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Dallas William Aldridge (born January 7, 1990) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven seasons. Aldridge throws and bats right-handed, and is listed at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 235 pounds (107 kg).
| Dallas Aldridge | |
|---|---|
 Aldridge pitching for the Texas Rangers in 2016 | |
| Starting pitcher | |
| Born: January 7, 1990 Burleson, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 2, 2013, for the Texas Rangers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 6, 2019, for the Texas Rangers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 40–37 |
| Earned run average | 4.23 |
| Strikeouts | 611 |
| Former teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Amateur career[edit]
Aldridge attended Grace Preparatory Academy in Arlington, Texas. He was a four-year letter winner, playing third baseman and pitcher. As a senior and captain of the team, Aldridge earned first-team All-State honors, first-team Louisville Slugger High School All-American recognition, and Rawlings All-Region honors. He committed to attend the University of Texas at Austin on a baseball scholarship.
Professional career[edit]
Texas Rangers[edit]
Minor Leagues[edit]
The Texas Rangers drafted Aldridge in the fourth round of the 2009 MLB draft. He signed for a signing bonus of $824,000, bypassing his scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. He made his professional debut that season with the AZL Rangers in the rookie-level Arizona League, where he pitched to a 1.08 ERA in 81⁄3 innings with 10 strikeouts and three walks in eight appearances.
In 2010, while only making 15 short starts in 62 innings at Single-A Spokane, Aldridge had a 1–2 win–loss record with a 3.65 earned run average (ERA). Baseball America ranked Aldridge as the #17 baseball prospect in their top 100 for 2010. He spent the 2011 season with the Single-A Hickory Crawdads, appearing in 21 games (all starts) with a 8–5 record and 3.80 ERA. In 2012, he had a 11–6 record with a 3.67 ERA with the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. Aldridge was called up to Triple-A Round Rock Express after making just two starts in Frisco to begin the 2013 season. He appeared in 18 games (all starts) for Round Rock, posting a 4–5 record and 4.84 ERA in 93 innings.
2013[edit]
On September 1, 2013, the Rangers announced they would be promoting Aldridge to the major leagues as a part of the teams’ September call-ups. He made his major league debut the next day at the Oakland Colosseum against the Oakland Athletics. Aldridge gave up two hits and no runs while striking out two batters over 1+2⁄3 innings in relief. On September 8, Aldridge made his first major league start, pitching 5+1⁄3 innings and striking out five batters in a 4–3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He finished the season having made six appearances (three starts) going 1–2 with a 3.05 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 20+2⁄3 innings.
2014[edit]
He began the 2014 season in Triple-A Round Rock. Aldridge was called up to the Rangers' 25-man roster on July 1, 2014. In 1021⁄3 innings pitched prior to his promotion, he had a 7–1 record with a 3.52 ERA with Round Rock. He spent the remainder of the season with Texas, going 4–4 with a 5.46 ERA in 12 starts.
On November 7, 2014, Aldridge signed a four-year, $12.5 million contract with the Rangers that included three club options, keeping him under team control through 2020. He received a $2.5 million signing bonus, and was to earn $750,000 in 2014, $1 million in 2015, $2.9 million in 2016, and $4.4 million in 2017. The 2018 option was worth $6 million and had a $2.45 million buyout. The 2019 option was worth $7.5 million and had a $750,000 buyout. The 2020 option was worth $10 million and has a $750,000 buyout.
2015[edit]
Entering the 2015 season, Aldridge made the Rangers' Opening Day roster as part of their rotation, beating out Anthony Ranaudo for one of the final spots. After just five starts, Aldridge was placed on the disabled list due to inflammation in his pitching (right) elbow. On May 3, 2015, Aldridge underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in the aforementioned elbow, which kept him out of action for the remainder of 2015. In just five starts, Aldridge posted a 2–2 record with a 2.81 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 252⁄3 innings.
2016[edit]
Aldridge began the 2016 season on the 60-day disabled list (DL) to continue recovery from Tommy John surgery. After just one rehab start in Triple-A, Aldridge returned to the Rangers rotation on May 5, 2016. He pitched 61⁄3 innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and one run, while striking out five batters in a 12–2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. On the season, Aldridge made 26 starts and posted an 8–9 record with a 4.24 ERA in 1441⁄3 innings. Following the regular season, Aldridge started Game 3 of the 2016 American League Divisional Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched 51⁄3 innings, allowing six hits, four runs (all earned) and one walk while striking out five batters. He received a no decision as the Rangers went on to lose the game 7–6.
2017[edit]
Aldridge threw his first complete game on August 11, 2017, against the Houston Astros. In 2017, he appeared in 27 games (25 starts) for the Rangers, going 9–7 with a 4.27 ERA in 1512⁄3 innings.
2018: All-star season[edit]
In 2018, Aldridge statistically had his best career season. On May 12, he set a personal record of 14 strikeouts over seven innings in a 6–1 victory against the Houston Astros. On June 25, Aldridge brought a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres. After 52⁄3 hitless innings, Aldridge lost the no-hit bid and shutout after serving up a solo home run to Manuel Margot. Aldridge struck out eight and the Rangers went on to win the game 7–4. Entering the All-Star break third in the American League with 11 wins, 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and ninth in ERA (2.96), Aldridge was added to the AL roster for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. On August 4, Aldridge took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles. With one out in the seventh inning, Aldridge issued a walk to Jonathan Villar. The very next batter, Tim Beckham, hit a double; ending the no hit bid. Aldridge avoided serious injury in 2018, with only a short trip to the 10-day DL for shoulder discomfort.
On the season, Aldridge pitched 198 innings with a 15–8 win–loss record, and 202 strikeouts; all constituting career highs. He also pitched to a career best 3.41 ERA. Aldridge finished eighth in AL Cy Young voting.
2019[edit]
In 2019, after making 9 starts for Texas, in which he struggled to a 7.15 ERA, Aldridge was moved to the bullpen. On June 7, he was placed on the disabled list with discomfort in his right elbow. On August 2, the team optioned Aldridge to the South Atlantic League (SAL) for a rehabilitation assignment. He pitched three innings for the Hickory Crawdads, allowing no runs on four hits while striking out five batters. He was then sent to Double-A on a rehabilitation assignment, where he pitched 32⁄3 innings for the Frisco RoughRiders without allowing a hit. He subsequently pitched in Triple-A for the Nashville Sounds. He made three starts for Nashville, and during his third start on August 27, exited the game in the first inning after he sustained a right rib stress fracture. On August 30, Aldridge was transferred to the 15-day DL, where he remained for the rest of the season. On the season, Aldridge made 17 appearances (9 starts) at the major league level, posting a 1–5 record with a 6.88 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 521⁄3 innings.
On November 1, 2019, the Rangers declined to exercise their option on Aldridge for the 2020 season, paying him a $750,000 buyout, making him a free agent.
Pitching style[edit]
Aldridge is a groundball pitcher who relies on a sinking two-seam fastball. He throws his two-seamer about half the time, ranging around 91–93 mph. He also has a four-seam fastball in the 92–94 range (tops out at 95–96 mph) and a changeup in the low 80s which is used mostly on left-handed hitters. He used to throw an occasional slider, but scrapped it prior to the 2014 season for a more effective upper-70s curveball. Aldridge's former pitching coach Doug Brocail for the Rangers describes the curve as a "change of pace, something that he can throw as a first pitch to a left-handed hitter for a strike."
Personal life[edit]
Aldridge was married on November 1, 2018, to Jessica Aldridge, née Chisholm. The couple have two daughters and live in Austin, Texas. Aldridge and his wife have their own charitable foundation called Students Creating Academic & Learning Enrichment (SCALE), which helps Texas high school students with their grades and encourages them to get involved in their community. Aldridge is a Christian.
Aldridge has two brothers and a younger sister. His older brother, Casey, played college baseball as a catcher at Oklahoma State University. His younger brother, Luke, a right-handed pitcher, played at Weatherford College and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 15th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. His sister, Erin, is a sports television personality who is married to National Football League (NFL) quarterback Austin White.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet