to injury, undergoing back surgery on May 5 and Tommy John surgery on July 29.[5]

Jones started the 2015 season on the 60-day disabled list in an effort to continue recovery from both surgeries. Jones was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list on August 5, 2015. He appeared in 19 games over the final two months of the season and posted an ERA of 3.32, striking out 27 batters in 19 innings.

In 2016, Jones pitched in 71 games, going 5-3 with a 2.29 ERA in ​70 2⁄3 innings. He saved three games, but tied for the major league lead in blown saves, with nine.[6] The following season, he appeared in only 11 games due to injury. In 2018, Jones pitched in 33 games, finishing with an ERA of 3.00 in 30 innings. He was placed on the disabled list on April 28, 2019 with inflammation to his right shoulder. On May 13, 2019, Jones underwent surgery to repair a torn right flexer mass, ending his season.[7]

Texas Rangers

On July 31, 2019, Jones was traded to the Texas Rangers (along with international bonus allotments and cash considerations) in exchange for minor leaguers Joe Jarneski and Ray Castro.[8]

Cincinnati Reds

On January 14, 2020, Jones signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

Pitching style

Jones is a hard thrower with four pitches in his repertoire.[9] His main pitch is a two-seam fastball at 96–99. He also throws a slider and changeup (84–88), and a rare curveball. He uses his fastball early in the count to set up the slider, his main 2-strike off-speed pitch, later in the count.[10]

Personal life

Jones and his wife, Lacy, have three children; daughters Lilly and Emmie Lou, and son Archer. The family resides Falmouth during the off season.[11]

References
  1. "Nate Jones Baseball Statistics [2005-2016]". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  2. "Nate Jones Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  3. "Matt Harrison's arm, Josh Hamilton's bat fuel Rangers". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 8, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  4. "Adam Dunn belts ninth-inning home run to lift White Sox". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 5, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  5. "White Sox RP Jones has elbow surgery". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  6. Major League Leaderboards » 2016 » Pitchers » Standard Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball
  7. Vinnie Duber (May 13, 2019). "Nate Jones out for the year: Has he pitched his last game in a White Sox uniform?". NBC Sports Chicago. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  8. https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-white-sox-nate-jones-20190731-uneme7xrtrhszhbfdijxdlc2ra-story.html
  9. "Q&A: Nate Jones, Unorthodox Power in Chicago | FanGraphs Baseball". www.fangraphs.com. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  10. "Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Nathan Jones". Brooks Baseball. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  11. "Nathan Jones - 2015 Wall of Fame Recipient". Pendleton County School District. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
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