Biographical

Portrait of Jeff Samardzija

Jeff Samardzija PGiants

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 34)
IP ERA WHIP SO W L SV WARP
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Birth Date1-23-1985
Height6' 4"
Weight233 lbs
Age39 years, 3 months, 1 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
0.42015
4.52016
5.02017
-1.02018
0.22019
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
2008 CHN MLB 26 0 27.7 1 0 1 24 15 25 0 105 7.8 4.9 0.0 8.1 0% .289 1.41 3.03 2.28 117 6.33 135.1 -0.3
2009 CHN MLB 20 2 34.7 1 3 0 46 15 21 7 102 11.9 3.9 1.8 5.5 0% .333 1.76 5.85 7.53 125 7.07 151.6 -0.7
2010 CHN MLB 7 3 19.3 2 2 0 21 20 9 4 93 9.8 9.3 1.9 4.2 0% .262 2.12 8.27 8.38 147 8.34 188.4 -0.7
2011 CHN MLB 75 0 88.0 8 4 0 64 50 87 5 102 6.5 5.1 0.5 8.9 0% .253 1.30 3.62 2.97 102 3.89 90.3 0.9
2012 CHN MLB 28 28 174.7 9 13 0 157 56 180 20 98 8.1 2.9 1.0 9.3 0% .296 1.22 3.59 3.81 88 3.41 78.1 3.6
2013 CHN MLB 33 33 213.7 8 13 0 210 78 214 25 105 8.8 3.3 1.1 9.0 0% .314 1.35 3.74 4.34 99 3.81 91.3 2.9
2014 CHN 0 17 17 108.0 2 7 0 99 31 103 7 99 8.3 2.6 0.6 8.6 0% .305 1.20 3.06 2.83 84 2.37 58.1 3.3
2014 OAK 0 16 16 111.7 5 6 0 92 12 99 13 92 7.4 1.0 1.0 8.0 0% .262 0.93 3.33 3.14 89 2.58 63.3 3.1
2015 CHA MLB 32 32 214.0 11 13 0 228 49 163 29 105 9.6 2.1 1.2 6.9 0% .303 1.29 4.19 4.96 104 4.93 115.3 0.4
2016 SFN MLB 32 32 203.3 12 11 0 190 54 167 24 94 8.4 2.4 1.1 7.4 47% .285 1.20 3.88 3.81 89 3.44 76.1 4.5
2017 SFN MLB 32 32 207.7 9 15 0 204 32 205 30 90 8.8 1.4 1.3 8.9 43% .303 1.14 3.63 4.42 83 3.43 73.1 5.0
2018 SFN MLB 10 10 44.7 1 5 0 47 26 30 6 95 9.5 5.2 1.2 6.0 32% .287 1.63 5.40 6.25 131 7.20 160.9 -1.0
2019 SFN MLB 32 32 181.3 11 12 0 152 49 140 28 94 7.5 2.4 1.4 6.9 37% .240 1.11 4.54 3.52 112 4.40 90.4 2.7
2014 TOT MLB 33 33 219.7 7 13 0 191 43 202 20 96 7.8 1.8 0.8 8.3 0% .000 1.07 3.20 2.99 87 2.48 60.7 6.4
CareerMLB3602371628.780104115344871443198988.52.71.18.045%.2861.243.934.09983.9789.623.6

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-
2008 CHN MLB NL 26 0 27.7 1 0 1 24 15 25 0 105 7.8 4.9 0.0 8.1 0% .289 1.41 3.03 2.28 117 6.33 135.1
2009 CHN MLB NL 20 2 34.7 1 3 0 46 15 21 7 102 11.9 3.9 1.8 5.5 0% .333 1.76 5.85 7.53 125 7.07 151.6
2010 CHN MLB NL 7 3 19.3 2 2 0 21 20 9 4 93 9.8 9.3 1.9 4.2 0% .262 2.12 8.27 8.38 147 8.34 188.4
2011 CHN MLB NL 75 0 88.0 8 4 0 64 50 87 5 102 6.5 5.1 0.5 8.9 0% .253 1.30 3.62 2.97 102 3.89 90.3
2012 CHN MLB NL 28 28 174.7 9 13 0 157 56 180 20 98 8.1 2.9 1.0 9.3 0% .296 1.22 3.59 3.81 88 3.41 78.1
2013 CHN MLB NL 33 33 213.7 8 13 0 210 78 214 25 105 8.8 3.3 1.1 9.0 0% .314 1.35 3.74 4.34 99 3.81 91.3
2014 CHN MLB NL 17 17 108.0 2 7 0 99 31 103 7 99 8.3 2.6 0.6 8.6 0% .305 1.20 3.06 2.83 84 2.37 58.1
2014 OAK MLB AL 16 16 111.7 5 6 0 92 12 99 13 92 7.4 1.0 1.0 8.0 0% .262 0.93 3.33 3.14 89 2.58 63.3
2015 CHA MLB AL 32 32 214.0 11 13 0 228 49 163 29 105 9.6 2.1 1.2 6.9 0% .303 1.29 4.19 4.96 104 4.93 115.3
2016 SFN MLB NL 32 32 203.3 12 11 0 190 54 167 24 94 8.4 2.4 1.1 7.4 47% .285 1.20 3.88 3.81 89 3.44 76.1
2017 SFN MLB NL 32 32 207.7 9 15 0 204 32 205 30 90 8.8 1.4 1.3 8.9 43% .303 1.14 3.63 4.42 83 3.43 73.1
2018 SFN MLB NL 10 10 44.7 1 5 0 47 26 30 6 95 9.5 5.2 1.2 6.0 32% .287 1.63 5.40 6.25 131 7.20 160.9
2018 SJO A+ CAL 1 1 2.7 0 0 0 5 2 5 1 94 16.9 6.8 3.4 16.9 38% .571 2.63 7.12 20.25 0 0.00 0.0
2018 RIC AA EAS 1 1 4.0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 104 2.3 2.3 0.0 2.3 58% .083 0.50 4.31 0.00 112 3.16 66.8
2018 SAC AAA PCL 4 4 17.0 0 2 0 17 3 20 5 103 9.0 1.6 2.6 10.6 40% .286 1.18 6.27 5.29 102 4.27 90.2
2019 SFN MLB NL 32 32 181.3 11 12 0 152 49 140 28 94 7.5 2.4 1.4 6.9 37% .240 1.11 4.54 3.52 112 4.40 90.4

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr%
2008 451 0.4501 0.4124 0.8118 0.5764 0.2782 0.9145 0.6377 0.1882
2009 628 0.4841 0.4650 0.8322 0.6480 0.2932 0.8477 0.8000 0.1678
2010 370 0.4892 0.3811 0.8298 0.5801 0.1905 0.8476 0.7778 0.1702
2011 1505 0.4551 0.4412 0.7485 0.6117 0.2988 0.8258 0.6163 0.2515
2012 2756 0.4866 0.4797 0.7262 0.6383 0.3293 0.8166 0.5601 0.2738
2013 3418 0.4716 0.4643 0.7454 0.6340 0.3128 0.8395 0.5752 0.2546
2014 3301 0.5186 0.4859 0.7512 0.6273 0.3335 0.8315 0.5887 0.2488
2015 3333 0.5068 0.5050 0.7831 0.6720 0.3333 0.8581 0.6277 0.2169
2016 3166 0.5306 0.4814 0.7920 0.6524 0.2880 0.8558 0.6285 0.2080
2017 3251 0.5420 0.4863 0.7729 0.6356 0.3096 0.8286 0.6377 0.2271
2018 801 0.4819 0.4419 0.7910 0.6425 0.2554 0.8468 0.6604 0.2090
2019 3000 0.5000 0.4793 0.7983 0.6833 0.2753 0.8507 0.6683 0.2017
Career259800.50250.47640.77020.64420.30670.84140.62150.2298

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

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2020 SFN $19,800,000
2019 SFN $19,800,000
2018 SFN $19,800,000
2017 SFN $19,800,000
2016 SFN $10,800,000
2015 CHA $9,800,000
2014 CHN $5,345,000
2013 CHN $2,640,000
2012 CHN $2,640,000
2011 CHN $3,500,000
2010 CHN $3,000,000
2009 CHN $1,000,000
YearsDescriptionSalary
12 yrPrevious$117,925,000
12 yrTotal$117,925,000

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
11 y 28 dAdam Katz, Sam Samardzija5 years/$90M (2016-20)

Details
  • 5 years/$90M (2016-20). Signed by San Francisco as a free agent 12/9/15. $9M signing bonus ($3M paid up 12/5/15, $6M paid in four $1.5M installments each Jan. 15, 2017-20). 16:$9M, 17:$18M, 18:$18M, 19:$18M, 19:$18M, 20:$18M. Limited no-trade protection (may select eight clubs to which he would accept trade). DFA by San Francisco 9/26/20.
  • 1 year/$9.8M (2015). Signed by Chicago White Sox 1/16/15 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$5.345M (2014). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 2/8/14 (avoided arbitration). Acquired by Oakland in trade from Chicago Cubs 7/4/14. Acquired by Chicago White Sox in trade from Oakland 12/9/14.
  • 1 year/$2.64M (2013). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 1/18/13 (avoided arbitration). Performance bonuses.
  • 1 year/$2.64M (2012). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/12.
  • 5 years/$10M (2007-11), plus 2012-13 club options. Re-signed Major League contract with Chicago Cubs 1/07 (chose baseball over football). $2.5M signing bonus. Total value may increase to $16.5M with options. No-trade protection. Optioned to A 3/07.
  • Drafted by Chicago Cubs 2006 (5-149) (Notre Dame). Signed 6/06, $7.25M signing bonus ($1M base, increasing if he chooses baseball over football).

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
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 Jeff Samardzija

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2019-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)What sp's are you targeting as buy low for bounce back weather old, injured, or Mike foltynewicz?
(Spotted cow from Rockford )
I scooped up Folty when he got sent down, thinking it might help him get back on track, and I guess he's been *ok* since coming back up? Jeff Samardzija is boring, but he's been pretty good lately and Pablo Lopez is about to come off the IL, so I'll be trying to nab him everywhere too. (Mark Barry)
2017-02-06 23:00:00 (link to chat)If you had a semi-old, win-now team in a deep dynasty league with separate minors rosters, would you sell a promising young stud prospect bat like Alex Kirilloff for an older but stable pitcher like Jeff Samardzija or a rapidly declining star like Felix Hernandez? Or hold tight?
(Rodney Ruxin from Los Banos)
I'd move Kiriloff for Shark there, yeah. I like the kid's bat, but he's several years away, and if you're that leveraged for the here and now already, go for it while the going's still possible. The idea of acquiring Felix right now in most any context makes me sad, and the fact that it makes me sad makes me even sadder. :(

A revolution riddim, dis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eciArkBTeBM (Wilson Karaman)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)Rank these Theo Epstein trade fleecings: 1. Rangers - 2 trades (recevied Hendricks, Villanueva, Edwards, Grimm, Ramirez, and Olt for Dempster and Garza rentals (resulted in 0 WS)). 2. Orioles (received Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop, and international bonus money for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger. 3. A's (received Addison Russell (!), Billy McKinney, and Dan Straily for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel (who promptly returned to Cubs in FA)). Also, are you still a little in shock that Billy Beane traded Addison Russell?
(Mark from Bleacher Nation)
That's a fun question.

The Arrieta trade, the Russell trade, and the Rangers trade. I was not in shock about it (nothing Beane does is on the shock level) but I was very surprised. (Mike Gianella)
2015-02-06 13:00:00 (link to chat)If you only sign 1 of next year's FA SP class (potentially David Price, Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann, Jeff Samardzija) who would it be?
(Shawnykid23 from CT)
Greinke (Harry Pavlidis)
2014-12-18 15:00:00 (link to chat)Craig, do you think we've run into an issue where teams are overvaluing years of control when making deals? The A's dealt Samardijza and Moss for underwhelming returns, but the Dodgers shipped out Heaney for Kendrick. What gives?
(Chris from Seattle)
I do think years of control are playing a big part in the valuation of players, and I do think it's potentially being overvalued. I love Dee Gordon and he's a nice player, but getting more for four years of him than what a guy like Brandon Moss or Jeff Samardzija brought back strikes me as odd (and don't tell me Miguel Rojas was the key there). I know Dan Haren was in that mix as well, but I do think Gordon was the piece Miami focused on.

I know people are thinking that the prospect market is just pretty dry right now with teams wanting to hold on to what they have, and I don't doubt that's the case, but I am surprised a bit at some teams' willingness to give into that market and just sell for what's being offered, especially this early in the offseason. (Craig Goldstein)
2014-10-03 11:00:00 (link to chat)I'm reading a lot of comments that the Cespedes/Lester trade was a bad deal for Oakland. But I still think the Russell/Samardzija trade is the one that will haunt them. Your thoughts?
(Jim from St Paul)
A superficial (but still emotionally compelling) answer is: Lester pitched in a playoff game. There's a decent chance Samardzija never will, either because he's traded this offseason or because the A's don't quite have enough next year, sans a middle infield, a left fielder, a catcher who can be counted on defensively, a center fielder who can play even close to every day, etc. etc. etc. etc.

But more importantly, in the wake of the Cespedes/Lester trade, it became clear that Cespedes wasn't going to be in Oakland in 2015 no matter what. The question was what they could get back for him in the offseason vs. midyear 2014, and while the classic trade would have been to get prospects back for him, it's hardly unforgivable to instead take a two-month maybe-ace and add him to what was looking at the time like a real shot at a World Series trophy.

I'd hope it goes unsaid that all the bunk about how the Cespedes trade killed the A's offense is bunk. John Jaso's concussion and Brandon Moss' hip and Coco Crisp's neck and Stephen Vogt's foot, along with that unfortunate few weeks where both Jed Lowrie and Nick Punto were hurt at the same time all have a lot more to do with the A's regression in run-scoring than the mystical Cespedes and his magical protection abilities.

That said, if Jeff Samardzija pitches 2015 for the A's and pitches it as well as he did in 2014 for the A's (that 8:1 K:BB ratio is incredible) and Oakland gets back to the playoffs again despite looking for all the world like 2014 was the last gasp, then even that trade won't look quite so bad. (Jason Wojciechowski)
2014-10-03 11:00:00 (link to chat)Where do you think the A's go from here? Give it 1 more shot, or look to quasi re-build by getting rid of Jeff Samardzija, Josh Donaldson, etc?
(Shawnykid23 from CT)
Everybody is bad at predicting what Billy Beane is going to do in a given offseason. We're all horrible at it. I bet even David Forst and Farhan Zaidi have running bets between them about what's going to happen at work that day, and they're even.

So on the one hand, the A's have some serious holes and no obvious ways to fill them because their usual method ("trade all the prospects!" (by "usual," I mean "the last two years" and I'm assuming Beane won't zag just yet, which of course means he will)) is exhausted. On the other hand, the team signed Coco Crisp through at least 2016 (vesting option in '17), and why get the jump on that rather than wait-and-see if you don't intend to take your shots?

So I don't know, but my working assumption is that the A's aren't going to be selling, though I admit some intellectual curiosity regarding how much they could get back for Josh Donaldson, a player with three years of team control left, but no long-term deal signed, a late bloomer (next year is his age-29 season) and so his best years aren't ahead of him, an MVP candidate for two straight years now with a good offense+defense profile. I love rooting for him, so emotionally I don't want him to go anywhere, but if I were a fan of any other team, I'd want to see a trade just for the "what does that prospect package look like?" question. (Jason Wojciechowski)
2014-06-11 12:00:00 (link to chat)What jerseys are the following players wearing on August 1st- David Price, James Shields, Jeff Samardzija?
(Shawnykid23 from CT)
...is a question I would like to know the answer to!

I'm going to guess Price and Shields don't get traded. The Rays will ask for a ton a ton a ton and the Royals won't want to give up on their season. Samardzija will get dealt and I'll say to the Orioles. Or maybe the Blue Jays. Or maybe the Brewers. Or the Giants. Or the (Matthew Kory)
2014-05-13 11:00:00 (link to chat)Is Jeff Samardzija success a reality?...Or is he still just a football player pretending to be a pitcher?
(Mike Evans from North Side)
It's clearly a reality based on a large sample. (Jason Parks)
2014-05-13 11:00:00 (link to chat)Jeff Samardzija for Mookie Betts and Henry Owens. Who says no?
(JMR from Chicago)
The Cubs? (Jason Parks)
2014-05-07 17:00:00 (link to chat)Jeff Samardzija, Javier Baez, and Archie Bradley for Jose Fernandez...in an 18 team keeper league...who says no?
(msimotes from Kalamazoo)
Seems like a trade where I'd want to try and hold onto Baez or Bradley and move them in another dump deal, but that's how my leagues roll for dump deals. Every league is different. (Mike Gianella)
2014-04-29 13:00:00 (link to chat)Need help! I got offered Javier Baez, Archie Bradley, and Jeff Samardzija for Jose Fernandez...This is in a 20 team keeper league in which I am in first and the winner gets $2K...What do I do?
(msimotes from Kalamazoo)
If you want to win this year then don't give away the best player. I'd ask the Bat Signal guys, though, just to be sure. (R.J. Anderson)
2014-02-26 19:00:00 (link to chat)You're the Cub inside scoop guy - odds of shark being dealt by opening day? And when they do can that actually land a good, possible #1 arm?
(Mac from Chicago)
It's off the board. Rumors are pretty quiet right now but they tend to heat up whenever Jeff Samardzija is involved. #1 Arms are rare as hell, I don't see them netting a top tier arm for Shark, but with this FO you never know. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-01-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)What are your thoughts on Jeff Samardzija? No 2 pitcher or good no 3?
(Jon from Chicago)
I think good 3, but with potential to have some 2-level seasons. There's a reason he was so highly sought after in this trade market. (Paul Sporer)
2013-12-10 18:00:00 (link to chat)Any SPs you think will breakout in 2014?
(Shawnykid23 from CT)
I have been down on him for years, but I think this might be the year that Jeff Samardzija puts it all together and finally becomes a solid #2 at the very least. If he gets the innings, Danny Salazar is another guy I really like; he could strike out a batter an inning with some pretty nice overall numbers. Zack Wheeler is another candidate. This is a guy where you should ignore the peripherals (FIP, FRA, etc.) and look at the ability. Wheeler is a potential stud. Maybe I'm a year off on him, but keep in mind that some scouts liked him better than Matt Harvey when he came up. That doesn't mean that Wheeler will be 2013 Harvey good (that's silly), but he could be a pretty fine pitcher in his own right. (Mike Gianella)
2013-10-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)What are your expectations for Jeff Samardzija in 2014? He got off to a fairly impressive start this year, but still hasn't seemed to put it all together.
(justarobert from Santa Clara)
Something like a middle of the rotation starter. Come to think of it, perhaps he'll be on the move this winter. (R.J. Anderson)
2013-08-12 14:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for chatting with us, Doug! Could you go into a little more detail on the mechanics behind the timing issue Jeff Samardzija's been battling? How long does it usually take pitchers with a similar timing issue to iron the problem out? Thanks, I appreciate your work!
(GoneTroutFishin from Germantown, TN)
Lots of Shark questions in the queue!

Samardzija has been struggling to hit targets due to his issues with timing, a fine-grained element that comes down to hundredths of a second. Fixing it can take a matter of minutes or a span of months, depending on the player, but the fix is often fleeting as pitchers can lose their timing within an inning only to get it back again. Timing is simultaneously the most important and the most difficult mechanical element to perfect.

When a pitcher consistently struggles with timing, it tends to boil down to two elements that are intertwined: A) the pitcher's momentum from leg lift through foot strike, and B) the timing of trunk rotation, relative to foot strike. If a pitcher is too quick into foot strike, then the trigger of trunk rotation (and thus the arm) will be late in relation. In Samardzija's case, it looks like his momentum is the key factor in his timing issues, including his initiation of momentum as well as his gear-change at maximum leg lift. So he has some work to do to get right, but it could happen quickly.

On the jukebox: Dredg, "Spitshine" (Doug Thorburn)
2013-08-08 17:30:00 (link to chat)SHARK FIN SOUP?! What's wrong with the Shark? Have we been overrating him?
(Cal Guy from Cal)
I don't know if there's anything "wrong" with Jeff Samardzija. He has always been a high strikeout pitcher who is prone to inconsistency. I've never been a big Shark fan. He's a guy who roll with when he's hot but the bad times almost always come. (Mike Gianella)
2013-06-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Can you name a non-ace or two in the NL whom you expect to be better in the second half?
(Jason from Not leaving yet)
Better meaning they've pitched and failed. Lance Lynn, Jeff Samardzija, Homer Bailey, Edwin Jackson, Dillon Gee (already surging), Brandon McCarthy & Ryan Vogelsong when healthy, and keep an eye on Tom Koehler who is throwing tonight. (Paul Sporer)
2013-06-11 14:00:00 (link to chat)Daniel,like George who wanted to eat, watch tv, and have sex at the same time I would like to acquire Samardzia and Anibal Sanchez in my dynasty league. Unfortunately, I do not have the Costanza charm and have to choose between them. Who is the better pitcher for next five years?
(seabass77 from Milwaukee)
Haha, seabass77. I think in this case, I'd consider Anibal Sanchez the strawberries with chocolate sauce and Jeff Samardzija the pastrami on rye with mustard. The risk associated with his shoulder occasionally flaring up notwithstanding, I think Sanchez has a good deal more upside and will be a much more stable source of wins (assuming your league counts those). If the price tag is the same, get Sanchez and be happy with that. (Daniel Rathman)
2013-04-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)What pitchers have you had most fun analyzing? Is there anybody that's debuted this year that you've identified as having an interesting or "novel" repertoire?
(Lucas Apostoleris from Amherst, MA)
For better or worse, I like Jeff Samardzija's data and he developed; Darvish is maddening but really amazing stuff. Newbies this year... I like what we saw of Hiram Burgos in the WBC. Brandon Maurer looks good, and of course Jose Fernandez... (Harry Pavlidis)
2013-03-06 20:00:00 (link to chat)In a 4x4 NL only league where K's don't count, is there anyone in the upper middle class ($10-$14) of SP who you especially bump up or down? Names like Tim Hudson, Jeff Samardzija, Josh Beckett, Homer Bailey, Trevor Cahill?
(Scott from LA)
Samardzija gets a lot of his value from his strikeouts, but Cahill and Bailey are two guys I'd give a small bump up to. (Paul Singman)
2013-03-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)Anthrax, Tool, Iron Maiden, The Beatles, Colin Hay, Misfits, Sublime...that jukebox has goine haywire...or, Colin Hay-wire... Do you expect Jeff Samardzija repeat his success from last year? He seems pretty fluid in his delivery but I don't have a great eye for that sort of thing. Just hoping he's not a one trick pony.
(Steve from Bayshore)
My musical tastes do that, and I tend to be the type who finds something that he likes and sticks with it. I am always slow to come around, like the old curmudgeon who constantly berates modern music. Hence why my jukebox is filled with music that is at least 10 years old. (Doug Thorburn)
2013-03-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on Jeff Samardzija this year? Do you see the breakout coming that everyone else seems to?
(Shawnykid23 from CT)
I am a huge fan of Jeff Samardzija, and I believe that he actually broke out last season. He had two terrible starts in June that are skewing his ERA, including the start on June 27th where he was cruising along just fine until the 4th inning, when lost it for a stretch of 11 batters, 8 of which crossed the plate. Outside of that horrid stretch, Samardzija was lights out from May through September.

His mechanics are awesome, with a great blend of power and balance that he repeats very well. His velocity has improved each of the last 2 seasons, though not enough to crack the requirements for today's article on velocity gainers. His is only a sleeper in the sense that his performance was not on the national radar - I can only hope that my fantasy league-mates were not paying attention to his performance down the stretch, and that they are likewise ignoring this chat.

On the jukebox: Drist, "The Scalpel" (Doug Thorburn)
2011-09-02 14:00:00 (link to chat)Jeff Samardzija has quietly been an effective reliever this year. Think he can take the next step and be a shut down set up guy or closer?
(MJ from Edmonton)
I think the control will keep him from ever getting to that role, but he's already exceeded expectations, like you said. (Kevin Goldstein)
2010-10-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)Please give me some hope for next yr's Cubs rotation. I see some back-end guys ( Gorz,Wells,Silva), a big ?(Z), and a solid #2-3(Dempster). Shouldn't they stretch out Cashner?
(Matt from Chicago)
The Cubs have plenty of starting pitching depth (enough to where they could stop trying to make Jeff Samardzija a starting pitcher, if nothing else for my health and well-being). They have some guys with front-end talent. It's not the biggest hole on a team riddled with holes. (Colin Wyers)
2010-02-25 15:00:00 (link to chat)Who do you think wins the #5 spot in the Cubs rotation?
(Jack from Chicago)
Tom Gorzelanny. I think Jeff Samardzija is better suited to being a reliever. (John Perrotto)
2009-08-11 13:00:00 (link to chat)Jeff Samardzija starts for the cubs tomorrow. Is there another player you dread appearing in UTK more than the golden domer, just from a spell check perspective?
(Stan from Chicago)
There was someone recently who was worse ... can't remember. There are some names in EPL that just crush me. I cannot spell Benjani Mwaruwari without double and triple checking. (Will Carroll)
2008-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)As long as this looks to be an all-Chicago talk, what is the outlook on Jeff Samardzija? Can anyone accurately predict what's in store for him? Because his performance so far seems to be puzzling both statheads and scouts alike.
(Josh from (Sacramento))
In general, the rule of thumb is that when a pitcher as young as Samardzija achieves a breakout level of performance, most of that performance tends to stick. But I sure as hell didn't see it coming. (Nate Silver)
2008-07-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on Jeff Samardzija and his recent run in AAA?
(Rob from Bloomington, IL)
I'm baffled by it, but unfortunately, I've yet to hook up with a scout who has seen the AAA run yet. Until then I'm unconvinced, but certainly intrigued. (Kevin Goldstein)
2008-07-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)What do you make of Jeff Samardzija? He walks guys, gives up the gopher ball, and doesn't strike guys out. Yet he throws gas, gets groundballs, and is a bulldog on the mound. My question is do you see anything that he could do this year that could get him into the top 100?
(Matt from Not afraid of CC)
Into the Top 100? He needs to stop giving up the gopher ball and start striking guys out, no? I don't see that happening. (Kevin Goldstein)


BP Roundtables

DateRoundtable NameComment
2010-04-05 09:30:00Season Opener RoundtableJeff Samardzija is getting shelled in Atlanta. (David Laurila)
2010-04-05 09:30:00Season Opener RoundtableThe Cubs' bullpen was doing a pretty good job after Zambrano's meltdown, but Jeff Samardzija just lost the plot. Should have played football. (Dan Wade)
2009-06-09 14:30:002009 Draft CoverageThis reminds me what the Cubs did a few years ago when they drafted Tyler Colvin with the intention of spending money on Jeff Samardzija later in the draft. We hear the Pirates will be busy in the Dominican and in later rounds, but it's certainly weird to see Sanchez' name in the top five. Not more than a couple days ago, Kevin and I agreed that Jason Castro was a better prospect one year ago. And we know what we all thought about that Castro pick then. (Bryan Smith)
 

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 2024, Jeff Samardzija threw 26,767 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2008 and 2020, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2020, he relied primarily on his Slider (84mph), also mixing in a Fourseam Fastball (90mph), Sinker (91mph), Cutter (87mph), Change (83mph) and Splitter (82mph). He also rarely threw a Curve (79mph).