Christopher John Flexen...graduated from Newark Memorial High School (CA) in 2012...played four years of baseball and was a quarterback on the football team for two years was committed to Arizona State University before signing with the Mets.
2022
Went 8-9 with two saves and a 137.2 IP) in 33 games, 22 starts… limited opponents to a .250 (132x529) average, while walking 51 and striking out 95...Made 22 starts, April 11-Aug. 6 and Oct. 4 (G1 of DH)…overall went 7-9 with a 4.02 ERA (54 ER, 121.0 IP)…limited opponents to a .258 (122x522) average, while walking 44 and striking out 83...Went 1-0 with two saves and a 1.62 ERA (3 ER, 16.2 IP) in 11 relief appearances, Aug. 13-Sept. 29…limited opponents to a .179 (10x56) average, while walking seven and striking out 12...After allowing 3 earned runs in 4.0 innings in relief on Aug. 30 at Detroit, did not allow an earned run over his final 8 relief appearances, Sept. 4-29…during this nine-game stretch limited opponents to a .133 (4x30) average, while walking three and striking out seven….earned first win in relief on Sept. 29 vs. Texas, allowing an unearned run in the 11th inning (1.0,0,1,0,0,0)...Tossed a season-high 7.0 innings twice: April 22 vs. KC (7.0,6,1,1,0,5) and May 27 vs. Houston (7.0,7,1,1,2,6)...Struck out a season-high 8 batters over 6.2 innings and earning the win on July 4 at San Diego (6.2,4,0,0,3,8)...From May 27-July 30, went 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA (22 ER, 67.2 IP) in 12 starts…recorded six quality starts during this stretch, including allowing three runs or fewer in all 12 starts…overall limited opponents to .243 (64x263) average, while walking 26 and striking out 45...Went 3-0 with 1.95 ERA (6 ER, 27.2 IP) in five starts in July…limited opponents to a .204 (21x103) average, while walking 12 and striking out 18…among American League pitchers in July, ranked 5th in ERA (min. 27.0 IP).
2021
Went 14-6 with a 3.61 ERA (72 ER, 179.2 IP) with 125 strikeouts and 40 walks in 31 starts for the Mariners in 2021, his first season back in MLB after spending the 2020 season with the Doosan Bears in the KBO...Recorded 7 games with at least 7.0 innings pitched allowing one earned run or fewer, most in the American League and T-5th most in the Majors...Went 6-3 with a 1.89 ERA (14 ER, 66.2 IP) in his first 11 home starts with the Mariners (April 3-July 22)...his 1.89 ERA was the lowest in club history through a player’s first 11 home starts of a season, ranking ahead of Félix Hernández (2.09 in 2014) and James Paxton (2.15 in 2017)....The Mariners were 22-9 (.733) in Flexen’s 31 starts...posted a career-best 4-game winning streak, June 15-July 16...went 4-0, 1.36 (39.2 IP, 6 ER) in six starts during the streak...struck out 29 while walking just 8 and limited opposing hitters to a .200 BAA... his previous career-best winning streak was three games (4/24-5/14/21)...Tossed career highs in innings pitched (8.0), strikeouts (8) and pitches thrown (107) on June 15 vs. Minnesota…allowed just four hits and did not walk a batter over eight shutout innings....Recorded his 100th career strikeout when he struck out Cavan Biggio on 6/29 at Toronto in Buffalo...Went 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA (11 ER, 29.1 IP) in 5 starts in July...walked 5 and struck out 17 in the month...Was the 13th pitcher in franchise history to record a 10-win season in their first season with the Mariners joining Floyd Bannister (1979), Gaylord Perry (1982), Matt Young (1983), Mark Langston (1984), Tim Belcher (1995), Sterling Hitchcock (1996), Jeff Fassero (1997), Freddy Garcia (1999), Aaron Sele (2000), Miguel Batista (2007), Joe Saunders (2013) and Roenis Elias (2014)...tied with Batista (20 GS) for the 3rd fastest to achieve the feat behind Aaron Sele (17 GS) and Freddy Garcia (19 GS)...Was 9-3 following a Mariners loss and led Mariners to an 11-5 record in games he started following a Mariners loss... Had a 3.68 ERA (15 ER, 39.0 IP) going 4-1 with 23 strikeouts and eight walks over his first seven Mariners starts from 4/3-5/14...Went 5-2 with a 2.25 ERA (16 ER, 64.0 IP) with 42 strikeouts and 13 walks in 10 starts from 5/27-7/22....Went 5-1 with a 3.30 (26 ER, 71.0 IP) over his final 12 starts of the season with 56 strikeouts and 18 walks.
2020
Spent the 2020 season with the Doosan Bears in the Korean Baseball Organization and went 8-4 with a 3.01 ERA (39 ER, 116.2 IP) with 30 walks and 132 strikeouts over 21 starts...During the Bears’ playoff run, in which they fell to the NC Dinos, 4-2, in the Korean Series, he posted a 1.91 ERA (6 ER, 28.1 IP), pitching in both starting and relieving roles...Struck out 28% of the batters he faced, which registered as the 4th-highest in the KBO since 2002, and he only walked 6.4% for a 2.3 BB/9 ratio, according to Baseball Reference.
2019
Split the year between Triple-A Syracuse and New York...went 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA (39 ER, 78.2 IP) over 26 games (14 starts) with Syracuse...pitched in nine games (one GS) over four separate stints with the Mets (April 20, May 4-5, June 15-July 2 & Aug. 22-25) going 0-3, 7.90 ERA (10 ER, 13.2 IP) with 10 strikeouts.
2018
Split the season between Triple-A Las Vegas and New York...went 6-7 with a 4.40 ERA (45 ER, 92.0 IP) in Triple-A...pitched in four MLB games (1 start), going 0-2 with a 12.79 ERA (9 ER, 6.1 IP)...underwent right knee surgery on Aug. 17, performed by Dr. David Altchek (medial meniscectomy), and remained on the Injured List for the remainder of the year.
2017
Was recalled from Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League on July 27 and went 3-6 with a 7.88 ERA (42 earned runs/48.0 innings) in 14 games, nine starts with the Mets...Made his major league debut on July 27 at San Diego... Suffered the loss in his first career start, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in 3.0 innings...Was the first Met to make his major league debut coming straight from Double-A since Michael Conforto did so in 2015...Is the first Mets starting pitcher to do so since righthanded pitcher Mike Pelfrey on July 8, 2006 vs. Florida...Was 3-5 with a 7.78 ERA (36 earned runs/41.2 innings) in nine starts...Walked 29 and struck out 28 in that time...Allowed 10 home runs in his 41.2 innings pitched as a starter...Five of his last six outings came out of the bullpen...Was 0-1 with a 8.53 ERA (six earned runs/6.1 innings pitched) in those five outings...On August 8 vs. Texas, he collected his first major league win and his first major league hit...Combined to make 10 starts with both St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League and Binghamton (AA)...Was 6-1 with a 1.76 ERA (12 earned runs/61.1 innings pitched)...Struck out 63 and walked 10, good for a 6.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio...Was 6-1 with a 1.66 ERA (nine earned runs/48.2 innings) in seven starts for Binghamton...Was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 10-16.
2016
Went 10-9 with a 3.56 ERA (53 earned runs/134.0 innings) in 25 games, all starts, with St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League...Posted a 2.45 ERA (nine earned runs/33.0 innings) in six starts during June...Worked a career-high 134.0 innings...Led St. Lucie in starts (25) and was second on the team in strikeouts (95)...Opposing batters hit .249 (125-502) off him in 2016 with both lefthanded batters and righthanded batters hitting .249...Tossed a season-high 8.0 shutout innings on June 20 at Palm Beach...Also worked 7.2 innings of one-run ball on April 27 at Charlotte...Worked 13.0 scoreless innings across two starts (May 26 vs. Charlotte and June 2 at Fort Myers)...Threw 10.0 scoreless innings over his final two starts of the regular season. (August 25 vs. Charlotte and September 1 at Jupiter)...Started Game 1 of the Florida State League South Division Playoffs.
2015
Pitched in 12 games (nine starts) after recovering from Tommy John surgery...Went a combined 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA (14 earned runs/52.0 innings) between the GCL Mets (R), Brooklyn (A) of the New York-Penn League and Savannah (A) of the South Atlantic League.
2014
Made 13 starts for Savannah (A) of the South Atlantic League...Was 3-5 with a 4.83 ERA (37 earned runs/69.0 innings) in those 13 starts...Placed on the 7-Day Disabled List on July 1 with right triceps inflammation...Underwent Tommy John surgery in July.
2013
Led the Appalachian League in wins (eight), complete games (two) and shutouts (two).
