Joey Wentz #63

Joseph Barrett Wentz...Wife's name is Margot...Is a 2016 graduate of Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kan...Led his high school team to the 2016 Kansas Class 6A state championship and was named the Sunflower Player-of-the-Year after going 9-0 and not allowing an earned run in 51.1 innings of work (104 strikeouts).

2024

Went 1-2 with one save, a 4.68 ERA (67.1ip/35er) and 73 strikeouts in 46 big league games between Detroit and Pittsburgh...Was a member of Detroit’s Opening Day roster...Allowed just one run in his first five appearances (9.1ip/1er) and posted a 0.61 ERA (14.2ip/1er) in his first nine games thru 5/8...Was charged with five earned runs without retiring a batter on 5/20 at Kansas City...Suffered his first loss with the Tigers on 6/5 at Texas... Made four straight scoreless outings (4.2ip) from 6/9-19 and was scored upon just twice in his nine games in June... Surrendered at least one run in each of his six outings in July (10.1ip/10r/9er)...Suffered his second loss with Detroit on 7/23 at Cleveland...Pitched the final 3.0 scoreless innings in Detroit’s 15-1 win on 8/13 vs. Seattle and picked up his first Major League save...Made four straight scoreless appearances (6.0ip) to begin the month of August and was scored upon just once in his last seven games with the Tigers (10.1ip/4r)... Was designated for assignment on 8/30...Was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh from Detroit on 9/3...Made his debut with the Pirates and was charged with one run in 0.1ip on 9/5 vs. Washington...Picked up his only win on 9/10 vs. Miami (2.2ip/1er)...Pitched 2.0 scoreless innings on 9/13 vs. Kansas City...Struck out three batters in 2.2 scoreless innings on 9/20 at Cincinnati...Retired all five batters he faced on 9/24 vs. Milwaukee...Finished the season making six straight scoreless outings (9.0ip) and posted a 1.50 ERA (12.0ip/2er) in September.

2023

Spent most of the 2023 season in the big leagues with the Tigers, appearing in 25 games, including 19 starts... Earned a spot on a Major League Opening Day roster for the first time in his career... Picked up his first win of the season on May 8 at Cleveland, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5.2 innings... Made the first relief appearance of his big league career on June 11 vs. Arizona, allowing two runs on one hit with two walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings... Struck out a career-high nine batters on June 17 vs. Minnesota, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk in 6.0 innings... Fanned 12 batters in 5.2 innings with Triple A Toledo on July 21 vs. Lehigh Valley, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk... Served as a bulk reliever on July 29 at Miami, picking up the win after tossing 4.2 scoreless innings with four hits allowed, one walk and six strikeouts... Threw 5.0 shutout innings in the second game of the doubleheader on Aug. 18 at Cleveland, allowing four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

2022

Saw his first Major League action in 2022, making seven starts with the Tigers... Made his Major League debut on May 11 vs. Oakland, giving up six runs on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in 2.2 innings...struck out Kevin Smith for his first punchout... Sidelined from June 11-Aug. 10 with an upper trapezius strain... Allowed one run-or-less in each of his final five appearances, including four starts, with Triple A Toledo from Aug. 10-Sept. 4, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.25 ERA (21.2IP/3ER) and 19 strikeouts... Picked up the first win of his big league career on Sept. 9 at Kansas City, tossing 6.2 shutout innings and allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out five... Made three starts for Salt River in the Arizona Fall League and did not allow a run in 12.0 innings, giving up two hits and four walks with 14 strikeouts and posting a 2-0 record... Ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the Tigers player development system by Baseball America following the season.

2021

Returned to the mound in 2021, combining to make 18 starts between Single A Lakeland and Double A Erie... On the injured list from May 4-June 23 while completing his rehab from an ulnar collateral ligament injury... Allowed three runs-or-less in 10 consecutive starts from July 11-Sept. 7, posting a 3.19 ERA (42.1IP/15ER) and 51 strikeouts in that span... Rated as the No. 12 prospect in the Tigers organization by Baseball America.

2020

Missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery for a left elbow ulnar collateral ligament injury... Ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the Tigers organization by Baseball America.

2019

Began the 2019 season in the Atlanta Braves organization, before being acquired by the Tigers on July 31... Had a season-high 10 strikeouts on July 6 vs. Biloxi...equaled that total on Aug. 31 at Akron... Allowed one run-or-less in four consecutive starts from June 26-July 14, compiling a 1-1 record with a 1.11 ERA (24.1IP/3ER) and 35 strikeouts... Started five games for Double A Erie in August, and went 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA (25.2IP/6ER) and 37 strikeouts.