1. Overview
Jaret Samuel Wright (born December 29, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five different teams, primarily serving as a starting pitcher. Known for his powerful fastball and curveball, Wright's career was marked by early success, including a prominent role in the 1997 World Series, and subsequent struggles with injuries. He is the son of former professional baseball player Clyde Wright, who also pitched in both Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. Following his playing career, Wright transitioned into coaching.
2. Early Life and Amateur Career
Jaret Wright's early life and educational background laid the foundation for his future in professional baseball, influenced by his family's athletic heritage and his own multi-sport talent.
2.1. Childhood and Education
Wright was born on December 29, 1975, in Anaheim, California. He is the son of Clyde Wright, who pitched for nine seasons in Major League Baseball and three seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. Jaret graduated from Katella High School in Anaheim, where he was a multi-sport athlete. In addition to baseball, he played quarterback and linebacker for the school's football team. His athletic prowess earned him accolades, including being named the league's Most Valuable Player and Orange County High School Player of the Year.
2.2. Professional Draft
After a standout amateur career, Wright was a highly touted prospect for the Major League Baseball draft. The Cleveland Indians selected Wright in the first round, with the 10th overall pick, of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.
3. Professional Career
Jaret Wright's professional career spanned over a decade, beginning in the minor leagues before he made his mark in Major League Baseball, enduring both significant successes and challenging injury setbacks across multiple teams.
3.1. Minor League Career
Following his selection in the draft, Wright began his professional career in 1994 with the Burlington Indians, the Indians' rookie league affiliate in the Appalachian League. The 18-year-old started in four games and recorded a 5.40 earned run average (ERA).
In 1995, Wright advanced to the Class A Columbus RedStixx in the South Atlantic League, where he compiled a 5-6 record with a 3.00 ERA in 24 games. In 1996, he was promoted to the Kinston Indians, the team's "High-A" affiliate in the Carolina League, going 7-4 in 19 starts with a 2.50 ERA. Baseball America rated Wright as its #22 prospect, and he was consistently mentioned by the Cleveland front office as one of the organization's top prospects.
The following year, 1997, marked a breakout season for Wright. He started with the Akron Aeros, the Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League, where he posted a 3-3 record with a 3.67 ERA. He was quickly promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, achieving a 4-1 record in 7 starts with an impressive 1.80 ERA. On June 3, he pitched a 7-inning, 2-hit shutout against the Indianapolis Indians, which earned him a promotion to the Major League club.
3.2. Major League Career
Wright made his Major League Baseball debut in 1997, beginning an 11-season tenure marked by periods of brilliance and prolonged battles with injuries.
3.2.1. Cleveland Indians (1997-2002)
Wright made his Major League Baseball debut with the Cleveland Indians on June 24, 1997, against the Minnesota Twins, earning his first start and first win. He found instant success, posting an 8-3 record with a 4.38 ERA in 16 starts during his rookie season. He also pitched effectively in the postseason. In the deciding seventh game of the 1997 World Series, the Indians chose to start Wright over the more experienced Charles Nagy. Wright exited the game after 6 1/3 innings with a 2-1 lead, though the Indians ultimately lost in 11 innings. He also started Game 4 of the series, pitching 6 innings and allowing 3 earned runs in a victory. Wright finished fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting.
In 1998, Wright achieved his first season with double-digit wins, recording a 12-10 record and a 4.72 ERA. His career began to be affected by injuries in 1999, when he suffered from shoulder and back pain, landing on the disabled list twice. He finished that season with an 8-10 record and a 6.06 ERA in 26 starts. A shoulder surgery in 2000 limited him to only 9 appearances and 3 wins. In 2001, he underwent elbow surgery in the spring and a second shoulder surgery in the autumn, leading to only 7 appearances and 2 wins. By 2002, his performance had significantly declined; he went 2-3 with a 15.71 ERA in 8 appearances and 6 starts. On October 12, 2002, the Indians decided not to re-sign him, and he became a free agent.
3.2.2. San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves (2003-2004)
Wright signed with the San Diego Padres on December 10, 2002. In 2003, he appeared in 39 games, all in a relief role, but struggled with an 8.37 ERA. On August 29, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves via waivers.
With the Braves, under the guidance of renowned pitching coach Leo Mazzone, Wright experienced a significant resurgence. He went 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, not allowing a run in 10 out of his 11 appearances. This performance led to him being told he would be made a starting pitcher again for the upcoming season. Although he began 2004 in the minor leagues to build arm strength, he was called up by the Braves when pitcher Paul Byrd needed more time to rehab from Tommy John surgery. Wright became the Braves' best pitcher that season, achieving a career-high 15 wins against 8 losses with a 3.28 ERA in 32 starts, while amassing 159 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings pitched. He became a free agent on October 28, 2004.
3.2.3. New York Yankees (2005-2006)
In December 2004, Wright signed a three-year, 21.00 M USD deal with the New York Yankees. After joining the Yankees, he again faced injury issues. He recorded 5 wins in 2005 and 11 wins in 2006. On November 12, 2006, the Yankees traded Wright to the Baltimore Orioles for Chris Britton and cash considerations. The Orioles were responsible for paying 3.00 M USD of the remaining 7.00 M USD on Wright's contract.
3.2.4. Baltimore Orioles (2007)
In the 2007 season, Wright's shoulder problems resurfaced, causing him to spend time on the disabled list twice. Although he played under Leo Mazzone again, he was unable to achieve a resurgence and finished the season without a win. He made three starts in April, each lasting five innings or less, losing all three and accumulating a 6.97 ERA. Wright began a rehab assignment in September but decided to go home after three games, ending his season. On October 1, 2007, the Orioles released Wright.
3.2.5. Post-MLB Career
On January 23, 2008, Wright signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which included an invitation to spring training. However, at the end of spring training, he declined his assignment to the minor leagues and opted to become a free agent. He remained unsigned and never pitched professionally again after 2007. Despite his talent, which was expected to yield double-digit wins annually, recurring injuries since his 1999 shoulder injury limited him to only three seasons with 10 or more wins.
3.3. Coaching Career
In January 2023, Wright transitioned into coaching, being named the Pitching Coach of the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League. This marked his first professional coaching experience.
4. Pitching Style
Jaret Wright's pitching style featured a diverse repertoire characterized by high velocity and a mix of breaking pitches. His primary weapons included a two-seam fastball that consistently reached the high 87 mph (140 km/h) range and a curveball. He also commanded a changeup and a cut fastball. His four-seam fastball was capable of exceeding 93 mph (150 km/h).
5. Career Statistics and Achievements
Throughout his professional baseball career, Jaret Wright accumulated a comprehensive set of statistics and wore several different uniform numbers across his various teams.
5.1. Major League Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | GF | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | BFP | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | CLE | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | - | .727 | 388 | 90.1 | 81 | 9 | 35 | 0 | 5 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 44 | 4.38 | 1.28 |
| 1998 | CLE | 32 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 0 | - | .545 | 855 | 192.2 | 207 | 22 | 87 | 4 | 11 | 140 | 6 | 0 | 109 | 101 | 4.72 | 1.53 |
| 1999 | CLE | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 | .444 | 609 | 133.2 | 144 | 18 | 77 | 1 | 7 | 91 | 4 | 0 | 99 | 90 | 6.06 | 1.65 |
| 2000 | CLE | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .429 | 217 | 51.2 | 44 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 27 | 4.70 | 1.39 |
| 2001 | CLE | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 140 | 29.0 | 36 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 21 | 6.52 | 2.00 |
| 2002 | CLE | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .400 | 116 | 18.1 | 40 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 32 | 15.71 | 3.22 |
| 2003 | SD | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | .167 | 233 | 47.1 | 69 | 9 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 10 | 0 | 44 | 44 | 8.37 | 2.05 |
| 2003 | ATL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1.000 | 36 | 9.0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2.00 | 1.11 |
| 2003 Total | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | .286 | 269 | 56.1 | 76 | 9 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 12 | 0 | 46 | 46 | 7.35 | 1.90 | |
| 2004 | ATL | 32 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | .652 | 781 | 186.1 | 168 | 11 | 70 | 5 | 3 | 159 | 3 | 0 | 79 | 68 | 3.28 | 1.28 |
| 2005 | NYY | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 302 | 63.2 | 81 | 8 | 32 | 1 | 6 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 43 | 6.08 | 1.78 |
| 2006 | NYY | 30 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1 | .611 | 625 | 140.1 | 157 | 10 | 57 | 0 | 7 | 84 | 6 | 0 | 76 | 70 | 4.49 | 1.53 |
| 2007 | BAL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 48 | 10.1 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 6.97 | 2.03 |
| Total: 11 years | 226 | 171 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 60 | 2 | 5 | .531 | 4350 | 972.2 | 1046 | 99 | 467 | 13 | 45 | 694 | 40 | 1 | 599 | 550 | 5.09 | 1.56 | |
5.2. Uniform Numbers
Throughout his Major League Baseball career, Jaret Wright wore several different uniform numbers:
- 27 (1997-2002, part of 2003, 2004, 2007)
- 21 (part of 2003)
- 33 (2005)
- 34 (2006)