Chris Stratton

Christopher Lee Stratton (born August 22, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Dodgers

Early life Christopher Lee Stratton was born on August 22, 1990, in Tupelo, Mississippi. Stratton graduated from Tupelo High School, in Tupelo, Mississippi.

College career He then attended Mississippi State University from 2010 to 2012. In 2011, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. As a senior, he was a consensus All-American after going 11–2 with a 2.38 earned run average (ERA) and 127 strikeouts. He was also the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year. He also won the C Spire Ferriss Trophy as Mississippi's top collegiate baseball player.

Professional career San Francisco Giants Minor leagues The San Francisco Giants selected Stratton in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He was assigned to the Low–A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes to begin his professional career. In August of that year, Stratton was hospitalized after a line drive struck him in the head during batting practice. A severe concussion from that event ended his season after only eight appearances, where he had a 3.31 ERA.

Before the 2013 season, Baseball America ranked Stratton as the Giants' third best prospect. He played for the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League, pitching to a 9–3 record, 3.27 ERA and striking out 123 in 22 starts In 2016 with Sacramento, he made 17 starts and logged a 12–6 record and 4.08 ERA with 103 strikeouts. Despite being primarily a starter in the minors, the Giants added him to their bullpen and he made his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves on May 30, pitching a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning and recording two strikeouts (his first being of Nick Markakis) while retiring all three batters he faced. On June 11, he was credited with his first major league win as he pitched the top of the 10th inning in the Giants victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On June 13 he was sent down again when Cain returned from the DL, but was recalled the following day when Cain was put back on the DL with a re-injured hamstring. Stratton pitched in seven games for the Giants with a 1–0 record and a 3.60 ERA.

In 2017, Stratton split his season between the Giants and the River Cats, making 15 starts in the minors with a 4–5 record and 5.11 ERA

Stratton made the Giants opening day roster for the 2018 season. On September 14, he threw his first MLB complete game against the Colorado Rockies, winning by a score of 2–0. It was his 10th win of the season, making him the Giants’ first pitcher to reach double-digit victories since 2016. It was also the first complete game of the season for the Giants, and the first shutout for the team in over a year. Stratton finished the 2018 season with a 10–10 record, 5.09 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 145 innings over 28 appearances (26 starts). In seven appearances (five starts) for Los Angeles, he struggled to an 0-2 record and 8.59 ERA with 22 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Pittsburgh Pirates On May 11, 2019, the Angels traded Stratton to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations. In innings with the Pirates, Stratton pitched a 3.66 ERA with a 9.1 K/9 rate and 1.39 WHIP. In 2020, Stratton recorded a 3.90 ERA with 39 strikeouts and a career-high 11.9 K/9 rate in 30 innings of work. In 2021, Stratton led the Pirates with seven wins and recorded a 3.63 ERA with 86 strikeouts over innings. Stratton recorded 60 strikeouts with an 8.5 K/9 and a 4.26 ERA in his 2022 season, and went 5–0 with the Cardinals after recording a 5–4 record with the Pirates. In 22 appearances for Texas, Stratton recorded a 3.41 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 29 innings of work.

Kansas City Royals On December 15, 2023, Stratton signed a one-year, major league contract with the Kansas City Royals. He made 57 appearances out of the bullpen in 2024, compiling a 4-3 record and 5.55 ERA with 44 strikeouts and four saves across innings pitched.

Stratton made 12 appearances for the Royals in 2025, and struggled to a 7.94 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 17 innings pitched. and was released on May 22.

Los Angeles Dodgers On May 25, 2025, Stratton signed a major league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched in two games for the Dodgers, allowing two runs in three innings Stratton cleared waivers and elected free agency on June 5, only to re-sign with the Dodgers on a new major league contract the following day. He pitched in one inning that day, allowing a solo home run, and then was designated for assignment again on June 7. Once more, Stratton elected to become a free agent after clearing waivers on June 9.