Jordan Walden

Last updated
64+1⁄3 innings, he allowed 49 hits and three home runs while striking out 63 batters. Prior to the 2008 season, Baseball America named Walden the 81st best prospect in minor league baseball. He split that season between the Cedar Rapids Kernels (with whom he went 4–6 with a 2.18 ERA in 18 starts) and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (5–2, 4.04 ERA in nine starts), going a combined 9–8 with a 2.76 ERA in 27 starts. He pitched 1561⁄3 innings, allowing 122 hits and seven home runs while striking out 141 batters. [4]

Before the 2009 season, Walden was named the 70th best prospect in baseball. He pitched for the Arkansas Travelers and went 1–5 with a 5.25 ERA in 13 starts that season. In 2010, he converted to relief pitching, spending 38 games with the Travelers and six games with the Salt Lake City Bees without making a start.

Walden was the California League Pitcher Of The Week for the week of August 11, 2008 with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He also was named Texas League Mid-season All-Star from the Arkansas Travelers in 2010.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Los Angeles Angels promoted Walden to the major league roster on August 22, 2010, by purchasing his contract from their AAA affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees. [5] Within the first week of his major league career, Walden's fastball had been recorded at speeds up to 101 miles per hour (163 km/h). [6]

When the Angels traded Brian Fuentes to the Minnesota Twins on August 27, 2010, they began to use Walden as their setup pitcher in his place in the eighth inning. [7] Walden recorded his first MLB save on September 19, 2010, against Tampa Bay. [8]

The Angels named Walden their full-time closer on April 5, 2011, [9] [10] [11] replacing Fernando Rodney. [12] On July 7, Walden was selected to appear in the MLB All-Star Game for the first time, taking the place of an injured Mariano Rivera. [13] [14] [15] He recorded his 30th save for the first time on September 13 against the Oakland Athletics, [16] and finished the season with 32. [17]

In 2012, Walden struggled with his command early in the season. The Angels demoted him from the closer role on April 27, replacing him with Scott Downs. [18] [19] [20]

Atlanta Braves

Walden pitching in 2013 NLDS game. Jordan Walden in 2013 NLDS.jpg
Walden pitching in 2013 NLDS game.

On November 30, 2012, the Angels traded Walden to the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Tommy Hanson. [21] [22] He pitched 47 innings, with a 4–3 win–loss record, 3.45 ERA, and 54 strikeouts during the 2013 season. Walden agreed to a one-year contract for the 2014 season, worth $1.49 million. [23]

St. Louis Cardinals

On November 17, 2014, the Braves traded Walden and Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. [24] [25] [26] [27] Walden and the Cardinals signed a two-year extension on December 23, 2014, worth $6.6 million. [28] Through April 29, 2015, he made 12 appearances with 12 strikeouts and one run allowed in 10+1⁄3 IP for a 0.87 ERA. However, he was unable to pitch after that due to shoulder stiffness. On May 6, he was diagnosed with a right shoulder strain. [29] The Cardinals initially estimated a timetable of six to ten weeks before he could return to pitching, [30] but recovery took much longer than expected. [31] Instead, his shoulder did not recover, leaving the possibility of surgery to repair the rotator cuff. On September 6, the Cardinals ruled out his return for the remainder of the season. [32] Walden rehabilitated the shoulder the following off-season in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, adopting a program that was five days a week, four hours per day. He worked with former teammate Matt Belisle. [33]

After sustaining a grade 2 latissimus dorsi muscle strain, the Cardinals placed Walden back on the DL to start the 2016 season. [34]

Second stint with the Atlanta Braves

On November 12, 2016, Walden signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. [35] The Braves and Walden mutually agreed to void his contract on February 9, 2017, after discovering that his rehab had not been progressing as expected. [36]

Pitching style

Walden is a hard thrower, with a four-seam fastball ranging from 96 to 99 mph. His off-speed pitch to right-handed hitters is a slider in the mid 80s. He also throws the slider to lefties, but in 2011 he developed a changeup at 86–89 mph that he uses more often. His off-speed pitches work extremely well in tandem with his fastball, with whiff rates of about 48% on his changeup and 61% on his slider — each well above the league averages. He has also experimented with a two-seam fastball. [37] The high whiff rates have contributed to a 10.9 K/9 ratio through mid-2012. [38]

Walden has an unusual pitching motion. He hops in the middle of his windup, and actually has both feet in the air for a split second, before returning to the ground and throwing the ball. [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Downs</span> American baseball player

Scott Jeremy Downs is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago White Sox. He has been a starter, reliever and closer during his baseball career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Octavio Dotel</span> Dominican baseball player (born 1973)

Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Dotel played for 13 major league teams, the second most teams played for by any player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), setting the mark when he pitched for the Detroit Tigers on April 7, 2012, breaking a record previously held by Mike Morgan, Matt Stairs, and Ron Villone. Edwin Jackson broke this record in 2019. Dotel's longest tenure with any one team was the five seasons he spent with the Houston Astros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Wainwright</span> American baseball player (born 1981)

Adam Parrish Wainwright, nicknamed "Waino" and "Uncle Charlie", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Heyward</span> American baseball player (born 1989)

Jason Alias Heyward, nicknamed "J-Hey" is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs. Originally the Braves' first-round selection in the 2007 MLB draft from Henry County High School in Georgia, he began his minor league career at age 17. Heyward soon became one of the top-rated prospects in all of baseball for batting, speed, and defense, and debuted in MLB as Atlanta's starting right fielder on Opening Day 2010. There, he played until being traded to the Cardinals after the 2014 season. Standing 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighing 245 pounds (111 kg), he throws and bats left-handed. He has worn uniform No. 22 throughout his major league career in honor of a high school friend and teammate who died in a traffic collision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Pittsburgh Pirates season</span> Major League Baseball season

The 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 127th season of the franchise; the 122nd in the National League. This was their eighth season at PNC Park. It was the first under new president Frank Coonelly, general manager Neal Huntington, and manager John Russell. Unable to improve on their 68–94, last place finish during the 2007 season, the Pirates had not had a winning record or made it to the playoffs since 1992, and finished 67–95 for their 16th straight losing season. The season was the final of play-by-play announcer Lanny Frattare, whose 33-year tenure as Pirates' broadcaster was the longest in franchise history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaime García (baseball)</span> Mexican baseball player (born 1986)

Jaime Omar García Rodríguez is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Pittsburgh Pirates season</span> Major League Baseball season

The 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 128th season of the franchise and the 123rd in the National League. This was their ninth season at PNC Park. The season is the franchise's second season under the management of John Russell. With this season, the Pirates became the first franchise in professional sports to have a losing record in 17 consecutive seasons, passing the Philadelphia Phillies of 1933–1948 with 16. The Pirates finished sixth and last in the National League Central with a record of 62–99. The Pirates were attempting to improve on their 2008 record, and conquer a winning record and make it to the playoffs for the first time since 1992. However, after going 11–10 in April, the Pirates suffered losing streaks. After an 8-game losing streak on May 3–10, the Pirates never reached above the .500 mark again, and failed to reach their goal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fernando Salas (baseball)</span> Mexican baseball player (born 1985)

Noel Fernando Salas is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He made his major league debut in 2010. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Pittsburgh Pirates season</span> Major League Baseball season

The 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the franchise's 125th season as a member of the National League and 130th season overall. This was their 11th season at PNC Park. The season was the first with manager Clint Hurdle, who was hired to replace the fired John Russell. After going a major league worst 57–105, they enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence, winning more than 70 games for the first time since 2004 and being covered significantly in the summer due to being involved in the pennant race, but they still locked up their 19th consecutive losing season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Rosenthal</span> American baseball player (born 1990)

Trevor Jordan Rosenthal is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Tigers, Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres. A power pitcher, Rosenthal is known for a fastball that is difficult for hitters to pick up and reaches velocities at or over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). He throws and bats right-handed, stands 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall, and weighs 230 pounds (100 kg).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby Miller</span> American baseball player (born 1990)

Shelby Charles Miller is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Martínez (pitcher, born 1991)</span> Dominican baseball player

Carlos Ernesto Martínez, nicknamed "Tsunami", is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals. Originally signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in 2009, MLB voided his contract due to discrepancies over his name and date of birth after the revelation that he was also known as Carlos Matias. However, he was eventually cleared of wrongdoing, as it was found that the inconsistencies arose from poor record keeping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Maness</span> American baseball player

Michael Seth Maness is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The 2013 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 132nd for the baseball team in St. Louis, Missouri, the 122nd season in the National League (NL), and the eighth at Busch Stadium III. On Opening Day, April 1, the St. Louis Cardinals played the 20,000th game in franchise history against the Arizona Diamondbacks, dating back to the start of their American Association (AA) play in 1882. Heading into the 2013 season, St. Louis had an all-time winning percentage of .518.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cory Rasmus</span> American baseball player (born 1987)

Cory Taylor Rasmus is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The St. Louis Cardinals 2014 season was the 133rd for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 123rd season in the National League (NL), and the ninth at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals entered 2014 as the defending NL champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The St. Louis Cardinals 2015 season was the 134th for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 124th season in the National League (NL), and the 10th at Busch Stadium III. They entered the 2015 season as two-time defending NL Central division champions and having made four consecutive National League Championship Series (NLCS) appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magneuris Sierra</span> Dominican baseball player (born 1996)

Magneuris Sierra is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder in the Atlanta Braves organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels. The Cardinals signed him as an international free agent in 2012 and he made his major league debut on May 7, 2017. In 2014, he was the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year after batting .386 with a .939 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 St. Louis Cardinals season</span> Major League Baseball season

The St. Louis Cardinals 2016 season was the 135th for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 125th season in the National League (NL), and the 11th at Busch Stadium III. They entered the season having won a major-league best 100 games, as three-time defending NL Central division champions, and with five consecutive playoff appearances. Forbes magazine estimated the value of the club to be $1.6 billion in 2016, making it the seventh-most valuable franchise in MLB. The Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention following the San Francisco Giants' 7–1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, October 2. This was the first time the Cardinals failed to make the playoffs since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Mayers</span> American baseball player (born 1991)

Michael Christopher Mayers is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City Royals.

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Allison (March 8, 2010). "North Texans on opposite All-Star teams". NBCDFW.com . Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Kimbrel and Walden are newest rookie closers". Yahoo! Sports. April 19, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Alaniz and Boone chosen on second day of 2006 MLB Draft". University of Texas Longhorns. June 7, 2006. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Jordan Walden Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  5. ↑ DiGiovanna, Mike (August 22, 2010). "Angels reliever Jordan Walden's whirlwind weekend takes him to big leagues". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ Saxon, Mark (August 28, 2010). "Angels experimenting with youth". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023. Then there's Jordan Walden, a strapping 6-foot-5 Texan who arrived a week ago and has been clocked throwing 101 mph a few times. After a week in the big leagues, Walden was already being mentioned by Scioscia as a setup candidate after the team traded Brian Fuentes to Minnesota on Friday. Walden looked electric pitching the ninth inning Friday, striking out Ty Wigginton and Felix Pie.
  7. ↑ (Unknown) (August 27, 2010). "Rodney tabbed closer of reshaped bullpen". MLB.com. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Jordan Walden 2010 pitching game log". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  9. ↑ Saxon, Mark (April 5, 2011). "Jordan Walden takes over as closer". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  10. ↑ Plunkett, Bill (April 5, 2011). "Rodney out as closer, Walden in". Orange County Register. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  11. ↑ Baxter, Kevin (April 5, 2011). "Angels' Fernando Rodney loses closer job to Jordan Walden". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  12. ↑ Fraley, Gerry (May 14, 2011). "Former Mansfield pitcher Jordan Walden closes game for Angels". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  13. ↑ Saxon, Mark (July 7, 2011). "Jordan Walden in for Mo on AL All-Stars". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Angels' Walden to replace Rivera at All-Star game". San Diego Union Tribune. Associated Press. July 7, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  15. ↑ Shaikin, Bill (July 7, 2011). "Angels' Jordan Walden selected to American League All-Star team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Howie Kendrick's HRs help Halos keep up with Rangers". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 14, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  17. ↑ DiGiovanna, Mike (January 25, 2012). "Angels closer Jordan Walden looks to change things up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ DiGiovanna, Mike (April 27, 2012). "Walden loses job as Angels closer; Downs to pitch ninth inning". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ DiGiovanna, Mike (April 27, 2012). "Angels' Jordan Walden loses closing job". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Angels move Walden out of closer role". Fox Sports. April 27, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  21. ↑ Crasnick, Jerry (November 30, 2012). "Tommy Hanson swapped for Walden". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Braves trade Hanson to Halos for Walden". Sportsnet. Associated Press. November 30, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Jordan Walden avoids arbitration". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 12, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  24. ↑ Bowman, Mark (November 17, 2014). "Braves acquire Miller, send Heyward, Walden to Cards". MLB.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  25. ↑ Langosch, Jenifer (November 17, 2014). "Cards land Heyward in four-player deal with Braves". MLB.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Heyward, Miller in Braves-Cards swap". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 17, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Cardinals trade Shelby Miller to Braves for Jason Heyward". USA Today. November 17, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Jordan Walden agrees to $6.6M deal". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014. Republished by USA Today, The State Journal-Register
  29. ↑ Connell, Jim (July 23, 2015). "Walden hungers for chance to get back to big leagues". Springfield News-Leader . Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  30. ↑ Langosch, Jenifer (May 6, 2015). "Walden likely out until after All-Star break". MLB.com. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  31. ↑ Langosch, Jenifer (August 4, 2015). "Cardinals slow down Walden's rehab assignment". MLB.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Walden's season likely done for Cards with shoulder injury". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 6, 2015. Republished by USA Today
  33. ↑ Goold, Derrick (February 18, 2016). "Walden out to 'prove I can still pitch'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  34. ↑ Langosch, Jenifer (April 3, 2016). "Mozeliak: Walden to be out 'few months'". MLB.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  35. ↑ Wilmoth, Charlie (November 12, 2016). "Braves Sign Jordan Walden To Minor League Deal". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  36. ↑ Adams, Steve (February 9, 2017). "Braves Void Minor League Deal With Jordan Walden". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Jordan Walden". Brooks Baseball. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  38. ↑ "Jordan Walden Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  39. ↑ Hummer, Steve (August 3, 2013). "Braves' Jordan Walden spring-loaded, summer-proven". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved June 18, 2023. On display for a scoreless eighth inning during last Sunday's nationally televised game against St. Louis, Walden's singular delivery was the subject of slow-motion fascination by the ESPN crew. Look how he raises up as he goes into his motion. Then, for the briefest moment, both feet actually leave the ground as he begins coming forward. Is that a hop off the rubber? Why, yes, and a good one at that, a move that would be as useful in throwing a spear as a baseball. Nothing quite like any other pitcher you've ever seen. San Francisco's Tim Lincecum takes a huge stride off the rubber, hurling himself forward with almost unnatural force. But nobody gets air quite like Walden. The move seems to defy some of the traditional physics of pitching. And still he throws in the upper 90s.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Jordan Walden
Jordan Walden.jpg
Walden with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Pitcher
Born: (1987-11-16) November 16, 1987 (age 35)
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 22, 2010, for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Last MLB appearance
April 29, 2015, for the St. Louis Cardinals