Jordan Hicks Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 2" / 220 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 9/6/1996 (27)
- Experience
- 5
- College
- None
Jordan Hicks Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Jordan Hicks News
San Francisco Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks has been working on his split-changeup as he transitions from a relieving to a starting role with the Giants this year. Hicks threw the pitch hardly ever in his relief role at the back of the bullpen, but he's been working on it a lot this offseason and is expected to use it more to help him transition into a starting role in 2024. The 27-year-old hasn't had great results so far in Cactus League games, but he likes the feel he has for the pitch. The hard-throwing right-hander threw a total of 66 2/3 innings in a relief role in 2023 and has never gone beyond 105 frames in a single season, so fantasy managers should expect Hicks' upside to be rather limited in his first year in the Bay Area, even if he sticks in the rotation all year.
The San Francisco Giants are committed to using right-hander Jordan Hicks as a "conventional starter" in 2024, and he'll start the year stretched out to five innings and/or 75 pitches. Hicks is excited for the opportunity to be a starter that he hasn't yet received in the big leagues. The 27-year-old hard-throwing right-hander has never thrown more than 77 2/3 innings in the big leagues in a single season, and durability hasn't exactly been his strong suit, so it's a bit of a risk turning him into a starter. He'll also be on an innings limit in his first year in San Francisco, which will surely limit his fantasy ceiling. But Hicks throws as hard as anyone in the majors and had career-highs in strikeouts (81) and strikeout rate (28.4%) in 65 2/3 relief innings for the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. Pitching half his games in San Fran will also make him appealing when he's on the mound.
Free-agent right-hander Jordan Hicks has signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. In a little bit of a surprising twist, the Giants plan to use Hicks as a starter rather than out of the back end of their bullpen. Just eight of Hicks' 212 big-league appearances have been starts, and the results have been quite different, as he sports a 5.47 ERA in a 26 1/3-inning sample as a starter versus a 3.65 ERA in 217 frames as a reliever for his career. The move is even more surprising, considering the 27-year-old is coming off of a big bounce-back season out of the bullpen, posting a 3.29 ERA alongside a career-best 28.4% strikeout rate across 65 appearances between the Cardinals and Blue Jays in 2023. Coming off of a 65 2/3-inning season, it's unclear how many starts Hicks will be able to make with a history of arm injuries to consider as well.
Batting Order
1 | Jung Hoo Lee |
2 | Jorge Soler |
3 | LaMonte Wade Jr. |
4 | Matt Chapman |
5 | Mike Yastrzemski |
6 | Thairo Estrada |
7 | Michael Conforto |
8 | Patrick Bailey |
9 | Nick Ahmed |
Jordan Hicks Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
1 | Jung Hoo Lee |
2 | Jorge Soler |
3 | LaMonte Wade Jr. |
4 | Matt Chapman |
5 | Mike Yastrzemski |
6 | Thairo Estrada |
7 | Michael Conforto |
8 | Patrick Bailey |
9 | Nick Ahmed |
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks enters the 2021 season as the Cardinals closer, and despite having all the talent to successfully fill the role, there remains a big question mark around his health. Hicks succeeded in the role in 2019 by converting 14 of his 15 save opportunities with a 3.14 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings (29 appearances). That ERA is supported by a 3.07 xFIP and 3.25 SIERA.Hicks' 2019 season ended in June after having Tommy John surgery, which resulted in him missing all of 2020. Hicks came to prominence after making his debut in 2018 and threw the fastest recorded pitch in history at the time, as well as having a sinker averaging over 100 mph over the last two years. That extreme velocity hasn't quite translated into a high strikeout rate, though, as his 2019 28.2% strikeout rate would have only ranked him 48th among qualified relievers. The concern for Hicks is his walk rate, which he actually lowered to 10.0% in 2019 (down from 13.3%). His career 12.5% walk rate is 11th-worst of all 108 relievers who threw 100-plus innings between 2018-2019. Pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery generally struggle with their control when they return, so that walk rate could lead to struggles. For a Cardinals team looking to contend in 2021, his leash might not be long enough to work through those problems. He's pitched just 1 2/3 innings in Grapefruit League play so far to the tune of a 5.40 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, and 2:3 K/BB ratio with one hit batter. It's way too small of a sample to judge him on as his health is the most important factor right now. He's suffered no setbacks and looks to be 100% healthy as the regular season approaches. The Cards can still use Giovanny Gallegos as the closer to start the year, especially if Hicks is still working out the kinks. Hicks' 238 ADP does offer value, even though it's been jumping up over the last week. If he can start the season effectively and eventually earn that full time closer role then a 30-save season isn't beyond the realm of possibilities.