Kodi Whitley Explained

Kodi Whitley
Team:Free agent
Position:Pitcher
Birth Date:21 February 1995
Birth Place:Clayton, North Carolina, U.S.
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:July 26
Debutyear:2020
Debutteam:St. Louis Cardinals
Statleague:MLB
Statyear:2022 season
Stat1label:Win–loss record
Stat1value:2–0
Stat2label:Earned run average
Stat2value:3.38
Stat3label:Strikeouts
Stat3value:44
Teams:

Kodi James Whitley (born February 21, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Amateur career

Whitley attended Cleveland High School outside of Clayton, North Carolina.[1] [2] In 2013, his senior year, he earned all-conference honors.[3] Undrafted in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at the University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, North Carolina, where he played college baseball.

In 2014, Whitley's freshman year, he pitched to a 6–2 record with a 2.74 ERA over 13 games (ten starts),[4] earning Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year.[5] That summer, he played in the Coastal Plain League for the Fayetteville SwampDogs.[6] As a sophomore at Mount Olive in 2015, he appeared in 17 games (making 14 starts) in which he went 8–4 with a 4.41 ERA, striking out 88 batters over innings.[7] After the year, he returned to play in the Coastal Plain League with Fayetteville,[8] earning All-Star honors.[9] Prior to the 2016 season, Whitley underwent Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the year.[10] In 2017, he pitched only five innings.[11] After the year, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 27th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[12] [13] [14]

Professional career

St. Louis Cardinals

Whitley signed with St. Louis and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals.[15] He also appeared in one game for the Palm Beach Cardinals at the end of the season. Over innings between both clubs, he compiled a 1.53 ERA and 22 strikeouts. In 2018, he pitched for the Peoria Chiefs, going 4–2 with a 2.51 ERA over 41 games (two starts), and in 2019, he began the year with Palm Beach before being promoted to the Springfield Cardinals in April and to the Memphis Redbirds in July.[16] [17] [18] [19] Over fifty relief appearances between the three clubs, Whitley went 3–4 with a 1.60 ERA, striking out 78 batters over innings.[20] He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs following the season.[21]

On July 20, 2020, it was announced that Whitley had made the Cardinals 2020 Opening Day roster.[22] He made his debut on July 26 at Busch Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates, facing three batters and retiring them all over one inning in relief.[23] On August 4, it was announced that Whitley had tested positive for COVID-19, and he was subsequently placed on the injured list.[24] [25] He returned to the team on September 22. Over innings with St. Louis, he compiled a 1.93 ERA with five strikeouts. In 2021, Whitley did not make the Opening Day roster.[26] He was recalled on April 13, but optioned back to Memphis on April 17.[27] On April 30, he was recalled again.[28] On May 30, the Cardinals placed Whitley on the injured list with back spasms.[29] He was activated on July 11 and optioned to Memphis.[30] He was recalled to St. Louis on August 28 and spent the remainder of the season with them.[31] Over 25 relief appearances with the Cardinals, Whitley compiled a 2.49 ERA and 27 strikeouts over innings.[32] He was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Memphis on November 1, 2022.

Whitley began the 2023 season back with Memphis, where he made 32 appearances and registered a 1–5 record and 5.19 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 3 saves in innings pitched. He was released by the Cardinals organization on July 19.[33]

Atlanta Braves

On July 24, 2023, Whitley signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.[34] In 14 games for the Triple–A Gwinnett Stripers, he logged a 6.43 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 14.0 innings pitched. Whitley was released by the Braves organization on March 12, 2024.[35]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hawks fall in EC3A baseball opener. Keith Spence /. Correspondent. The Free Press.
  2. Web site: Sports Briefs: Cleveland posts back-to-back baseball wins Raleigh News & Observer. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190728221546/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/garner-cleveland-record/gcr-sports/article10346339.html. 2019-07-28.
  3. Web site: ECC honors great sports, great talents Raleigh News & Observer. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190728221811/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/smithfield-herald/sh-sports/article10276274.html. 2019-07-28.
  4. Web site: Player bios: 2015 Fayetteville SwampDogs. Sammy Batten-staff. writer. The Fayetteville Observer.
  5. Web site: Conference Carolinas Announces All Conference Baseball Awards . 2023-10-28.
  6. News: SwampDogs' Corner: Rivera and Raven out, Mateo and Whitley in. Andrew. Tie. The Fayetteville Observer.
  7. Web site: Cardinals Complete 2017 Draft with 30 Picks. CardinalsDugout.com.
  8. Web site: Two Mount Olive players to join SwampDogs in 2015 - Sports - the Fayetteville Observer - Fayetteville, NC . July 25, 2020 . July 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190728221718/https://www.fayobserver.com/cdb9dc82-bfdf-51cd-bd73-0d3fa6aa1df0.html . dead .
  9. Web site: Coastal Plain League All-Star Game rosters. Staff reports. SCNow. July 13, 2015 .
  10. Web site: Goldsboro News-Argus | Sports: D2 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL: Trojans' Whitley finally healthy. savannah.newsargus.com.
  11. Web site: College sports notebook Raleigh News & Observer. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20190728221720/https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/article156670564.html. 2019-07-28.
  12. Web site: Late MLB Draft rounds included large haul of NC selections. June 15, 2017.
  13. Web site: MLB Draft Day 3: Three Huskers, three Jays, two Hawkeyes picked. Derek. Martin. KMAland.com. June 14, 2017 .
  14. Web site: Cards pumped about power potential of highest-rated pick. Tom. Timmermann. STLtoday.com. June 15, 2017 .
  15. Web site: Cardinals sign seven more players from MLB draft. Matt Moreno FOX Sports Midwest. Jun 20. 2017 at 1:38p. ET. June 20, 2017. FOX Sports.
  16. Web site: Sod Poodles drop slugfest to Springfield, 10-9. Lee Passmore Amarillo. Globe-News. Austin American-Statesman.
  17. Web site: Carlson, Plummer, Denton Return to Lead Chiefs. Nathan. Baliva. April 2, 2018.
  18. Web site: Goold: Where the Cards' key prospects will be playing, and what's expected of them. Derrick. Goold. STLtoday.com. April 7, 2018 .
  19. Web site: Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (44-61) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (48-56). July 27, 2019. OurSports Central.
  20. Web site: Goold . Derrick . Kodi Whitley Could Be On The Move, Again . Baseballamerica.com . March 10, 2020 . October 3, 2021.
  21. Web site: Cards notebook: Reyes set to test arm; Robinson released; Carlson picked for AFL. Derrick. Goold. STLtoday.com. August 29, 2019 .
  22. Web site: Whitley emotional after making Cards' roster. MLB.com.
  23. Web site: Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score, July 26, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com. July 26, 2020. July 26, 2020.
  24. Web site: Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Tests positive for COVID-19. CBSSports.com. August 4, 2020 .
  25. Web site: Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Placed on injured list. CBSSports.com. August 4, 2020 .
  26. Web site: Cardinals finalize 2021 Opening Day roster. MLB.com.
  27. Web site: St. Louis Cardinals option Oviedo, recall Whitley . ksdk.com . April 13, 2021 . October 3, 2021.
  28. Web site: RotoWire Staff . Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Recalled by Cardinals . CBSSports.com . April 30, 2021. October 3, 2021.
  29. Web site: Cardinals place Kodi Whitley on injured list with back spasms Midwest News . Bally Sports . May 30, 2021 . October 3, 2021.
  30. Web site: RotoWire Staff . Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Activated and optioned . CBSSports.com . July 11, 2021. October 3, 2021.
  31. Web site: Cardinals' Andrew Miller goes on IL with another foot blister; Whitley recalled. August 28, 2021 .
  32. Web site: Kodi Whitley. October 12, 2021 .
  33. Web site: Kodi Whitley: Released by St. Louis. July 20, 2023 .
  34. Web site: Transactions . .
  35. https://www.milb.com/transactions/2024-03-12

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