1. Early Life and Background
Jeffrey Alan Samardzija grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he attended Valparaiso High School. His father, Sam Samardzija, was a professional ice hockey player. His older brother, Sam Samardzija Jr., was an All-State football and baseball player, later graduating from Indiana University and becoming Samardzija's agent as the Senior Vice President at Wasserman Baseball. Samardzija's paternal grandparents emigrated from Serbia to the United States in the 1940s. During his high school years, Samardzija faced a personal tragedy when his mother, Debora Samardzija, died from a rare respiratory disease at the age of 46.
At Valparaiso High School, Samardzija was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was a three-time first-team All-State honoree and was twice named the team's Most Valuable Player. Following his junior year, he was invited to participate in the Indiana football All-Star game. In baseball, he also earned first-team All-State honors. He graduated from Valparaiso High School in 2003.
2. College Career
Samardzija accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame, where he played for the Fighting Irish football team from 2003 to 2006 and the baseball team from 2004 to 2006.
His first significant impact at Notre Dame came as a right-handed pitcher for the baseball team. He finished second in the Big East Conference in both earned run average (2.95) and opponents' batting average (.209), earning recognition as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. He continued to play baseball at Notre Dame until he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft.
In football, Samardzija was a reserve during his first two seasons, recording a total of 24 receptions. He made his first start in the 2004 Insight Bowl at the end of his sophomore year. He emerged as a star in the 2005 season, concluding the regular season with 77 catches-15 of which were for touchdowns-and 1,215 receiving yards, earning numerous All-America Team selections. Samardzija set single-season school records at Notre Dame for both receiving yardage and touchdown receptions. In 2006, he caught a touchdown pass in each of Notre Dame's first eight games, setting a school record for consecutive games with a touchdown reception. That season, he made 78 catches for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games, ultimately becoming the all-time Fighting Irish leader in reception yards with 2,593. He was named to the Football Writers Association of America All-America Team following the 2006 season. Samardzija was twice selected as one of the three finalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, presented to the season's outstanding college football receiver, in both 2005 and 2006.
Initially, Samardzija considered playing both in the NFL and MLB. However, after being selected in the MLB Draft, he announced in January 2007 that he would withdraw his name from the NFL Draft and commit exclusively to a baseball career.
3. Professional Career
Jeffrey Samardzija's professional baseball journey began with his draft by the Chicago Cubs, followed by a progression through their minor league system, and then several successful seasons as a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball with multiple teams.
3.1. Draft and Minor Leagues
On January 19, 2007, Samardzija formally announced his decision to forego the NFL Draft and commit to a baseball career. He signed a five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, who had drafted him in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2006 MLB Draft. This deal included a no-trade clause and club options for a sixth and seventh year, potentially increasing the total value of the contract to 16.50 M USD. The agreement also featured a 1.00 M USD signing bonus.
Samardzija began his minor league career and, on June 23, 2008, was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs after posting a 3-5 record with a 4.86 ERA in Tennessee. During his time with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, he recorded a 4-1 record and a 3.13 ERA, accumulating 40 strikeouts and 16 walks.
3.2. Chicago Cubs (2008-2014)
Samardzija made his Major League Baseball debut on July 25, 2008, when he was called up to join the bullpen of the Chicago Cubs as a replacement for Kerry Wood, who had been placed on the disabled list. In his debut against the Florida Marlins, he impressed by striking out the first batter he faced in the 7th inning. Cubs Manager Lou Piniella was highly positive about Samardzija's debut, suggesting he might not return to the minor leagues. Two days later, on July 27, 2008, Samardzija recorded his first career major league save against the Marlins.
In 2009, Samardzija was optioned back to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs after not making the team out of spring training. However, he was quickly recalled to the Cubs roster just a few games into the season. After posting an 8.10 ERA in five appearances, he was sent back down to Iowa. He made his first major league start on August 12, 2009, against Pedro Martínez of the Philadelphia Phillies, in a game the Cubs lost 12-5.
In March 2010, Samardzija rejoined the Cubs and made his first exhibition game appearance on March 13, 2010. He pitched in four regular season games in April, compiling an 18.90 ERA before being sent back to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs to make space for Ted Lilly on the Cubs roster.
The 2011 season marked a turning point for Samardzija, as he made the opening day roster as a reliever and had his best statistical season to date, posting an 8-4 record with an impressive 2.97 ERA across 75 appearances. For the 2012 season, Samardzija was named a starter in the Cubs' rotation and performed solidly, finishing with a 9-13 record, a 3.81 ERA, and 180 strikeouts over 28 starts.
On March 3, 2013, Samardzija was named the opening day starter for the Cubs. He threw his first major league shutout on May 27, 2013, against the Chicago White Sox, allowing only two hits and two walks in a 7-0 victory. He was recognized as the National League Co-Player of the Week for August 19-25, 2013, after recording a 2-0 record with a 1.59 ERA over 17 innings pitched.
Samardzija began the 2014 season as a "hardluck pitcher" due to a lack of run support. He set a major league record for the lowest ERA (1.46) by a winless pitcher through his first 10 starts. This 1.46 ERA was the latest league-leading ERA by a pitcher without a win since Bruce Sutter's 0.89 ERA on June 7, 1977. He finally secured his first win of the season in his eleventh start by striking out a season-high 10 San Francisco Giants batters on May 26, 2014. On June 18, 2014, the Cubs offered Samardzija a five-year, club-friendly extension that included multiple option years, which he rejected. On July 6, 2014, he was selected as a National League All-Star, but due to an impending trade to an American League team, he became ineligible to play in the All-Star Game.
3.3. Oakland Athletics (2014)
On July 5, 2014, Samardzija, along with Jason Hammel, was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland Athletics. In return, the Cubs received top shortstop prospect Addison Russell, pitcher Dan Straily, outfielder Billy McKinney, and cash considerations. Samardzija made his debut for the Athletics the following day, July 6, pitching seven innings, allowing only one run and four hits, while striking out five batters. Although he had been named an All-Star for the National League prior to the trade, his move to an American League team meant he could not participate in the All-Star Game itself.
3.4. Chicago White Sox (2015)
On December 9, 2014, the Oakland Athletics traded Samardzija, along with Michael Ynoa, to the Chicago White Sox. In exchange, the Athletics received Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Rangel Ravelo, and Josh Phegley. Samardzija and the White Sox avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth 9.80 M USD on January 16, 2015. He was officially introduced by the White Sox on December 16, alongside Melky Cabrera and David Robertson, and was assigned jersey number 29.
Samardzija made his first start for the White Sox on Opening Day, April 6, 2015, against the Kansas City Royals. He allowed five runs, including a home run by Alex Ríos, in six innings as the White Sox lost 10-1. During another game against the Royals on April 23, Samardzija was one of five players ejected for his involvement in a bench-clearing brawl. On April 25, he was suspended for five games as a result.
On July 9, 2015, Samardzija pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing only four hits in a 2-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at US Cellular Field. This marked his first complete-game shutout with the White Sox and the second of his major league career. On September 21, Samardzija delivered a complete-game one-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers on just 88 pitches; the only baserunner was Victor Martinez, who singled to lead off the fifth inning, and no batter reached a three-ball count.
Despite these strong individual performances, Samardzija tied for the American League lead in home runs allowed (29) and led the league in earned runs allowed (118). Overall, he finished the 2015 season with an 11-13 record and a 4.96 ERA. After the season, Samardzija disclosed that his inconsistent performance was partly due to inadvertently tipping his pitches. He became a free agent on November 2, 2015.
3.5. San Francisco Giants (2016-2020)
On December 9, 2015, Samardzija signed a five-year contract worth 90.00 M USD with the San Francisco Giants. He was selected as an alternate for the 2017 World Baseball Classic, though he was not included on the final rosters.
Samardzija earned his first win as a Giant on April 13, 2016, yielding only two earned runs and six hits in eight innings pitched at Coors Field. He secured his first home win as a Giant on April 22, pitching 2/3 innings while giving up only one earned run against the Miami Marlins. In that same game, Samardzija also matched his career-high for a season with three RBIs. In his first season with the Giants in 2016, he was fifth in the National League with 203.1 innings pitched and finished with a 12-11 record and a 3.81 ERA. The 12 wins were a career high for him, and it was his first winning season since becoming a full-time starter in 2012. He also appeared in the 2016 National League Division Series against his former team, the Cubs, starting Game 2, but he allowed four runs in two innings and took the loss as the Giants were defeated 3-1 in the series.
Samardzija pitched his first shutout as a Giant and the third of his career on August 28, 2017, blanking the San Diego Padres 3-0. He was named National League Player of the Week for August 28 - September 3, 2017, after recording a 1-0 record (including the shutout) and a 0.56 ERA over 16 innings pitched. Samardzija finished the 2017 season leading the National League with 207.2 innings pitched, finishing sixth in the National League with 205 strikeouts, and leading all major leagues with the lowest bases on balls per 9 innings pitched (1.387). Despite his durability and strikeout numbers, he concluded the season with a 9-15 record and a 4.43 ERA, with his 15 losses tying for the National League lead.
At the start of the 2018 season, Samardzija was placed on the disabled list due to a strained pectoral muscle. He returned in late April but struggled with his form. He was placed on the disabled list for a third time on July 15 with shoulder inflammation, which effectively ended his season. He finished the year with a 1-5 record in 10 starts and a 6.25 ERA.
In 2019, Samardzija remained a consistent part of the Giants' rotation, making 32 starts (8th in the NL) and pitching 181.2 innings. He finished with an 11-12 record and a 3.52 ERA. He ranked 10th in the National League in both WHIP (1.108) and hits per 9 innings pitched (7.544). On May 5, 2019, against the Cincinnati Reds, he notably allowed three consecutive home runs on three pitches to Eugenio Suárez, Jesse Winker, and Derek Dietrich, though Suárez's home run came on the second pitch of his at-bat.
On September 26, 2020, Samardzija was designated for assignment by the Giants and subsequently placed on release waivers, becoming a free agent. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Samardzija pitched to an 0-2 record with a 9.72 ERA, allowing 18 earned runs over 16.2 innings pitched in four starts.
4. Playing Style
Samardzija is known for his diverse pitching repertoire, having thrown as many as seven types of pitches during his career. As of 2016, he consistently utilized six primary pitches:
- A four-seam fastball, typically thrown at velocities between 93 mph and 97 mph.
- A two-seam fastball, which ranged from 94 mph to 99 mph.
- A cutter, usually around 91 mph to 93 mph.
- A slider, thrown in the 84 mph to 86 mph range.
- A splitter, typically between 85 mph and 87 mph. The splitter was notably his most commonly thrown pitch in two-strike counts against both right-handed and left-handed hitters, serving as a primary finishing pitch.
- A curveball, ranging from 79 mph to 82 mph. Samardzija re-inserted the curveball into his repertoire in August 2016, a pitch he had not used for nearly four years prior.
He was generally comfortable throwing all of his pitches for strikes.
As a batter, Samardzija had a career batting average of .126 (44 hits in 350 at-bats), with 14 doubles, 3 home runs, and 33 sacrifice bunts. He notably hit a long home run of approximately 446 ft (136 m) on June 16, 2017. His surname, Samardzija, is pronounced "suh-mar-juh," with the "dzi" portion being silent.
5. Personal Life
Jeffrey Samardzija is of Serbian descent, with his paternal grandparents having immigrated to the United States in the 1940s. He was given the nickname "Shark" by his teammates during his collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame, a moniker that stuck with him throughout his professional baseball career.
6. Awards and Achievements
- Two-time College Football All-American (wide receiver)
- Finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award: 2005, 2006
- MLB All-Star: 2014 (National League selection)
- National League Co-Player of the Week: August 19-25, 2013
- National League Player of the Week: August 28 - September 3, 2017
- Opening Day Starter: 2013, 2014, 2015 (3 times)
7. Career Statistics
7.1. Pitching Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | W | L | HLD | BS | W-L% | TBF | IP | H | HR | BB | HBP | BK | SO | WP | IBB | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | CHC | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1.000 | 124 | 27.2 | 24 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 2.28 | 1.41 |
| 2009 | CHC | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .250 | 161 | 34.2 | 46 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 29 | 7.53 | 1.76 |
| 2010 | CHC | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 100 | 19.1 | 21 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 18 | 8.38 | 2.12 |
| 2011 | CHC | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 13 | .667 | 380 | 88.0 | 64 | 5 | 50 | 3 | 5 | 87 | 8 | 0 | 35 | 29 | 2.97 | 1.30 |
| 2012 | CHC | 28 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 0 | .409 | 723 | 174.2 | 157 | 20 | 56 | 2 | 4 | 180 | 10 | 0 | 79 | 74 | 3.81 | 1.22 |
| 2013 | CHC | 33 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 0 | .381 | 914 | 213.2 | 210 | 25 | 78 | 3 | 8 | 214 | 11 | 0 | 109 | 103 | 4.34 | 1.35 |
| 2014 | CHC | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | .222 | 449 | 108.0 | 99 | 7 | 31 | 3 | 6 | 103 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 34 | 2.83 | 1.20 |
| 2014 | OAK | 16 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .455 | 430 | 111.2 | 92 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 99 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 39 | 3.14 | 0.97 |
| 2015 | CWS | 32 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 0 | .458 | 910 | 214.0 | 228 | 29 | 49 | 0 | 12 | 163 | 5 | 0 | 122 | 118 | 4.96 | 1.29 |
| 2016 | SF | 32 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 0 | .522 | 829 | 203.1 | 190 | 24 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 167 | 2 | 0 | 88 | 86 | 3.81 | 1.20 |
| 2017 | SF | 32 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 0 | .375 | 847 | 207.2 | 204 | 30 | 32 | 1 | 6 | 205 | 2 | 0 | 107 | 102 | 4.42 | 1.14 |
| 2018 | SF | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .167 | 207 | 44.2 | 47 | 6 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 31 | 6.25 | 1.63 |
| 2019 | SF | 32 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | .478 | 740 | 181.1 | 152 | 28 | 49 | 4 | 6 | 140 | 5 | 0 | 78 | 71 | 3.52 | 1.11 |
| 2020 | SF | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 77 | 16.2 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 18 | 9.72 | 1.50 |
| MLB Total | 13 years | 364 | 241 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 80 | 106 | 1 | 17 | .430 | 6891 | 1645.1 | 1555 | 205 | 491 | 25 | 60 | 1449 | 60 | 0 | 818 | 759 | 4.15 | 1.24 |
7.2. Fielding Statistics
| Year | Team | G | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | CHC | 26 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2009 | CHC | 20 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .889 |
| 2010 | CHC | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2011 | CHC | 75 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1 | .933 |
| 2012 | CHC | 28 | 13 | 25 | 2 | 1 | .950 |
| 2013 | CHC | 33 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 2 | .929 |
| 2014 | CHC | 17 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 1 | .900 |
| 2014 | OAK | 16 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 |
| 2015 | CWS | 32 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1.000 |
| 2016 | SF | 32 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 1 | .962 |
| 2017 | SF | 32 | 12 | 32 | 1 | 1 | .978 |
| 2018 | SF | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2019 | SF | 32 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | .944 |
| 2020 | SF | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| MLB Total | 364 | 105 | 161 | 13 | 10 | .953 |
- G: Games played
- GS: Games started
- CG: Complete games
- SHO: Shutouts
- SV: Saves
- W: Wins
- L: Losses
- HLD: Holds
- BS: Blown saves
- W-L%: Win-loss percentage
- TBF: Total batters faced
- IP: Innings pitched
- H: Hits allowed
- HR: Home runs allowed
- BB: Bases on balls (walks)
- HBP: Hit by pitch
- BK: Balks
- SO: Strikeouts
- WP: Wild pitches
- IBB: Intentional bases on balls
- R: Runs allowed
- ER: Earned runs allowed
- ERA: Earned run average
- WHIP: Walks plus hits per inning pitched
- PO: Putouts
- A: Assists
- E: Errors
- DP: Double plays
- FPCT: Fielding percentage
8. Jersey Numbers
- 29 (2008-2020)