Biographical

Portrait of Duane Underwood Jr.

Duane Underwood Jr. PPirates

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 24)
IP ERA WHIP SO W L SV WARP
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Birth Date7-20-1994
Height6' 2"
Weight210 lbs
Age29 years, 8 months, 8 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
2015
2016
2017
-0.12018
0.02019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA- WARP
2018 CHN MLB 1 1 4.0 0 1 0 2 3 3 1 95 4.5 6.8 2.3 6.8 50% .111 1.25 7.12 2.25 154 7.98 178.2 -0.1
2019 CHN MLB 12 0 11.7 0 0 0 13 3 13 2 96 10.0 2.3 1.5 10.0 53% .344 1.37 4.19 5.40 88 3.69 75.7 0.2
CareerMLB13115.7010156163968.63.41.79.252%.2931.344.944.601034.78101.90.1

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA-
2012 CUB Rk AZL 5 5 8.7 0 1 0 7 6 7 1 93 7.3 6.2 1.0 7.3 0% .231 1.50 6.64 5.19 113 4.15 86.4
2013 BOI A- NOR 14 11 54.3 3 4 0 62 27 36 4 103 10.3 4.5 0.7 6.0 0% .310 1.64 4.77 4.97 117 6.58 142.9
2014 KNC A MID 22 21 100.7 6 4 0 85 36 84 10 96 7.6 3.2 0.9 7.5 0% .273 1.20 4.41 2.50 107 4.05 85.8
2015 MYR A+ CAR 14 14 73.3 6 3 0 52 24 48 6 99 6.4 2.9 0.7 5.9 0% .223 1.04 4.15 2.58 111 3.25 71.3
2015 CUB Rk AZL 2 2 5.0 0 0 0 3 0 6 0 92 5.4 0.0 0.0 10.8 0% .250 0.60 1.40 0.00 80 2.12 46.5
2016 SBN A MID 3 3 8.7 0 1 0 5 4 12 0 96 5.2 4.2 0.0 12.5 44% .278 1.04 2.09 2.08 75 2.47 54.5
2016 MYR A+ CAR 1 1 4.7 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 95 5.8 0.0 0.0 3.9 47% .200 0.64 3.32 1.93 94 2.96 65.5
2016 TEN AA SOU 13 13 58.7 0 5 0 66 31 46 7 100 10.1 4.8 1.1 7.1 48% .317 1.65 5.08 4.91 120 6.25 138.0
2016 CUB Rk AZL 1 1 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 110 9.0 0.0 0.0 18.0 50% .500 1.00 0.11 0.00 75 2.75 60.7
2016 MSS Wnt AFL 2 2 6.0 0 1 0 8 2 5 2 12.0 3.0 3.0 7.5 0% .316 1.67 7.94 9.00 0 0.00 0.0
2017 TEN AA SOU 25 24 138.0 13 7 0 130 50 98 13 99 8.5 3.3 0.8 6.4 45% .282 1.30 4.20 4.43 112 4.88 103.8
2018 CHN MLB NL 1 1 4.0 0 1 0 2 3 3 1 95 4.5 6.8 2.3 6.8 50% .111 1.25 7.12 2.25 154 7.98 178.2
2018 IOW AAA PCL 27 20 119.3 4 10 0 127 37 105 8 93 9.6 2.8 0.6 7.9 44% .334 1.37 3.93 4.53 92 4.64 98.0
2019 CHN MLB NL 12 0 11.7 0 0 0 13 3 13 2 96 10.0 2.3 1.5 10.0 53% .344 1.37 4.19 5.40 88 3.69 75.7
2019 IOW AAA PCL 33 10 81.7 3 7 0 84 41 95 8 94 9.3 4.5 0.9 10.5 48% .342 1.53 4.36 5.07 87 3.85 79.1

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr%
2018 77 0.4286 0.4286 0.8788 0.6667 0.2500 0.8182 1.0000 0.1212
2019 173 0.4104 0.4740 0.7073 0.7183 0.3039 0.8039 0.5484 0.2927
Career2500.41600.46000.76010.70240.28730.80830.68750.2399

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2014-06-03 2014-06-15 Minors 12 0 - Not Disclosed -
2014-04-02 2014-04-13 Minors 11 0 - Not Disclosed -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2023 PIT $1,025,000
2022 PIT $725,000
2021 PIT $584,500
2020 CHN $565,000
2019 CHN $
2018 CHN $
2017 CHN $
YearsDescriptionSalary
4 yrPrevious$2,899,500
4 yrTotal$2,899,500

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
3 y 44 d1 year/$1.025M (2023)

Details
  • 1 year/$1.025M (2023). Re-signed by Pittsburgh 1/13/23 (avoided arbitration). DFA by Pittsburgh 5/27/23. Sent outright to Triple-A 6/2/23. Elected free agency 10/6/23.
  • 1 year/$725,000 (2022). Re-signed by Pittsburgh 3/22.
  • 1 year/$584,500 (2021). Acquired by Pittsburgh in trade 3/7/21 after being DFA by Chicago Cubs 3/2/21. Re-signed by Pittsburgh 3/21.
  • 1 year/$565,000 (2020). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/20.
  • 1 year (2019). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/19.
  • 1 year (2018). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/18.
  • 1 year (2017). Contract selected by Chicago Cubs 11/18/16. Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/17.
  • Drafted by Chicago Cubs 2012 (2-67) (Pope HS, Marietta, Ga.). $1.05M signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT W L SV G GS IP H BB SO HR BABIP WHIP ERA DRA VORP WARP
90o 0 0 0 0 0 12.8 10 5 12 1 .254 1.14 3.42 3.62 0.0 0.0
80o 0 0 0 0 0 8.3 7 3 7 1 .267 1.22 3.78 4 0.0 0.0
70o 0 0 0 0 0 5.1 5 2 5 1 .275 1.28 4.04 4.28 0.0 0.0
60o 0 0 0 0 0 2.5 2 1 2 0 .283 1.33 4.27 4.52 0.0 0.0
50o 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0 0 0 0 .290 1.38 4.48 4.75 0.0 0.0
Weighted Mean?????0.0?00?.0000.000.00?0.00.0

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Duane Underwood Jr.

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2017-03-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)Pick two to round out dynasty keepers on the farm: Dustin May, Duane Underwood, Mark Appel, Thyago Viera, Adalberto Mejia, Franchy Cordero. Thanks!
(Steve from Wilmington)
My Dustin May love is well known. The rest of that list is uh, something. Mejia I guess. Ben is psychically sending me messages to tell you not to roster prospect relievers in a dynasty league. (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2015-09-30 19:00:00 (link to chat)Do the Cubs still have a top 8 farm system?
(Randy from Iowa)
Yes and the emergence of Willson Contreras helps that out a lot. They have Gleyber Torres and Ian Happ in the farm to go along with some arms like Duane Underwood and Pierce Johnson. Opinions on Dylan Cease are mixed because of his command profile but the man throws in the upper 90's and I have heard reports that he was pressing 99 in a few starts. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-09-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)Are you a fan of Duane Underwood? Can he be a mid rotation or better starter?
(toosight from Jersey)
I am, and certainly. Three above-average pitches, improving command. Would like to see him miss a few more bats, of course, but he's only 21 and the stuff seems to get better each year. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-07-06 13:00:00 (link to chat)Duane Underwood a top 100 guy prior to his undisclosed injury?
(Mike from San Antonio)
I have a feeling we'll have some guys make a case for him on the 101. (Jeff Moore)
2015-06-16 20:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on Duane Underwood? Putting together another great start tonight. Seems to be flying under the radar.
(Grizz from Chi)
TINSTAAUCP (There is no such thing as an underrated Cubs prospect) (Ben Carsley)
2015-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Alright - Futures/other MiLB for that matter. For pitchers, whom would you point to as someone whose results are lagging behind their stuff, and conversely, who's getting it done without a big time out pitch?
(DBITLefty from leaving gym)
well, I am a Cubs fan so two guys come to mind from that org. Duane Underwood, the Ks will come next, and Jeremy Null, he's doing very well in the MWL but he's not any kind of stuff guy that I can tell. (Harry Pavlidis)
2015-06-02 18:00:00 (link to chat)My two favorite and kind of obscure prospect pitchers are Duane Underwood and Brent Honeywell...Underwood didn't even make the BP top-10 Cubs article. What are your thoughts on both of them and their ceilings/ETA's?
(Tim from Ohio)
I'll see Honeywell this Friday so look for a full writeup on him soon. Underwood has a lot of things that I like, fastball/curveball combo that can be plus, quick arm action and a change he's developing the feel for. I think Underwood has the highest ceiling of any Cubs MiLB arm and it wouldn't surprise me to see him high in the top ten next year, if he's still in the org. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-12-18 15:00:00 (link to chat)Is it time we all gave up on Alberto Tirado? Is Duane Underwood legit coming off a solid season in A ball?
(Gravybill1 from PA)
I've address Tirado already, but I'll take Underwood. Is he a legitimately interesting prospect? Sure, but I'm not thinking of him as anything more than a potential back end guy right now. He's not likely to be a fast mover, either. He's a name to know, but not someone worth frothing at the mouth over. (Craig Goldstein)
2015-02-09 20:00:00 (link to chat)Was Duane Underwood in consideration?
(James from CA)
Nope. Good season for Underwood, but to my mind a lot of it was building back value he had lost since the draft. Back on track as a potential mid-rotation arm but there are still questions about consistency (particularly with the breaking ball) and how he'll show against more advanced competition. (Top 101 Chat)
2014-11-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)What were the improvements Duane Underwood made this season and what future steps does he have to take in order to reach his #2/3 potential?
(Pelecos from Chicago)
Body looked better, velocity was back closer to what he flashed pre-draft, and overall execution was a little more consistent. I viewed the progress more as getting back on track to where we expected him to be when acquired than a large developmental step forward. He needs to improve the consistency of his breaking ball, which still lags and has not manifested in the regular plus form we hoped to see when he was flashing bite and depth on the high school/travel circuit. Also needs to start putting developmental focus on the change. Command/control still below average. Fair amount of clean-up still to come. (NL Central Top 10s With Nick Faleris)
2014-07-24 19:00:00 (link to chat)Are jacob hanneman and Duane Underwood legit prospects?
(MKPJ from chicago)
I saw Duane Underwood last night, he's legit. Works in the mid 90s and flashes solid secondary offerings. I'll be writing him up in the near future.

Hannemann I am not sold on at all. Only saw the speed in game, everything else was lacking. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-07-24 19:00:00 (link to chat)How would you rank the current and former KC Cougar starting pitchers - Jen-Ho Tseng, Paul Blackburn, Daury Torrez, Duane Underwood and Juan Paniagua (no need to ask about Tyler Skulina as I know he'd be at the bottom of your list)?
(Navin from Pasadena, CA)
Tseng, Underwood, Blackburn, Torrez, Paniagua, Skulina (yeah I don't like Tyler much) (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-07-24 19:00:00 (link to chat)Paul Blackburn, Jen-Ho Tseng, Duane Underwood: Which intriguing Cubs low-A pitcher do you prefer?
(msquared from usa)
Tseng right now, but I can see Underwood growing up and taking over that spot in my heart. (Mauricio Rubio)
2013-09-27 13:00:00 (link to chat)Much has been made among CHC fans about their Big 4 prospects(Baez, Almora, Bryant, Soler),which guys in the 5-10 range in their system intrigue you most?Btw, is Olt redeemable?
(Matt from Chicago)
Mike Olt is absolutely redeemable. I still believe in his ability to be a very good everyday player. As for the 5-10 range, I like the progress scouts reported seeing with Dillon Maples this year. The addition of CJ Edwards and having guys like Duane Underwood and Pierce Johnson make for some quality depth outside of the top four guys. (Mark Anderson)
2013-06-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)Are you surprised at Kyle Hendricks success this season at AA for Tennessee (Cubs) and should he be considered one of the Cubs top pitching prospects?
(Mike from Illinois)
The Cubs are obviously very bat-heavy in their system, and many of the top arms are either hurt (Vizcaino) or at the lower levels (Pierce Johnson in Low-A, Dillon Maples in Low-A, Duane Underwood in extended spring). So by default Hendricks is one of their better arms at the upper levels.

There's nothing too sexy about Hendricks, but he can really pitch, so I'm not surprised he's having success this year. I saw Hendricks a couple times last year in Myrtle Beach. Haven't gotten a report on him last year but here's what I saw – located and mixed deep arsenal very well. Not a lot of life on anything but sat 87-91-ish with his fastball but showed the ability to pop 92-93 and the occasional 94 when needed. Very deceptive changeup that also didn't have a lot of movement. He also had a cut-slider and big get-me-over curveball. The stuff is very fringe and it's probably a no. 5 starter at best, but he can locate and mix, so that gives him a shot. (Jason Cole)
2013-03-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)I came upon a note in Jason's Top 10 Prospects list for the Cubs system, that Duane Underwood's "arm works well, but low pickup and drag force it to go a long way." Those words weren't yours, but I'm wondering if you have any insight on them. I feel the same way when watching a number of current big-leaguers (if I'm reading this right), where they have fast and loose arms, but waste motion on the back side of their delivery and seem to lengthen their arm action in doing so. Does this pose any added risk of injury, ineffectiveness, or inconsistency?
(Matt Trueblood from Fridley, MN)
I am not as bothered by "long" arm action, other than the potential to complicate the timing sequence. It is the high-speed portion of rotation that places the most stress on the arm, so I care more about the arm path once the rotational elements kick into gear. It's kinda like worrying about a hitter's hands before he gets into the loaded position – just because it looks funny doesn't mean that it's dysfunctional.

On the jukebox: Colin Hay, "Overkill" (Doug Thorburn)
2013-02-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who is the most interesting Cub prospect besides Baez, Almora, Soler and Vizcaino?
(Navin from Pasadena, CA)
Duane Underwood or Dillon Maples. (Jason Parks)


BP Roundtables

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PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC


Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2023, Duane Underwood Jr. threw 3,772 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2018 and 2024, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2024, he relied primarily on his Sinker (92mph), Cutter (89mph) and Slider (85mph), also mixing in a Change (87mph) and Fourseam Fastball (93mph).