Adam Ottavino Bio
Adam Robert Ottavino (born November 22, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets. Listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 246 pounds (112 kg), he throws right-handed and is a switch hitter. Across his MLB career, he has recorded a 41–43 win–loss record, a 3.48 earned run average, and 862 strikeouts.
Early Life and Background
A native of New York City, Adam Robert Ottavino was born in Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn when he was three years old. He attended elementary school at P.S. 39, The Henry Bristow School in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, attended junior high school at I.S. 240 Andries Hudde, and graduated from the Berkeley Carroll School in Park Slope in 2003. As a young player, he spent summers in a developmental league alongside future teammate Dellin Betances, who was a couple of grades behind him.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Ottavino in the 30th round of the 2003 MLB draft, but he did not sign. Instead, he enrolled at Northeastern University, where he played college baseball for the Northeastern Huskies baseball team. Ottavino holds both the Northeastern career and single-season records for strikeouts and was named the America East Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2005. After that season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Path to Major League Baseball
Ottavino’s path to the majors accelerated in 2006, when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him out of Northeastern University in the first round, with the 30th overall pick of the 2006 MLB draft. That year, he pitched for the Swing of the Quad Cities of the Class A Midwest League and continued to climb through the Cardinals’ minor league system. He reached Triple-A Memphis in 2009, where he recovered from a difficult first half to post a 7–3 record in the second half, earning a spot on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster.
Adam Ottavino Career
Early Career (2010–2011)
Ottavino made his major league debut on May 29, 2010, starting for the St. Louis Cardinals. He appeared in five games that season, three of them starts, before being outrighted off the Cardinals’ 40-man roster after the year. He returned to Memphis in 2011, and the Cardinals re-added him to the 40-man roster after that season. His development through the Cardinals’ farm system laid the foundation for his transition to a relief role in the years to come.
Colorado Rockies Breakthrough (2012–2018)
On April 3, 2012, the Colorado Rockies claimed Ottavino off waivers and assigned him to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Pacific Coast League. The Rockies promoted him to the majors later that season and developed him into a relief pitcher. In 2013, he switched his uniform number to 0 and appeared in 51 games with a 2.64 ERA, and in 2014, he went 1–4 with a 3.60 ERA in a career-high 75 games.
After closer LaTroy Hawkins struggled early in 2015, Ottavino was named the Rockies’ new closer. A partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow was revealed on May 4, 2015, and he underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season. Following the 2015 season, the Rockies signed him to a three-year, $10.4 million contract. After returning from the disabled list in 2016, he completed 37 consecutive scoreless appearances over 31 innings, a Rockies franchise record. In 2018, he went 6–4 with a 2.34 ERA and shared the major league lead in holds with 34.
New York Yankees Era (2019–2020)
On January 24, 2019, the New York Yankees signed Adam Robert Ottavino to a three-year, $27 million contract. He became the first player in Yankees history to wear uniform number 0, the last single-digit number not retired by the team. During the 2019 season, he appeared in 73 games, all in relief, going 6–5 with a 1.90 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 66+1⁄3 innings. In the shortened 2020 season, he made 24 relief appearances and posted a 5.89 ERA with a 2–3 record and 25 strikeouts in 18+1⁄3 innings.
Boston Red Sox (2021)
On January 25, 2021, the New York Yankees traded Ottavino and minor league pitcher Frank German to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations or a player to be named later, marking only the second trade between the rivals since 1987. Ottavino made 69 regular-season appearances in relief, compiling a 7–3 record with 11 saves, a 4.21 ERA, and 71 strikeouts in 62 innings. In the postseason, he made five relief appearances, allowing one run in four innings, as the Red Sox advanced to the American League Championship Series. He elected free agency on November 3, 2021.
New York Mets Era (2022–2024)
On March 14, 2022, Adam Robert Ottavino signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the New York Mets. He made 66 regular-season appearances, going 6–3 with three saves and a 2.06 ERA, striking out 79 batters across 65+2⁄3 innings. On December 20, 2022, he re-signed with the Mets on a two-year, $14.5 million contract with an opt-out after 2023. In 66 games in 2023, he posted a 3.21 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 61+2⁄3 innings before opting out on November 6, 2023. The Mets re-signed him on January 30, 2024, to a one-year, $4.5 million contract, and he appeared in 60 games with a 4.34 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 56 innings. He was removed from the National League Championship Series roster against the Los Angeles Dodgers and replaced by Jeff McNeil, becoming a free agent after the season.
New York Yankees Second Stint (2025)
On February 18, 2025, Ottavino signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox, but was released on March 23 after triggering an opt-out clause. He then signed a major league contract with the New York Yankees on April 1, 2025. After two scoreless appearances, he was designated for assignment on April 4, elected free agency on April 6, and re-signed with the Yankees on a new major league contract the following day. He was again designated for assignment on April 8 and elected free agency on April 10 after clearing waivers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Adam Robert Ottavino relies on a deep pitch mix developed through years of data-driven work, including the pitching lab he built in a Harlem storefront. He has built his career on a strong slider, a four-seam fastball, and a curveball, with late movement that plays well in leverage relief situations. His ability to bounce between setup duties and the closer role has made him a flexible late-inning option throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Ottavino’s career highlights are his 2018 co-lead in major league holds, his 37 consecutive scoreless appearances that set a Rockies franchise record in 2016, and his recovery from Tommy John surgery to remain a high-leverage reliever. He also represented the United States at the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami.
Adam Ottavino Family
Personal Life
Adam Robert Ottavino resides in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, with his wife, Brette, and their two daughters and son. During his first season with the Yankees, the family lived in his childhood neighborhood of Park Slope in Brooklyn. Following the 2017 season, he rented a vacant storefront on St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem from his father-in-law and converted it into a pitching lab, where he and other players used technology and data to develop pitches.
2025 Season Performance
Adam Robert Ottavino’s 2025 season was brief and eventful, beginning when he signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox in February. After an opt-out release in March, he joined the New York Yankees in April and pitched in two scoreless appearances before being designated for assignment. He cycled through free agency, a new contract, another designation, and a final release over the span of roughly one week, reflecting the volatile market for veteran relievers. As of the 2026 season, Ottavino is serving on the YES Network for pregame and postgame coverage of New York Yankees games, while remaining a free agent.