| JT Brubaker | |
| Team: | New York Yankees |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Birth Date: | 17 November 1993 |
| Birth Place: | Springfield, Ohio, U.S. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | July 26 |
| Debutyear: | 2020 |
| Debutteam: | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Statyear: | 2022 season |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 9–28 |
| Stat2label: | Earned run average |
| Stat2value: | 4.99 |
| Stat3label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value: | 324 |
| Teams: | |
Jonathan Trey Brubaker (born November 17, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made his MLB debut in 2020.
Brubaker was born in Ohio to Frank and Teresa Brubaker. Frank played in Minor League Baseball as a pitcher.[1]
Brubaker attended Tecumseh High School in New Carlisle, Ohio, and the University of Akron, where he played college baseball for the Akron Zips.[2] In 2015, his junior year, he had a 5–4 win–loss record with a 3.63 earned run average (ERA) over 15 games started.[3]
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Brubaker in the sixth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.[4] He signed with Pittsburgh for a $200,000 signing bonus[5] and made his professional debut that season with the West Virginia Black Bears, compiling a 6–4 record with a 2.82 ERA over 15 starts.[6] In 2016, he played for the West Virginia Power and the Bradenton Marauders where he pitched to a combined 6–11 record with a 4.44 ERA in 26 starts between the two clubs, and in 2017, he pitched with the Altoona Curve, going 7–6 with a 4.44 ERA in 26 games (24 starts).
Brubaker began 2018 with Altoona and was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians in May.[7] In 28 starts between both teams, he went 10–6 with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.[8] After the season, the Pirates named Brubaker their minor league pitcher of the year.[9] [10] The Pirates added him to their 40-man roster after the season.[11] He returned to Indianapolis to begin 2019, but appeared in only six games during the season due to a strained forearm.[12]
Brubaker made the Opening Day roster in 2020 and made his major league debut on July 26, pitching two scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.[13] He finished the shortened 2020 season with a 1–3 record, a 4.94 ERA and 48 strikeouts in innings. In 2021, he went 5–13 with a 5.36 ERA and 129 strikeouts in innings over 24 starts.[14] The Pirates named Brubaker their starting pitcher for Opening Day of the 2022 season.[15] In 2022, Brubaker made 28 starts for Pittsburgh, logging a 3–12 record and 4.69 ERA with 147 strikeouts in 144 innings pitched.
On January 13, 2023, Brubaker agreed to a one-year, $2.275 million contract with the Pirates, avoiding salary arbitration.[16] Brubaker was placed on the injured list to begin the 2023 season due to forearm/elbow discomfort.[17] On April 12, Brubaker underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season.[18] He rehabilitated from the surgery and agreed to a $2.275 million salary for the 2024 season.[19]
On March 29, 2024, the Pirates traded Brubaker and international signing bonus pool space to the New York Yankees in exchange for a player to be named later.[20] [21] Keiner Delgado was traded to the Pirates as the PTBNL on April 30.[22]
Brubaker and his wife, Darci, had their first child, a son, in August 2022.[23]