Jeff Samardzija is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on January 23, 1985, in Merrillville, Indiana, and attended Valparaiso High School, where he played both football and baseball.
Samardzija was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2008 and played for them until 2014. During his time with the Cubs, Samardzija was primarily used as a starting pitcher, but he also made some appearances out of the bullpen. He had a career-best season in 2012, where he posted a 3.81 ERA and struck out 180 batters in 174.2 innings pitched.
In 2014, Samardzija was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he finished the season with a 5-6 record and a 3.14 ERA. He became a free agent after the season and signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. Samardzija spent the next five seasons with the Giants, where he was a consistent presence in their starting rotation. He had a career-best season in 2019, where he posted a 3.52 ERA and struck out 140 batters in 181.1 innings pitched.
Samardzija announced his retirement from baseball in November 2020, after spending the 2020 season with the Giants. Over his career, he had a record of 82-119 with a 4.14 ERA and 1,563 strikeouts in 1,614.2 innings pitched. He was known for his durability and ability to eat innings, as he made at least 30 starts in six different seasons.
In addition to his baseball career, Samardzija was also a standout football player in college. He played wide receiver at the University of Notre Dame and was a two-time consensus All-American. He was drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft but ultimately chose to pursue a career in baseball.
Overall, Jeff Samardzija had a successful career as a starting pitcher in MLB, playing for three different teams over the course of 12 seasons. He was known for his durability, consistency, and ability to strike out batters.
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