Brooks Raley Bio
Brooks Lee Raley (born June 29, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, he has spent more than a decade in professional baseball across both the United States and South Korea, building a career as a reliable relief arm. Raley is also a World Baseball Classic gold medalist, having represented the United States in 2023.
Over the course of his career, Raley has played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets, and he spent five seasons in the KBO League with the Lotte Giants. He attended Uvalde High School in Texas and played college baseball at Texas A&M University before being drafted by the Cubs in 2009.
Early Life and Background
Brooks Lee Raley was born on June 29, 1988, in Uvalde, Texas. He grew up in a family with deep roots in baseball, as his father Terry Raley had been drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 1981 and played minor league baseball in places such as Medicine Hat and Kinston before ending his professional career in 1982. That family background gave Raley an early appreciation for the routines and discipline of the sport.
Raley attended Uvalde High School in Uvalde, Texas, where he developed into a promising pitching prospect. His older brother Russell was later drafted by the New York Yankees in 2006, and his younger brother Cory was chosen by the Cleveland Indians in 2012, continuing the family’s involvement in the game. Raley also gained valuable experience playing alongside his brothers in summer and travel baseball, which helped shape his approach on the mound.
Path to Baseball
After high school, Raley enrolled at Texas A&M University, where he played college baseball for the Texas A&M Aggies. He continued to refine his pitching mechanics and built the durability that would later define his professional career, logging heavy workloads for the Aggies. His performance at Texas A&M caught the attention of Major League scouts, and he established himself as one of the top college left-handers in the state.
The Chicago Cubs selected Raley in the sixth round, with the 200th overall pick, of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. That selection launched his professional career and set him on a path that would take him through several organizations and an overseas stint in the KBO League. He also met his future wife, Rachel Shipley, at Texas A&M, where she played for the women’s soccer team.
Brooks Raley Career
Early Career (2009–2011)
Raley opened his professional career in 2009 by splitting time between the rookie-level Arizona League Cubs and the Low-A Boise Hawks, where he posted a combined 0–1 record and a 2.53 ERA with five strikeouts across 10 2/3 innings. In 2010, he moved up to the High-A Daytona Cubs and was used as a regular starter, going 8–6 with a 3.50 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 136 1/3 innings over 27 starts.
The 2011 season saw Raley reach Double-A with the Tennessee Smokies, where he made 26 appearances, 25 of them starts, and finished 8–10 with a 4.22 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 136 1/3 innings. Those three seasons in the Cubs system helped him develop the command and stamina that would later translate to the major leagues.
Chicago Cubs Era (2012–2013)
Raley began the 2012 season with Tennessee before being promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. On August 7, 2012, the Cubs added him to the 40-man roster and promoted him to the major leagues, where he made five starts and posted a 1–2 record with an 8.14 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings. The following year, Raley spent most of the season with the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, appearing in nine games for Chicago with a 5.14 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 14 innings. He was designated for assignment after the 2013 season and was then claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins in February 2014.
After a brief stay in the Twins organization with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, Raley was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on May 8, 2014. He was later removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, where he struggled to a 0–3 record and a 10.57 ERA in six games. The Angels released him in December 2014, setting the stage for a career-changing move overseas.
Lotte Giants Era (2015–2019)
On December 14, 2014, Raley signed a contract with the Lotte Giants of the KBO League in Busan, South Korea, beginning a five-season run in Asia. Over his time with Lotte, he became a durable starting pitcher, compiling a 48–53 record with a 4.13 ERA and 755 strikeouts across 910 2/3 innings from 2015 through 2019. He signed a one-year, $850,000 contract for the 2017 season and helped anchor the Giants’ rotation during his stay in Busan.
Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros (2020–2021)
Raley returned to the United States in 2020, signing a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds that included an invitation to spring training, and he made the Reds’ Opening Day roster. In four innings across four games, he marked his first MLB action since 2013 before being designated for assignment on August 6, 2020. Three days later, on August 9, the Reds traded him to the Houston Astros for minor league pitcher Fredy Medina.
With Houston in 2020, Raley transitioned to a bullpen role and went 0–1 with one save and a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings, striking out 21 batters over 17 relief appearances. The Astros picked up his $2 million option for 2021, and he responded with a 2–3 record, two saves, and a 4.78 ERA in 58 games, striking out 65 batters in 49 innings. He was declared a free agent on November 3, 2021.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2022)
On November 30, 2021, Raley signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. He became an important left-handed reliever for the Rays in 2022, appearing in 60 games and posting a 2.68 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 6 saves in 53 2/3 innings. On June 4, 2022, Raley, along with four other Rays teammates, opted out of wearing the Rays team logo and cap in support of LGBTQ+ Pride during the team’s Pride Night at Tropicana Field.
New York Mets Era (2023–Present)
On December 7, 2022, the Rays traded Raley to the New York Mets in exchange for Keyshawn Askew. In his first year in New York, Raley made 66 appearances out of the bullpen, compiling a 2.80 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 3 saves in 54 2/3 innings. He also represented the United States at the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami, where the team won gold.
Raley opened the 2024 season with eight scoreless appearances for the Mets before an elbow injury ended his year. On May 21, 2024, the team announced he would undergo Tommy John surgery, and he became a free agent after the season. On April 25, 2025, the Mets re-signed Raley to a one-year contract with a team option for 2026, and he was activated from the injured list on July 18, 2025, after beginning the year on the 60-day injured list.
Driving Style and Strengths
Raley is a left-handed pitcher whose career has been built on durability, command, and the ability to adapt between starting and relieving. His five seasons in the KBO League as a starter demonstrated his stamina and consistency, while his later run in the American League showed a smooth transition to high-leverage relief work, with reliable strikeout rates and the composure needed for late-inning appearances.
Notable Events and Milestones
Raley’s career has included several memorable moments, from his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2012 to his standout 2.68 ERA season with the Rays in 2022 and his strong first year with the Mets in 2023. He also won a World Baseball Classic gold medal with the United States in 2023 and was part of a group of Rays players who publicly supported LGBTQ+ inclusion during the 2022 Pride Night at Tropicana Field.
Brooks Raley Career Wins
Brooks Raley has compiled a varied and durable resume across the major leagues and the KBO League, with his most prominent statistical work coming as a starter in South Korea and a reliever in the American League. His MLB win-loss record through 2026 sits at 11–12 with a 3.68 ERA and 309 strikeouts, while he added a 48–53 record, 4.13 ERA, and 755 strikeouts in the KBO League from 2015 through 2019.
KBO League Highlights
Across five seasons with the Lotte Giants from 2015 through 2019, Raley produced a 48–53 record with a 4.13 ERA and 755 strikeouts over 910 2/3 innings. He was a consistent presence in the Giants’ rotation and signed a one-year, $850,000 contract for the 2017 season, reflecting his value to the club in Busan.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his KBO tenure, Raley posted a 2.68 ERA with 6 saves for the Rays in 2022 and a 2.80 ERA with the Mets in 2023, giving him consecutive strong relief seasons in the American and National Leagues. He also represented the United States at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where the team captured the gold medal in Miami.
Brooks Raley Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Raley was raised in Uvalde, Texas, by his parents Terry and DeeAnna Raley. His father was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981 and played in their minor league system with stops in Medicine Hat and Kinston before ending his professional career in 1982. Two of Brooks’s brothers have also played minor league baseball, with older brother Russell drafted by the New York Yankees in 2006 and younger brother Cory chosen by the Cleveland Indians in 2012, giving the family a strong multi-generational connection to the game.
Personal Life
Raley met his wife, Rachel Shipley, while attending Texas A&M University, where she played for the women’s soccer team. The couple later married, and they have four children, three daughters and a son. The Raley family continues to be a central part of Brooks’s life as he balances his MLB career with his roles as a husband and father.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented another chapter in Raley’s long road back from Tommy John surgery, which had ended his 2024 campaign after eight scoreless appearances. After reaching free agency, he re-signed with the New York Mets on April 25, 2025, on a one-year contract that included a team option for 2026. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on April 30 as he continued his recovery, and he was activated on July 18, 2025.
His return to the Mets bullpen gave New York another experienced left-handed option late in games as the team pushed toward the postseason. The combination of his post-surgery workload ramp-up and the Mets’ National League schedule meant that his innings were carefully managed, but his track record from 2022 and 2023 suggested he could quickly return to form.
Looking ahead, Raley’s $1.04 million contract and the Mets’ 2026 team option give the organization flexibility as it evaluates its bullpen depth for the coming year. His experience, his past success in relief, and his championship pedigree with Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic all point to a meaningful role for the veteran left-hander if he stays healthy through the rest of 2025 and into 2026.
