John Curtiss (baseball)

John Pickens Curtiss (born April 5, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Colorado Rockies organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and Colorado Rockies.

Career
Curtiss attended Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 30th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft but did not sign with them and attended the University of Texas at Austin and played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns. Curtiss was then drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

Minnesota Twins
Curtiss made his professional debut with the Elizabethton Twins. He played 2015 with the Gulf Coast Twins and Cedar Rapids Kernels and 2016 with Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers Miracle. After the 2016 season, he played in the Arizona Fall League. Curtiss started 2017 with the Chattanooga Lookouts and was promoted to the Rochester Red Wings. He was called up to the major leagues for the first time on August 23, 2017.

Los Angeles Angels
After being designated for assignment, Curtiss was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Daniel Ozoria on January 15, 2019. He opened the 2019 season with the Salt Lake Bees. He appeared in one game for the Angels on April 15. On April 30, he was designated for assignment. He was outrighted on May 3, but refused the assignment in favor of free agency.

Philadelphia Phillies
On June 12, 2019, Curtiss signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released on July 7, 2019.

Tampa Bay Rays
On February 3, 2020, Curtiss signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was called up on August 9, 2020, after Oliver Drake was placed on the injured list, and made his debut that day, pitching two perfect innings in a 4–3 victory over the New York Yankees. Curtiss earned his first major league win on August 11 in an 8–2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Curtiss was the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series, in which the Rays walked off the Los Angeles Dodgers 8–7 in a finish labelled as an "instant classic." However, the Rays would go on to lose the World Series four games to two.

Miami Marlins
On February 17, 2021, Curtiss was traded to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Evan Edwards.

Milwaukee Brewers
On July 30, 2021, Curtiss was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Payton Henry. On August 11, Curtiss was placed on the injured list after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, ending his season. On September 7, Curtiss underwent Tommy John surgery. On November 30, Curtiss was non-tendered by the Brewers, making him a free agent.

New York Mets
On April 6, 2022, Curtiss signed a major league contract with the New York Mets. Because of his injury from the year prior, Curtiss missed the entirety of the 2022 season. On November 10, the Mets exercised Curtiss's $775K option for the 2023 season.

Curtiss made 15 appearances for the Mets, posting a 4.58 ERA with 16 strikeouts in $19 2⁄3$ innings pitched. On August 14, 2023, he was placed on the 60–day injured list with a loose body in his right elbow. On August 22, Curtiss underwent season–ending surgery to remove the loose body from his elbow. Following the season on November 2, Curtiss was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A Syracuse Mets. He elected free agency on November 6.

Colorado Rockies
On January 25, 2024, Curtiss signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. In 17 games for the Triple–A Albuquerque Isotopes, he struggled to a 6.75 ERA with 18 strikeouts across $21 1⁄3$ innings pitched. On May 24, the Rockies selected Curtiss' contract, adding him to their active roster. In his only appearance for Colorado, he allowed two runs on three hits in $1⁄3$ of an inning. On May 27, Curtiss was designated for assignment by the club. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Albuquerque on May 30, however he rejected the assignment and subsequently elected free agency. Curtiss re–signed with the Rockies on a new minor league contract the following day. The Rockies released him from the organization on July 1, however re-signed him to a new minor league contract two days later.