Samuel David Hentges (born July 18, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut in 2021.
| Sam Hentges | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Hentges with the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 | |
| Cleveland Guardians – No. 31 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: July 18, 1996 Shoreview, Minnesota, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 20, 2021, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 7–8 |
| Earned run average | 4.18 |
| Strikeouts | 223 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
Amateur career
editHentges attended Mounds View High School in Arden Hills, Minnesota and as a senior in 2014, was the St. Paul Pioneer Press baseball player of the year.[1][2] He committed to play college baseball at the University of Arkansas.[3] He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.
Professional career
editHentges signed with the Indians, forgoing his commitment to Arkansas, and made his professional debut with the Arizona League Indians, compiling a 0.69 ERA in 13 innings.
Hentges pitched 2015 with the Arizona League Indians and Mahoning Valley Scrappers, pitching to a combined 3–5 record and 4.37 ERA in 13 total games (11 starts) between both teams. He started 2016 with the Lake County Captains, but had his season ended early after undergoing Tommy John surgery.[4] He returned in 2017 and played with the Arizona League Indians and Mahoning Valley, going 0–4 with a 3.23 ERA in 11 starts. In 2018, Hentges played with the Lynchburg Hillcats[5] where he was 6–6 with a 3.27 ERA in 23 starts.[6]
The Indians added Hentges to their 40-man roster on November 20, 2018, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[7] He began 2019 with the Akron RubberDucks.[8] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
On April 17, 2021, Hentges was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[10] He made his MLB debut on April 20, giving up one run in one inning pitched against the Chicago White Sox. Hentges made 30 appearances (12 starts) for Cleveland during his rookie campaign, posting a 1–4 record and 6.68 ERA with 68 strikeouts across 68+2⁄3 innings pitched.
On September 19, 2022, while pitching against the Minnesota Twins, Hentges tossed 2+1⁄3 perfect innings to earn his first career save.[11] In 2022, Hentges made 57 appearances out of the bullpen for Cleveland, and went 3–2 with a 2.32 ERA, 0.968 WHIP and 72 strikeouts across 62 innings.[12] Hentges pitched in 56 contests for the Guardians in 2023, compiling a 3–2 record and 3.61 ERA with 56 strikeouts across 52+1⁄3 innings pitched.[13]
Hentges began the 2024 campaign with Cleveland, compiling a 3.04 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 25 games. He was placed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation on July 12, 2024,[14] and was transferred to the 60–day injured list on August 19.[15] On September 10, it was announced that Hentges would require surgery to repair the labrum and capsule in his left shoulder, necessitating a recovery timetable of 12–14 months.[16]
References
edit- ^ "High school baseball: With Sam Hentges, Mounds View still team to beat". twincities.com. April 14, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "High school baseball: Sam Hentges of Mounds View is Pioneer Press player of year". twincities.com. June 9, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Sam Hentges Class of 2014 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA". Perfectgame.org. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ Strand, Bruce. "Hentges sidelined after arm surgery in second pro season". Press Publications. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Toolshed: Tribe's Hentges growing into himself". MiLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Sam Hentges Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ Hoynes, Paul; clevel; .com (November 21, 2018). "Cleveland Indians put Bobby Bradley, Sam Hentges, Jean Carlos Mejia on 40-man; add RHP Lockett in trade with San Diego". cleveland.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ Bournival, Brad. "Hard-throwing RubberDucks left-hander Sam Hentges has a high ceiling - Sports - Akron Beacon Journal - Akron, OH". Ohio.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Indians Option Ben Gamel, Recall Sam Hentges".
- ^ "Guardians' Sam Hentges: Picks up first save". cbssports.com. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Cleveland Guardians Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Sam Hentges 2023 pitching Stats Per Game - MLB". espn.com. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Guardians' Sam Hentges: On IL with shoulder swelling". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Guardians Place Alex Cobb On Injured List". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Sam Hentges Out 12 To 14 Months Due To Shoulder Surgery". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet