Noah Murdock Bio
Noah James Murdock, born on August 20, 1998, is an American professional baseball pitcher who currently plays in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. A right-handed hurler, Murdock made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2025 with the Athletics before returning to the minor leagues. He is in the early stages of a professional career that began after being selected in the 2019 MLB draft.
Murdock’s journey through professional baseball has included stints in the Kansas City Royals system, a brief MLB appearance with the Athletics, and a subsequent return to Triple-A. As of 2025, he is working to establish himself as a durable arm in the upper levels of the minor leagues while attached to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Early Life and Background
Noah James Murdock was born on August 20, 1998, and grew up in the United States. He attended Colonial Heights High School in Colonial Heights, Virginia, where he developed as a pitching prospect and drew attention from professional scouts. During his high school years, the Washington Nationals selected him in the 38th round of the 2016 MLB draft.
Rather than sign with Washington, Murdock chose to honor his college commitment and play college baseball for the Virginia Cavaliers at the University of Virginia. That decision allowed him to continue refining his skills in a competitive collegiate environment before re-entering the draft three years later. His time at Virginia helped bridge his transition from a prep prospect to a more polished professional arm.
Path to Baseball
Murdock’s professional path began in earnest during the 2019 MLB draft, when the Kansas City Royals selected him in the seventh round with the 199th overall pick. The Royals viewed him as a developing starter with strikeout upside, and they assigned him to the rookie-level Burlington Royals for his first professional season. In that debut campaign, he recorded a 2.17 earned run average (ERA) with 43 strikeouts across 11 appearances, offering an early glimpse of his ability to miss bats.
Like many minor leaguers, Murdock faced an unexpected interruption when the 2020 minor league season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving him without a single official appearance that year. When play resumed in 2021, he joined the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits and made seven appearances, including six starts, posting a 3.18 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 22⅔ innings pitched.
Noah Murdock Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Murdock’s earliest professional work came with the Burlington Royals in 2019, where he pitched his way to a 2.17 ERA in 11 rookie-level outings. The performance was encouraging enough that the Royals promoted him to High-A for the 2021 season after the lost 2020 campaign. With the Quad Cities River Bandits, Murdock worked primarily as a starter and continued to show swing-and-miss stuff with 19 strikeouts in 22⅔ innings.
Those two seasons laid the foundation for Murdock’s development, giving him experience at two different levels and allowing the Royals to evaluate his arm strength and command. By the end of 2021, the organization had enough confidence in his upside to push him toward a full-season workload the following year.
Double-A and Triple-A Development (2022–2024)
In 2022, Murdock split his season between Quad Cities and the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Across 17 combined starts, he struggled to an 0–7 record with a 6.91 ERA, though he still managed 64 strikeouts in 70⅓ innings, a sign that his raw stuff remained intact even as results dipped. The Royals kept him in the rotation, betting that adjustments would follow.
Murdock returned to Northwest Arkansas in 2023, where he made 36 appearances and logged a 5.87 ERA with 77 strikeouts over 69 innings. The 2024 season brought a clearer picture of his role, as he split time between Northwest Arkansas and the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers while working primarily out of the bullpen. Across 46 combined relief appearances that year, he posted a 3.16 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 62⅔ innings, signaling a significant step forward.
Athletics Era (2025)
On December 11, 2024, the Athletics selected Murdock from the Royals in the Rule 5 draft, giving him an outside path to a major league roster. By March 17, 2025, manager Mark Kotsay announced that Murdock had made the Athletics’ Opening Day roster, a significant milestone for a pitcher who had spent the previous six seasons in the minors.
In 14 appearances for the Athletics, Murdock struggled to a 13.24 ERA with 21 strikeouts across 17 innings pitched. Following the promotion of Elvis Alvarado on May 9, he was designated for assignment. On May 12, 2025, he was returned to the Kansas City Royals organization. He then made 16 appearances for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, going 0–2 with a 6.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 21 innings before electing free agency on November 6.
Pittsburgh Pirates Era (2025–Present)
On November 14, 2025, Murdock signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, beginning a new chapter of his career. The deal represented an opportunity to reset and continue his development within a new organization that controls his rights at the Triple-A level.
For Murdock, the move to Pittsburgh offered a fresh start after a turbulent 2025 season split between the majors and Triple-A. He will look to leverage his 2024 bullpen success, when he posted a 3.16 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 46 appearances, as he works toward another opportunity at the highest level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Across his minor league career, Murdock has consistently shown an ability to miss bats, logging season strikeout totals in the 40s, 60s, and 70s from 2021 through 2024. His 2024 transition to the bullpen produced his strongest results, suggesting he may be best suited to a relief role where he can shorten his outings and attack hitters aggressively.
Notable Events and Milestones
Murdock’s most significant milestone came on Opening Day 2025, when manager Mark Kotsay confirmed that he had made the Athletics’ roster, capping a six-year climb through the minors. He also reached a Rule 5 selection in December 2024, a rare opportunity for a seventh-round pick that underscored the organization’s belief in his arm.
Noah Murdock Career Wins
Murdock’s professional career has primarily been defined by development rather than headline win totals. Through the 2025 season, his MLB line stands at a 1–1 win–loss record with a 13.24 ERA and 21 strikeouts. In the minors, his win totals have been modest, with no individual season wins figure independently confirmed by available data.
Minor League Highlights
The high point of Murdock’s minor league career to date came in 2024, when he worked primarily as a reliever between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha and posted a 3.16 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 62⅔ innings across 46 appearances. His 2019 debut at rookie-level Burlington also stood out, with a 2.17 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 11 outings.
Other Performances
Outside of his standout 2024 bullpen work, Murdock’s most promising stretch came during his 2023 return to Northwest Arkansas, where he struck out 77 batters in 69 innings across 36 appearances. That year demonstrated that his swing-and-miss profile remained viable even as run-prevention numbers fluctuated.
Noah Murdock Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Noah James Murdock’s immediate family is limited, and no verified details about his parents or siblings are available in current sources. His path to professional baseball began in Colonial Heights, Virginia, where he attended Colonial Heights High School.
Personal Life
Murdock’s marital status, spouse, and children are not publicly documented in verified sources. He has kept his personal life largely private while focusing on his baseball career.
2025 Season Performance
Murdock’s 2025 season was a study in contrasts, opening with a long-awaited MLB debut before shifting back to the minors. Selected by the Athletics in the Rule 5 draft the previous offseason, he made the Opening Day roster under manager Mark Kotsay and appeared in 14 games for Oakland, finishing with a 13.24 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 17 innings. He was designated for assignment on May 9 following the promotion of Elvis Alvarado and returned to the Royals organization on May 12.
Back in the Royals system, Murdock rejoined the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers and made 16 appearances, going 0–2 with a 6.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 21 innings. After electing free agency on November 6, he quickly found a new home, signing a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 14.
Looking ahead, Murdock’s 2026 outlook will depend heavily on whether Pittsburgh views him as a starter or reliever. His 2024 bullpen success at 3.16 ERA and his consistent strikeout rates throughout the minors suggest he may have a clearer path back to the majors in a relief role than as a rotation piece.