Jake Woodford #40

Selected by the Cardinals in Competitive Balance Round A (39th overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Plant High School in Tampa…went 7-0 with a 0.67 ERA (52.0 IP, five ER) his senior year…committed to play at the University of Florida before being selected by the Cardinals in 2015…is a St. Petersburg, Fla. native.

2025

Split time between three organizations and combined to go 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA (61.1IP, 31ER) and 59 SO in the minors…signed a Minor League deal with the Yankees on March 28 after spending Spring Training with the Rockies…assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 1 and pitched in 10 games before being released June 1…signed with the Cubs on June 5 and made four appearances with Triple-A Iowa, but was released again July 1…signed by the Diamondbacks the next day and went 0-4 with a 6.44 ERA (36.1 IP, 26 ER) and 23 SO over 22 appearances with Arizona…designated for assignment on Sept. 21, outrighted to Triple-A Reno Sept. 23 and signed a Minor League deal with the Rays Nov. 25.

2024

Spent the season with the Chicago-AL and Pittsburgh organizations, combining for nine appearances (7 GS) in the Majors...Began the season with Triple-A Charlotte before having his contract selected on May 28...Made two starts for Chicago-AL (0-2, 10.80 ERA) before being designated for assignment on June 7 and electing free agency...Signed by the Pirates to a Minor League contract on June 10...Pitched to a 2.29 ERA (35.1 IP, 9 ER) with Triple-A Indianapolis before having his contract selected by Pittsburgh on July 30...Recorded his first Major League quality start on Aug. 12 at San Diego, allowing one run on three hits in six innings...Appeared in six big league games before being designated for assignment on Aug. 26 and outrighted to Indianapolis on Aug. 28...Had his contract selected for the third time on Aug. 18...Pitched once before being designated for assignment on Sept. 19...Totaled nine Major League games (7 GS)...Appeared in 20 Minor League games (19 GS) for Triple-A games, going 3-5 with a 3.93 ERA (94.0 IP, 41 ER).

2023

Was limited by right shoulder inflammation to 15 appearances (eight starts) with St. Louis...Made the Cardinals Opening Day roster and went 1-2 with a 5.72 ERA (18 ER/28.1 IP) over six starts in April...Threw 1.2 IP in relief on 5/4 vs. the Angels before being placed on the injured list on 5/5...Was reinstated on 6/9 after making three rehab starts with Class AAA Memphis...Made five more relief appearances from 6/13-29 before going on the injured list for the second time on 6/30...Was reinstated on 9/1 and optioned to Memphis...Was recalled on 9/18 for the rest of the season, appearing in three games (two starts)...Went 1-2 with a 2.83 ERA (9 ER/28.2 IP) in 10 combined games (nine starts) between Memphis and Class AA Springfield.

2022

Pitched between St. Louis and Memphis (AAA) making a combined 38 appearances with 11 starts covering 91.1 innings pitched...Induced 10 ground into double plays, most among all MLB pitchers with 50.0 innings or less. The second highest total in Cardinals history for a pitcher with 50 innings or less in a season behing T.J. McFarland, who had 12 in 2021 over 38.2 innings pitched...Posted career-highs in wins (4) and appearances (27). ..Finished the season with 11.1 scoreless innings (9/13-present), T-8th longest active among National League pitchers and longest by a Cardinals pitcher to end the season. ..Allowed only one home run, coming to Keston Hiura vs. MIL (5/28). Faced 188 total batters, 10th-longest active homerless streak in the N.L. (32.1 IP) at the conclusion of the season...Since his MLB debut in 2020, ranks 4th in MLB in GIDP/9 IP (1.38), trailing teammates Dakota Hudson (1.44) and Andre Pallante (1.42) - min. 100 IP. ..Was 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA in 13 home appearances. His home ERA was T-9th lowest among all MLB pitchers with a minimum of 20.0 innings pitched and tops among Cardinals pitchers at Busch Stadium...Was recalled from Memphis (AAA) four times. His final recall was on Aug. 10 and remained in St. Louis the rest of the season. ..Worked 3.1 ShO IP on 8/30 at CIN, matching his season high for relief IP (also 5/7 at SF)...Threw 5.1 innings in his first start of the season in Game 2 of DH at CHI (8/23). Earned his third win, tying his single-season high (also 2021)...15 of 27 appearances were of four outs or more.

2021

Made his first 17 appearances out of the bullpen before starting eight of his last nine games with the Cardinals...Was 2-3 with a 4.14 ERA in eight starts and 1-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 18 relief appearances... Led Cardinals pitchers with two pick-offs with Kwang Hyun Kim (T-13th among N.L. pitchers)... Ranked 3rd among Cardinals pitchers with a career-high eight hit batsmen (Martinez 11, Wainwright 9)... Held right-handed batters to a .208 BA with two home runs... 10 of his 18 relief appearances were four batters or more... Pitched 5.0 or more innings in five of his eight starts and topped out with a season-high 88 pitches at CIN (7/24). Finished the season with three straight starts of 5.0 innings or more, all against N.L. Central opponents... Posted longest relief outing by a Cardinal, hurling 5.1 innings at Milwaukee (9/4) and also recorded the most strikeouts by a Cardinals reliever with six at ARI (5/28)... Allowed seven sacrifice flies, T-2nd among NL pitchers with Madison Bumgarner and trailing Marcus Stroman (8).

2021 POSTSEASON: Was on the postseason roster for the 2021 Wild Card game at Los Angeles, but did not pitch.

2020

Made his Major League debut at Chicago White Sox (8/15). Tossed 3.0 innings starting the second game of the doubleheader and received a no-decision. Allowed one run on one hit, a solo home run by Luis Robert, with three strikeouts...Appeared in 12 games, 11 in relief. Posted the longest outing by a Cardinals relief pitcher tossing 3.1 innings vs. Cleveland (8/28)...Struck out a season-high three batters three times (8/15 at Chicago White Sox, 8/28 vs. Cleveland, 9/22 at KC)...Earned his first Major League win in a relief appearance at Pittsburgh (9/19) closing out an inning, while the Cardinals rallied for five runs in the 7th en route to a 5-4 win at PNC Park...Ranked 4th on the team with 18.0 innings in relief, 2nd-most by a Cardinals right-handed reliever (Alex Reyes, 18.2 IP)...Struck out the side at Kansas City (9/22) in the 9th inning to close out the game, his 4th game finished of the season. 

2019

Made 26 starts spending the entire season in Memphis (AAA) and compiled a career-high 151.2 innings...Led the Pacific Coast League in lowest opponent BA (.223), tied for the league lead in games started (26), while ranking in the Top 10 in strikeouts (131, 3rd), qualifying ERA (4.15, 3rd), innings pitched (151.2, 2nd) and WHIP (1.31, 3rd)...Ranked among Cardinals minor league leaders in wins (9, 5th), strikeouts (131, 6th), ERA (4.15, 7th), innings pitched (151.2, 3rd), games started (26, T4th), opponent BA (.223 (3rd), WHIP (1.31, 5th) and winning percentage (.529, 5th)...Named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team for the Triple-A All-Star Game in El Paso. Was the starting pitcher for the PCL tossing 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts earning the win...Issued a league leading 75 walks, 13 more than his previous high of 62 in 2018...Was 5-5 with a 3.56 ERA in 17 starts before the All-Star Break and 4-3 with a 5.26 ERA in nine starts after...Started off the season with a 2-0 record and a 1.20 ERA in five starts in April, the second lowest ERA among Cardinals qualifying minor league pitchers in the month...Posted 11 quality starts during the season and made 16 starts of 6.0 innings or more...Struck out a season-high eight batters over 6.0 innings in his final start of the season at Iowa (9/1)...Made 15 starts throwing 100 pitches or more after previously notching six total starts in his first three full professional seasons...Held opposing right-handed batters to a .204 BA (67-329).

2018

Made a career-high 28 starts between Springfield (AA) and Memphis (AAA) leading all Cardinals minor league pitchers...Ranked 2nd among Cardinals minor league leaders with 145.0 innings pitched trailing only Anthony Shew (156.2)...Named a Texas League All-Star but did not pitch in the game...Hurled a season-high 8.0 scoreless innings scattering six hits at Corpus Christi (5/24) in a no decision as Springfield won 4-0 in 10 innings...Held his opposition to one run or less in 10 of 28 starts with two scoreless starts...Made two appearances in the Pacific Coast League playoffs pitching 11.1 innings allowing one run (0.79 ERA)...Threw 7.1 scoreless innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts for the win in Game 4, clinching the PCL Championship vs. Fresno (9/15).

2017

Led the Florida State League in ERA (3.10), tossing a career-high 119.0 innings... Appeared in 23 games, starting 21. His final two appearances of the season came in relief in piggy-back starts of Kevin Siegrist, who was on rehab in Palm Beach... Matched his career-high pitching 8.0 innings vs. Bradenton (8/18), allowing one run in a win... Made one start in the Florida State League playoffs and hurled 6.0 innings allowing one run on four hits in a seriesopening win at Fort Myers (9/5).