Pete Fairbanks Bio
Peter Anderson Fairbanks, known professionally as Pete Fairbanks, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Miami Marlins. A hard-throwing reliever, Fairbanks spent the bulk of his major league career serving as the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Born on December 16, 1993, Fairbanks attended Webster Groves High School in Missouri before playing college baseball at the University of Missouri. Selected by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the 2015 MLB draft, he overcame two major arm surgeries to establish himself as one of the most reliable late-inning relievers in the American League.
Early Life and Background
Peter Anderson Fairbanks grew up in the St. Louis area and attended Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, Missouri. His father, Shane Fairbanks, played college baseball for the Missouri Tigers in the 1980s and later spent time in the Houston Astros minor league system in 1983, giving the younger Fairbanks an early connection to the sport and a clear blueprint for pursuing a professional career.
During his junior year at Webster Groves, Fairbanks underwent Tommy John surgery, a major procedure that reconstructs the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. The setback kept him off the mound for an extended stretch, but it also helped shape his work ethic and long-term outlook as a pitcher.
Path to Baseball
After high school, Fairbanks enrolled at the University of Missouri, where he played college baseball for the Tigers from 2013 through 2015. During his college summers, he gained valuable experience pitching for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2013 and 2014, a respected developmental league that has produced countless major leaguers.
His strong college performance, combined with a fastball that consistently reached the upper nineties, made him an intriguing prospect. The Texas Rangers selected Fairbanks in the ninth round, 258th overall, of the 2015 MLB draft, launching his professional career.
Pete Fairbanks Career
Minor League Years (2015–2019)
Fairbanks opened his professional career in 2015 with the Spokane Indians of the Low-A Northwest League, where he went 1–2 with a 3.14 ERA over 57 innings. He moved up to the Hickory Crawdads of the Single-A South Atlantic League in 2016, posting a 4–5 record and a 4.88 ERA across 101 innings, and began the 2017 season with the Down East Wood Ducks of the High-A Carolina League.
His progress was interrupted when Fairbanks suffered a second torn ulnar collateral ligament in 2017, requiring a second Tommy John surgery that cost him the rest of that season and the entire 2018 campaign. He returned in 2019 as a relief pitcher, working his way through Down East, the Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League, and the Nashville Sounds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League before earning his first call to the majors.
Texas Rangers Debut (2019)
On June 8, 2019, the Texas Rangers selected Fairbanks’ contract, and he made his major league debut the following day. In that appearance, he recorded three strikeouts across two scoreless innings of relief, immediately showcasing the swing-and-miss stuff that had defined his minor league work.
His audition for Tampa Bay came on June 29, 2019, when he pitched against the Rays at Tropicana Field and caught the attention of the club’s front office. On July 13, 2019, the Rangers traded Fairbanks to the Rays in exchange for infielder Nick Solak, sending him to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to finish the year. He wrapped up 2019 with a 2–3 record and a 6.86 ERA over 21 major league innings.
Tampa Bay Rays Breakthrough (2019–2025)
Fairbanks began to find his footing in 2020, appearing in 27 games during the shortened 60-game season and posting a 2.70 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 26⅔ innings. His defining moment that year came in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, when he recorded a four-out save to help the Rays clinch the American League pennant.
In 2021, Fairbanks appeared in 47 games, pitching to a 3.59 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 42⅔ innings. On July 7, 2021, he was part of a combined no-hit effort with Collin McHugh, Josh Fleming, Diego Castillo, and Matt Wisler against the Cleveland Indians. Because the feat occurred in a seven-inning doubleheader game, it was not recorded as an official MLB no-hitter.
After a 2022 season limited by a 50 percent lat tear that sidelined him for roughly three months, Fairbanks returned to post a 1.13 ERA with 38 strikeouts and eight saves in eight opportunities across 24 games. On January 27, 2023, he signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Rays, locking in his role as the team’s closer. He rewarded that investment with a 2.58 ERA, 68 strikeouts, and 25 saves in 29 opportunities across 49 appearances in 2023, then logged a 3.57 ERA with 23 saves in 46 games in 2024.
Fairbanks made 61 appearances for Tampa Bay in 2025, compiling a 4–5 record and a 2.83 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 27 saves across 60⅓ innings. On November 6, 2025, the Rays declined his 2026 option, making him a free agent.
Miami Marlins Era (2026)
On December 28, 2025, Fairbanks signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Miami Marlins, joining a franchise in the middle of a major roster overhaul. The deal reflected both his recent track record as a high-volume closer and the Marlins’ need for a proven arm at the back end of the bullpen.
Through his career, Fairbanks has compiled a 23–27 win-loss record, a 3.41 ERA, 363 strikeouts, and 100 saves in MLB action. His first season in Miami was intended to solidify his place among the league’s most dependable late-inning relievers heading into free agency.
Notable Events and Milestones
Fairbanks’ most celebrated moment remains his four-out save in Game 7 of the 2020 American League Championship Series, a performance that helped Tampa Bay capture the American League pennant. He also reached the 100-save milestone in his career while pitching for the Marlins, a marker of long-term consistency in a high-leverage role. His recovery from two Tommy John surgeries stands as one of the more remarkable comeback stories among modern relievers.
Pete Fairbanks Career Wins
MLB Highlights
Across his MLB career with the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Miami Marlins, Pete Fairbanks has accumulated 100 saves, anchoring bullpens in high-leverage situations. His first major league strikeout came in his 2019 debut with the Rangers, and his first extended run of dominance arrived in 2020, when he became a trusted late-inning option for the Rays.
Fairbanks’ most recent productive season came in 2025, when he tallied 27 saves for Tampa Bay, reinforcing his reputation as a workhorse closer. The 2020 American League pennant and his role in the combined no-hit bid against Cleveland in 2021 are the most prominent crown-jewel moments of his résumé.
Other Wins & Performances
During his college summers, Fairbanks pitched for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2013 and 2014, gaining exposure against top amateur talent. He also posted a 0.00 ERA with 14 strikeouts in seven innings for the Frisco RoughRiders in 2019, a brief but dominant stretch that helped set the stage for his first major league call-up.
Pete Fairbanks Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Pete Fairbanks comes from a baseball family. His father, Shane Fairbanks, played college baseball for the Missouri Tigers in the 1980s and spent time in the Houston Astros minor league organization in 1983. That pedigree helped steer Pete toward the sport from a young age and ultimately to the same University of Missouri program his father once represented.
Personal Life
Fairbanks is married to his wife, Lydia, and the couple has one son and one daughter together. The family has also spoken publicly about the loss of a third child, who passed away from Turner syndrome. The Fairbanks family has remained a central support system throughout his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
Pete Fairbanks’ 2025 campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays was his busiest workload in several years. He appeared in 61 games, going 4–5 with a 2.83 ERA, 59 strikeouts, and 27 saves across 60⅓ innings, serving as the primary option at the back end of Tampa Bay’s bullpen from Opening Day through the end of the season.
His consistency in the closer’s role was a major reason the Rays remained competitive in the American League wild-card picture deep into the summer. Despite his strong individual numbers, the Rays opted not to pick up his 2026 option, and Fairbanks hit free agency for the first time in his career before signing with the Miami Marlins.
