Chris Flexen

Chris Flexen Bio

Christopher John Flexen, born on July 1, 1994, in Newark, California, is an American professional baseball pitcher. He currently plays for the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League after signing a one-year contract in December 2025. Across his professional career, Flexen has also appeared in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs, establishing himself as a durable innings-eater in multiple organizations.

Early Life and Background

Christopher John Flexen grew up in Newark, California, a small city in the San Francisco Bay Area. He attended Newark Memorial High School, where he emerged as a standout two-sport athlete. Flexen played quarterback for the school football team and earned a varsity spot on the baseball roster as a freshman, an unusual accomplishment that highlighted his early athletic ability.

His performance in both football and baseball earned him the nickname “Flex,” a nod to the flexibility and strength that allowed him to compete at a high level across two demanding sports. That dual-thout reputation also helped him attract college attention, and he initially committed to play college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils before professional baseball changed his path.

Path to Professional Baseball

The New York Mets selected Flexen in the 14th round of the 2012 MLB Draft and offered him a $375,000 signing bonus, which convinced him to forgo his commitment to Arizona State. He began his professional career that summer with the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League, posting a 1–3 record and a 5.63 ERA in seven appearances as a teenager adjusting to professional hitters.

Flexen quickly showed growth in 2013 at Kingsport, going 8–1 with a 2.09 ERA in 11 starts, a performance that established him as a legitimate Mets prospect. He advanced through Savannah, Brooklyn, and the Gulf Coast League affiliates, and a strong 2016 season at St. Lucie, where he went 10–9 with a 3.56 ERA, earned him a spot on the Mets’ 40-man roster after that year.

Chris Flexen Career

Early Career (2012–2016)

Flexen’s first four professional seasons were spent developing inside the Mets’ farm system. After back-to-back assignments at Kingsport, he pitched for the Savannah Sand Gnats in 2014 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which interrupted his development. He returned to action in 2015 across Savannah, Brooklyn, and the GCL Mets, posting a combined 2.42 ERA across 12 outings to reestablish himself as a healthy arm.

His most decisive developmental season came in 2016 with the St. Lucie Mets of the High-A Florida State League, where he logged 25 starts and finished 10–9 with a 3.56 ERA. That volume and consistency convinced the Mets to protect him on the 40-man roster, positioning Flexen for his first big league opportunity the following summer.

New York Mets Breakthrough (2017–2019)

Flexen began 2017 at St. Lucie and earned a promotion to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in late May after posting a 2.13 ERA. He made his MLB debut on July 27, 2017, against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, surrendering four runs over his start. Less than two weeks later, on August 8, 2017, Flexen recorded his first major league win against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field, pitching 5⅓ innings and striking out four batters.

MLB.com ranked Flexen as the Mets’ ninth-best prospect heading into the 2018 season, but his major league progress stalled. After starting the year in the Pacific Coast League, he appeared in only four MLB outings, struggling to a 12.79 ERA before undergoing knee surgery in early August that ended his season. He was designated for assignment by the Mets on December 6, 2019, opening the door to an international opportunity.

Doosan Bears First Stint (2020)

One day after his Mets release, Flexen signed a one-year contract with the KBO League’s Doosan Bears, the reigning Korean Series champions. Working in a more pitch-friendly offensive environment and a clearly defined starting role, he posted a 3.01 ERA while striking out 10.2 batters per nine innings. The performance rebuilt his value as a starting pitcher and led directly to his return to MLB.

Seattle Mariners Era (2021–2023)

On December 9, 2020, Flexen signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract with the Seattle Mariners and earned a rotation spot out of spring training. He opened the year with five scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants on April 3, 2021, and went on to pitch his most successful MLB season. Among qualified American League pitchers in 2021, Flexen ranked in the top 10 in ERA (3.61), wins (14), ERA+ (111), Fielding Independent Pitching (3.89), and games started (31). He also led all AL pitchers in starts of seven innings or more with one earned run or fewer allowed.

Flexen transitioned to the bullpen during the 2022 season, recording his first career save on August 30, 2022, against the Detroit Tigers. He finished 2022 with an 8–9 record and a 3.73 ERA across 33 appearances. The 2023 campaign was far more difficult, as he went 0–4 with a 7.71 ERA in 17 appearances before Seattle designated him for assignment on June 27, 2023, and traded him to the Mets a week later.

Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox (2023–2024)

After a brief Mets stint, Flexen signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies in mid-July 2023 and joined the big league rotation later that month. Over 12 starts, he went 2–4 with a 6.27 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 60⅓ innings. He declared free agency after the season and signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Chicago White Sox on December 30, 2023.

In 2024 with the White Sox, Flexen made 33 appearances, including 30 starts, compiling a 3–15 record and a 4.95 ERA with 123 strikeouts across 160 innings. The heavy workload underlined his willingness to eat innings for a struggling team, even as the results fell below his 2021 standard.

Chicago Cubs and Doosan Return (2025)

Flexen signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on February 17, 2025, and opened the year at Triple-A Iowa, where he went 3–0 with a 1.16 ERA and 21 strikeouts across his first five starts. The Cubs selected his contract on April 30, and he quickly earned a save against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 2 with three scoreless innings. Across 21 appearances for Chicago, Flexen went 5–1 with a 3.09 ERA before being designated for assignment on July 29 and released after clearing waivers.

On December 18, 2025, Flexen signed a one-year, $1 million contract to return to the Doosan Bears of the KBO League, returning to the franchise where he had rebuilt his career five years earlier.

Notable Events and Milestones

Flexen’s most notable milestone came in 2021 with Seattle, when he posted a 3.61 ERA and 14 wins while ranking among the American League leaders in multiple categories. He also made MLB history of a smaller kind on debut, becoming the fifth Mets player to allow a home run to the first batter he faced in the major leagues.

Chris Flexen Career Wins

Across his MLB career, Flexen has compiled a 35–50 win–loss record with a 4.83 ERA and 488 strikeouts, numbers that reflect both his workload and the up-and-down nature of his results from season to season. His single most successful year came with the 2021 Mariners, when his 14 wins and 3.61 ERA established him as a reliable mid-rotation starter.

MLB Highlights

Flexen earned his first MLB win on August 8, 2017, against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field, a milestone that came less than two weeks after his debut. He added a save with the Cubs in 2025 and has also recorded his first career save in 2022 with Seattle. His post-2020 MLB career includes stops with the Mariners, Rockies, White Sox, and Cubs, with the 2021 Seattle season standing as the clear high point.

KBO Performances

In his first stint with the Doosan Bears in 2020, Flexen pitched to a 3.01 ERA while leading the KBO in strikeout rate at 10.2 per nine innings. He returned to the Bears on a one-year, $1 million deal for the 2026 KBO season, resuming a chapter of his career that produced his most consistent results.

Chris Flexen Family

Personal Life

Chris Flexen was born and raised in Newark, California, and his long-time nickname “Flex” originated during his high school days when he starred as both a quarterback and a pitcher. He is known to keep much of his personal and family life out of the public eye.

2025 Season Performance

Flexen began 2025 at Triple-A Iowa before the Cubs added him to the active roster on April 30. He immediately contributed out of the bullpen, picking up a save against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 2 with three scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Across 21 appearances for Chicago, he went 5–1 with a 3.09 ERA, giving the Cubs a dependable multi-inning option before being designated for assignment in late July.

After clearing waivers, Flexen was released by the Cubs in early August, leaving him without an MLB club for the remainder of the calendar year. With the Doosan Bears signing him in December 2025, his 2026 outlook points back to the KBO League, where his 2020 success offers a familiar blueprint for a rebound season.