Hunter Strickland Bio
Hunter Drew Strickland (born September 24, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cincinnati Reds. Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 18th round of the 2007 MLB draft, Strickland has built a career as a hard-throwing relief pitcher across more than a decade in the majors. He is a two-time World Series champion, having earned rings with the Giants in 2014 and the Nationals in 2019.
Early Life and Background
Hunter Drew Strickland was born on September 24, 1988, in Thomaston, Georgia, in the United States. He grew up in the small-town setting of central Georgia before later attending Pike County High School in nearby Zebulon. The middle-Georgia region has produced a steady stream of baseball talent, and Strickland’s path into the sport followed the local tradition of multi-sport high school play followed by a professional draft selection.
Coming out of high school, Strickland drew attention from Major League scouts for his arm strength and was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 18th round, 564th overall, of the 2007 MLB draft. The draft placement reflected both his raw potential and the developmental work that still lay ahead. Rather than attend college, he began his professional career in the Red Sox system at a young age, setting the stage for a long apprenticeship through the minor leagues.
Path to Professional Baseball
Strickland made his professional debut with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox, where he posted a 6.04 ERA with 22 strikeouts across nine appearances. The following season he moved up to the Low-A Lowell Spinners, pitching to a 5-3 record and a 3.18 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 15 games. In 2009 he was assigned to the Single-A Greenville Drive, where he recorded a 5-4 mark and a 3.35 ERA with 51 strikeouts over 83⅓ innings of work.
On July 22, 2009, Strickland was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Argenis Díaz in exchange for first baseman Adam LaRoche. He finished that year with the Single-A West Virginia Power, then split 2010 between West Virginia and the High-A Bradenton Marauders. A right elbow strain shortened his 2010 season, and he missed all of 2011 after undergoing rotator cuff surgery. In 2012 he split the year between Double-A Altoona and Bradenton, and the Pirates added him to the 40-man roster that November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He was designated for assignment in March 2013 and was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants on April 2, 2013. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in May, he was released and quickly re-signed to a minor league deal, beginning the path that would lead to the major leagues.
Hunter Strickland Career
Early Career (2013–2014)
After Tommy John surgery in 2013, Strickland worked his way back through the Giants’ system. He posted a 2.02 ERA in 38 appearances for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2014 and was called up to the majors for the first time on September 1, 2014. That same day he pitched a scoreless inning of relief against the Colorado Rockies, marking his big-league debut.
In nine September appearances during his rookie campaign, Strickland allowed five hits and no runs across seven innings. The Giants later included him on their postseason roster, where he was entrusted with high-leverage spots despite his inexperience.
San Francisco Giants Breakthrough (2014–2018)
Strickland’s first major postseason moment came in Game 1 of the 2014 National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Washington Nationals, when he entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth inning and struck out Ian Desmond to preserve the lead. In Game 2, he recorded the save in what became the longest playoff game in major league history by time, an 18-inning 2-1 Giants victory. Despite allowing six postseason home runs that year, a record for a reliever, he finished the 2014 season as a World Series champion when San Francisco defeated the Kansas City Royals.
In 2015, Strickland was called up from Triple-A Sacramento in May and appeared in 55 games, posting a 2.45 ERA with 50 strikeouts across 51⅓ innings. His 0.857 WHIP ranked third-lowest among relievers with at least 50 innings pitched. He made the Opening Day roster for the first time in 2016 and stayed in the bullpen all season, finishing with a 3.10 ERA. In 2017, he was at the center of one of the season’s most talked-about moments when he hit Bryce Harper with a 98-mph fastball on May 29, sparking a benches-clearing brawl with the Washington Nationals. He was suspended six games. He opened 2018 as the Giants’ closer and recorded his first save on Opening Day against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but later fractured his right hand punching a dugout door after a blown save against Miami, an injury that required surgery and ended a significant stretch of his season.
Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals Era (2019)
On January 24, 2019, Strickland signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners, but a Grade 2 right lat strain delayed his season debut. On July 31, 2019, the Mariners traded him and Roenis Elías to the Washington Nationals for Aaron Fletcher, Taylor Guilbeau, and Elvis Alvarado. In 24 games with Washington he went 2-0 with a 5.14 ERA, and combined across both clubs he appeared in 28 games with a 2-1 record and a 5.55 ERA. The Nationals won the 2019 World Series over the Houston Astros, giving Strickland his second championship ring.
New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, and Los Angeles Angels (2020–2021)
Strickland signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets in 2020 and made the Opening Day roster, bouncing on and off the active roster several times before electing free agency in October. He signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays in February 2021 and posted a 1.69 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 13 appearances. On May 15, 2021, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels, where he struggled to a 9.95 ERA in nine appearances before being designated for assignment.
Milwaukee Brewers (2021)
On June 12, 2021, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Strickland for cash considerations. In 35 appearances for Milwaukee he compiled a 3-2 record and a 1.73 ERA with 38 strikeouts across 36⅓ innings, one of the strongest stretches of his career.
Cincinnati Reds (2022–2023)
Strickland signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds on March 23, 2022, and made 66 appearances with a 3-3 record, 4.91 ERA, 60 strikeouts, and 7 saves across 62⅓ innings. He re-signed on a minor league deal in 2023 and was released, re-signed, and released again after struggling to an 11.45 ERA in 12 appearances for Triple-A Louisville.
Los Angeles Angels Return (2024)
On February 16, 2024, Strickland signed a minor league deal with the Angels and joined the major league roster in April. In 72 appearances for Los Angeles, he went 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 57 strikeouts across 73⅓ innings, providing veteran stability in the bullpen.
Driving Style and Strengths
Strickland built his career on a hard fastball that has consistently sat in the upper 90s, peaking at 98 mph during the 2017 incident with Bryce Harper. He works best in short bursts as a late-inning reliever, using a power-over-precision approach that plays well in high-leverage spots. He has shown a willingness to attack hitters inside, and his postseason résumé demonstrates that he can handle pressure moments in tight games.
Notable Events and Milestones
Strickland owns two World Series rings (2014 with the Giants and 2019 with the Nationals), a save in the longest playoff game in major league history, and a record-tying run of postseason home runs allowed by a relief pitcher. His 2017 brawl with Bryce Harper remains one of the most replayed on-field confrontations of the decade.
Hunter Strickland Career Wins
Across his major league career through the 2025 season, Strickland has compiled a 26-25 win-loss record, a 3.39 earned run average, 422 strikeouts, and 30 saves. He has been a reliable middle-to-late-inning reliever for several clubs, with his 2021 stint in Milwaukee standing out as one of his most effective stretches.
Major League Highlights
Strickland’s most sustained regular-season success came in 2015, when he logged a 2.45 ERA in 55 appearances, and in 2021 with the Brewers, when he posted a 1.73 ERA across 35 outings. He added 30 career saves, with his highest single-season save total coming in 2022 with Cincinnati, when he converted 7 chances.
Other Performances
Strickland’s postseason résumé is the centerpiece of his resume. He was a key reliever during the Giants’ 2014 championship run, notching a high-profile strikeout of Ian Desmond in the NLDS and a save in the record-setting 18-inning Game 2. He also appeared in the 2019 postseason for the Nationals on the way to their first World Series title.
Hunter Strickland Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Strickland was raised in the Thomaston, Georgia, area and attended Pike County High School in nearby Zebulon. Public information about his parents and broader family background is limited, and he has not spoken at length in interviews about a specific baseball lineage in his family.
Personal Life
Strickland married his wife, Shelley Todd, in November 2011. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in April 2017. The family has accompanied Strickland through his many club and city changes over the course of his career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a year of movement for Hunter Strickland. He signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in March and was released before Opening Day, but quickly re-signed. In 12 appearances for Triple-A Round Rock he struggled to a 1-2 record and 8.22 ERA, and was released on May 6. That same day, he signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels, joined the major league roster on May 18, and posted a 1-2 record and 3.27 ERA with one save in 19 appearances.
His Angels stint was interrupted on July 8, when he was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and was transferred to the 60-day injured list the following day. The injury cut short what had been a steady bounce-back showing in the Los Angeles bullpen after his rough Triple-A stretch with Round Rock.
Looking ahead, Strickland remained active in the Angels’ system into early 2026 before being released in the spring, underscoring the journeyman phase his career has entered. His experience and upper-90s fastball continue to make him a candidate for a bullpen role with a club looking for late-inning depth, even as his injury history adds some uncertainty to his next opportunity.