While not officially showing up on the transactions page, what better source than the player himself. Right-handed pitcher Brooks Kriske announced on social media that he has signed with his childhood team Chicago Cubs.
Kriske, 30, was a sixth-round draft pick by the New York Yankees out of USC back in 2016. What a year for him, considering he grew up a big Cubs fan. The pitcher added a picture of himself when he was a little kid at Wrigley Field to go along with his announcement.
Excited to sign with my childhood team! Let’s go @Cubs pic.twitter.com/fupWW5aFYR
— Brooks Kriske (@brooks_kriske) November 27, 2024
The right-hander has been with a handful of MLB teams throughout his pro career and Kriske has also taken his talents to Japan, pitching for two different clubs in the NPB in 2022 and 2023. As far as the pitcher’s MLB career, Kriske hasn’t gotten much run at any stop, compiling a total of 21.1 big league innings.
In 2024, Kriske spent most of the season pitching for the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. He ended the year in the Baltimore Orioles system, appearing in eight games at Triple-A. Overall in 2024, Kriske posted a 3.39 ERA in 50 outings, striking out an impressive 81 batters in 58.1 innings and holding hitters to a .164 batting average.
Kriske broke into the majors during the 2020 season with the Yankees, making four appearances in the 60-game season. He was back down in Triple-A for the majority of the 2021 season, getting two call ups during the summer, but only pitched in eight games. Kriske was eventually claimed off waivers by the Orioles in September and made four appearances for Baltimore in the final few weeks of the season.
Following the 2021 season, Kriske signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan and had a good year, recording a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings of work. He returned to the states in 2023 with the Kansas City Royals, but in July he asked for his release so that he could return to Japan, where he signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions. Kriske once again flourished in the NPB, posting a 1.93 ERA in 14 appearances.
So yeah, maybe on the surface this looks like a yawn of a move, but who knows? Sure, Kriske hasn’t had much success at the MLB level, but there’s something there. A 34% strikeout rate at Triple-A in 2024 is definitely something that should catch your eye.
Brooks Kriske struck out the side in the 8th inning of the @LouisvilleBats win tonight. #Reds
— OnBaseMachine (@RedsFan_Brandon) May 11, 2024
Hitters whiffed on all four swings against his splitter as evidenced below. 1 BB/12 over his last 6.1 IP.
Contain yourself @RedsInFour. pic.twitter.com/3ZveIQybPs
Obviously there are things Kriske has to figure out. Walks have been a problem for him everywhere he’s pitched and we’ve seen how wild he can truly get during his time with the Yankees.
Brooks Kriske's historical night!
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 23, 2021
His four wild pitches in one inning ties an MLB record set five times previously. The last time was 2008. It's the first time in MLB history a pitcher has thrown four or more wild pitches in the ninth inning or later pic.twitter.com/0VcNqzITkN
But hey, how often do athletes get to sign with their childhood teams? This could end up being a nice story to root for. Imagine pitching at Wrigley Field for the Cubs when you grew up cheering for them? That would be pretty damn cool if Kriske accomplished that.
Let’s see what the Cubs pitching lab can do with their newest arm.
