Kodi Whitley
Atlanta Braves
Pitcher
Born: (1995-02-21) February 21, 1995
Clayton, North Carolina, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 26, 2020, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Win–loss record2–0
Earned run average3.38
Strikeouts44
Teams

Kodi James Whitley (born February 21, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Amateur career

Whitley attended Cleveland High School outside of Clayton, North Carolina.[1][2] In 2013, his senior year, he earned all-conference honors.[3] Undrafted in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at the University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, North Carolina, where he played college baseball.

In 2014, Whitley's freshman year, he pitched to a 6–2 record with a 2.74 ERA over 13 games (ten starts),[4] earning Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year.[5] That summer, he played in the Coastal Plain League for the Fayetteville SwampDogs.[6] As a sophomore at Mount Olive in 2015, he appeared in 17 games (making 14 starts) in which he went 8–4 with a 4.41 ERA, striking out 88 batters over 87+2⁄3 innings.[7] After the year, he returned to play in the Coastal Plain League with Fayetteville,[8] earning All-Star honors.[9] Prior to the 2016 season, Whitley underwent Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the year.[10] In 2017, he pitched only five innings.[11] After the year, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 27th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[12][13][14]

Professional career

St. Louis Cardinals

Whitley signed with St. Louis and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals.[15] He also appeared in one game for the Palm Beach Cardinals at the end of the season. Over 17+2⁄3 innings between both clubs, he compiled a 1.53 ERA and 22 strikeouts. In 2018, he pitched for the Peoria Chiefs, going 4–2 with a 2.51 ERA over 41 games (two starts), and in 2019, he began the year with Palm Beach before being promoted to the Springfield Cardinals in April and to the Memphis Redbirds in July.[16][17][18][19] Over fifty relief appearances between the three clubs, Whitley went 3–4 with a 1.60 ERA, striking out 78 batters over 67+1⁄3 innings.[20] He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs following the season.[21]

On July 20, 2020, it was announced that Whitley had made the Cardinals 2020 Opening Day roster.[22] He made his debut on July 26 at Busch Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates, facing three batters and retiring them all over one inning in relief.[23] On August 4, it was announced that Whitley had tested positive for COVID-19, and he was subsequently placed on the injured list.[24][25] He returned to the team on September 22. Over 4+2⁄3 innings with St. Louis, he compiled a 1.93 ERA with five strikeouts. In 2021, Whitley did not make the Opening Day roster.[26] He was recalled on April 13, but optioned back to Memphis on April 17.[27] On April 30, he was recalled again.[28] On May 30, the Cardinals placed Whitley on the injured list with back spasms.[29] He was activated on July 11 and optioned to Memphis.[30] He was recalled to St. Louis on August 28 and spent the remainder of the season with them.[31] Over 25 relief appearances with the Cardinals, Whitley compiled a 2.49 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 25+1⁄3 innings.[32] He was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Memphis on November 1, 2022.

Whitley began the 2023 season back with Memphis, where he made 32 appearances and registered a 1–5 record and 5.19 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 3 saves in 43+1⁄3 innings pitched. He was released by the Cardinals organization on July 19.[33]

Atlanta Braves

On July 24, 2023, Whitley signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves organization.[34]

References

  1. ↑ Correspondent, Keith Spence /. "Hawks fall in EC3A baseball opener". The Free Press.
  2. ↑ "Sports Briefs: Cleveland posts back-to-back baseball wins | Raleigh News & Observer". Archived from the original on July 28, 2019.
  3. ↑ "ECC honors great sports, great talents | Raleigh News & Observer". Archived from the original on July 28, 2019.
  4. ↑ writer, Sammy Batten-staff. "Player bios: 2015 Fayetteville SwampDogs". The Fayetteville Observer.
  5. ↑ "Conference Carolinas Announces All Conference Baseball Awards". Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  6. ↑ Tie, Andrew. "SwampDogs' Corner: Rivera and Raven out, Mateo and Whitley in". The Fayetteville Observer.
  7. ↑ "Cardinals Complete 2017 Draft with 30 Picks". CardinalsDugout.com.
  8. ↑ "Two Mount Olive players to join SwampDogs in 2015 - Sports - the Fayetteville Observer - Fayetteville, NC". Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ Staff reports (July 13, 2015). "Coastal Plain League All-Star Game rosters". SCNow.
  10. ↑ "Goldsboro News-Argus | Sports: D2 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL: Trojans' Whitley finally healthy". savannah.newsargus.com.
  11. ↑ "College sports notebook | Raleigh News & Observer". Archived from the original on July 28, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Late MLB Draft rounds included large haul of NC selections". June 15, 2017.
  13. ↑ Martin, Derek (June 14, 2017). "MLB Draft Day 3: Three Huskers, three Jays, two Hawkeyes picked". KMAland.com.
  14. ↑ Timmermann, Tom (June 15, 2017). "Cards pumped about power potential of highest-rated pick". STLtoday.com.
  15. ↑ Jun 20, Matt Moreno FOX Sports Midwest; ET, 2017 at 1:38p (June 20, 2017). "Cardinals sign seven more players from MLB draft". FOX Sports.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Globe-News, Lee Passmore Amarillo. "Sod Poodles drop slugfest to Springfield, 10-9". Austin American-Statesman.
  17. ↑ Baliva, Nathan (April 2, 2018). "Carlson, Plummer, Denton Return to Lead Chiefs".
  18. ↑ Goold, Derrick (April 7, 2018). "Goold: Where the Cards' key prospects will be playing, and what's expected of them". STLtoday.com.
  19. ↑ "Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (44-61) at Oklahoma City Dodgers (48-56)". OurSports Central. July 27, 2019.
  20. ↑ Goold, Derrick (March 10, 2020). "Kodi Whitley Could Be On The Move, Again". Baseballamerica.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  21. ↑ Goold, Derrick (August 29, 2019). "Cards notebook: Reyes set to test arm; Robinson released; Carlson picked for AFL". STLtoday.com.
  22. ↑ "Whitley emotional after making Cards' roster". MLB.com.
  23. ↑ "Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score, July 26, 2020". Baseball-Reference.com. July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Tests positive for COVID-19". CBSSports.com. August 4, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Placed on injured list". CBSSports.com. August 4, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Cardinals finalize 2021 Opening Day roster". MLB.com.
  27. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals option Oviedo, recall Whitley". ksdk.com. April 13, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  28. ↑ RotoWire Staff (April 30, 2021). "Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Recalled by Cardinals". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Cardinals place Kodi Whitley on injured list with back spasms Midwest News". Bally Sports. May 30, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  30. ↑ RotoWire Staff (July 11, 2021). "Cardinals' Kodi Whitley: Activated and optioned". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Cardinals' Andrew Miller goes on IL with another foot blister; Whitley recalled". August 28, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Kodi Whitley". October 12, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Kodi Whitley: Released by St. Louis". July 20, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Transactions". MLB.com.
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