Jared Shuster Bio
Jared Craig Shuster, born on August 3, 1998, is an American professional baseball pitcher. He currently plays in the St. Louis Cardinals organization and has Major League Baseball (MLB) experience with the Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox. A left-handed pitcher, Shuster starred at Wake Forest University before the Braves selected him in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and has built a career as a crafty strike-thrower with a strong changeup.
Early Life and Background
Jared Craig Shuster was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and grew up in the same coastal city. He is the son of Bennett and Lori Shuster and has a sister named Alexa. As a child, his favorite Major League Baseball team was the Boston Red Sox, the closest big league club to his hometown. He also played basketball in his youth, which helped him develop the athleticism that scouts would later praise.
Shuster first attended New Bedford High School, where he had an outstanding freshman season on the mound, posting a 6-0 win-loss record with a 0.45 earned run average (ERA) while throwing in the mid-80s. He then transferred to Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, graduating in 2017. At Tabor, he continued to develop, finishing his senior year with a 1.26 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 39 innings while serving as team captain. He also showed real two-way ability, batting .506 as a junior and .347 as a senior, when he played both pitcher and outfield.
Path to Baseball
Jared Craig Shuster committed to Wake Forest University, where he played college baseball for the Demon Deacons. His early college years were uneven, as a freshman he went 0-3 with a 7.41 ERA, but he broke out as a sophomore, going 4-4 with a 6.49 ERA and striking out 94 batters in 68 innings, a 12.4 strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate that ranked third in school history. That summer he pitched for the New Bedford Bay Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, leading the league with 62 strikeouts in 49 innings.
In 2020, Shuster starred as a junior, going 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA while striking out 43 batters in 26 1/3 innings and walking only four. He spent the next summer with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he went 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA and earned league All-Star honors. By the time of the 2020 MLB draft, Shuster had established himself as a polished college left-hander with a sinking two-seam fastball in the 92-94 mph range, a riding four-seam that touched 97 mph, a swing-and-miss changeup, and an improving slider.
Jared Shuster Career
Early Career (2020-2022)
The Atlanta Braves selected Shuster in the first round, with the 25th overall pick, of the 2020 MLB draft, making him the seventh first-round draft pick in Wake Forest history. He signed for a $2,197,500 bonus that was considered under slot, allowing the Braves to reallocate savings toward signing Bryce Elder. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shuster did not play in 2020, but he began his pro journey the following year.
He opened 2021 at Single-A with the Rome Braves before a September promotion to the Double-A Mississippi Braves, finishing the year 2-0 with a 4.44 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 73 innings. In 2022, he was a Southern League All-Star and a 2022 All-Star Futures Game selection, struck out eight consecutive batters to tie a Southern League record, and posted a 2.78 ERA in 90 2/3 innings at Double-A. He also pitched at Triple-A Gwinnett, and was named a MiLB.com Organization All-Star for the second straight season.
Atlanta Braves Era (2023)
Shuster began 2023 as the top-rated prospect in the Braves organization. He won the final spot in the Atlanta rotation out of spring training and made his MLB debut on April 2, 2023, against the Washington Nationals, taking the loss after yielding four first-inning earned runs. He settled in over the following weeks, and on May 21 he earned his first big league win against the Seattle Mariners, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out seven across six innings.
Across 11 starts with the 2023 Braves, Shuster went 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings, a learning year that confirmed he could compete at the highest level. On November 16, 2023, Atlanta traded him to the Chicago White Sox as part of the package that brought back left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer.
Chicago White Sox Era (2024-2025)
Shuster opened 2024 at Triple-A Charlotte before being called up on April 8, 2024, when he made his White Sox debut in relief against the Cleveland Guardians. He bounced between Chicago and Charlotte through the spring before sticking in the majors from May onward, finishing 2024 with a 2-5 record and 4.30 ERA across 39 appearances and 4 starts, striking out 56 batters in 73 1/3 innings.
He began 2025 back at Triple-A and shuttled between Charlotte and the majors, making 12 appearances for the White Sox with an 8.04 ERA in 15 2/3 innings before a blister on his left hand sent him to the 15-day injured list in June. He struggled to reclaim a roster spot, and on August 13, 2025, Chicago designated him for assignment.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2025-2026)
On August 15, 2025, the Athletics claimed Shuster off waivers, and he was assigned to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators. He appeared in 10 games for Las Vegas before being removed from the 40-man roster in November and released on December 10, 2025. On December 22, 2025, he signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and reported to Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals selected his contract on April 5, 2026, and he made two appearances before being designated for assignment and then sent back to Memphis in mid-April. He returned to the big league roster on May 1 and provided four scoreless innings across two outings before another DFA on May 16.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jared Craig Shuster is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-hander whose game is built around command and pitch mix rather than pure velocity. He sits 92-94 mph with a sinking two-seam fastball and a four-seamer that can reach 97, and his best weapon is a changeup in the low 80s that he throws in any count, historically producing elite whiff rates. The slider has continued to improve, and his athletic 6.5-second 60-yard dash speaks to the body control and delivery consistency that have helped him stay in MLB rotations and bullpens.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights of Shuster’s career include tying a Southern League record by striking out eight consecutive batters in April 2022, being named a 2022 All-Star Futures Game selection, and earning his first MLB win in May 2023 against Seattle. He was also the centerpiece of a notable November 2023 trade that sent Aaron Bummer to Atlanta, marking one of the larger left-handed-for-left-hander swaps of that offseason.
Jared Shuster Career Wins
Jared Craig Shuster has compiled a combined MLB win-loss record of 6-8 with a 5.12 ERA and 100 strikeouts through early May 2026, with his victories split between his time with the Braves and White Sox. His first big league win came against the Mariners in 2023, and he added further victories as a swingman in Chicago.
MLB Highlights
Shuster’s first MLB win came on May 21, 2023, when he dominated the Seattle Mariners with one hit allowed and seven strikeouts across six innings. Between Atlanta and Chicago, he has delivered quality starts and multi-inning relief outings, leaning on his changeup to neutralize right-handed hitters. He has continued to log scoreless frames out of the Cardinals bullpen in 2026, extending his track record of MLB appearances across three organizations.
Other Wins and Performances
In the minors, Shuster earned 2021 and 2022 MiLB.com Organization All-Star honors and was a 2022 Southern League Post-Season All-Star. With the New Bedford Bay Sox he was a league strikeout leader, and with the Orleans Firebirds he was a Cape Cod League All-Star.
Jared Shuster Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jared Craig Shuster is the son of Bennett and Lori Shuster and has a sister, Alexa. His family raised him in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where his path to professional baseball began. He is Jewish, and his parents supported his athletic path through high school transfers and collegiate summer leagues.
Personal Life
Jared Craig Shuster continues to identify closely with his New Bedford roots, where he first learned the game. Standing 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 210 pounds, he has kept himself in strong athletic condition, and his 6.5-second 60-yard dash reflects the all-around athleticism that has defined his career. He remains connected to his parents and sister while pursuing his professional goals in the Cardinals organization.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a turbulent year for Jared Craig Shuster. He opened the year at Triple-A Charlotte and was in and out of the Chicago White Sox bullpen, with multiple option and recall moves, a stint on the injured list because of a blister on his left hand, and ultimately a designation for assignment in mid-August. In 12 appearances for the White Sox, he struggled to an 8.04 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 15 2/3 innings.
On August 15, 2025, the Athletics claimed Shuster off waivers and assigned him to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators. He made 10 appearances for Las Vegas but could not find consistent results, going 0-2 with an 8.53 ERA, and on November 5 he was removed from the 40-man roster before being released on December 10, 2025. He quickly bounced back, signing a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on December 22 to set up his 2026 opportunity.