Kyle Finnegan

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Kyle Edward Finnegan

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Kyle Finnegan first reached the majors with the Washington Nationals at the start of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, after having been a 6th-round pick by the Oakland Athletics in the 2013 amateur draft, out of Texas State University. He signed with the Nationals as a minor league free agent following the 2019 season.

He went 1-0, 2.92 in 25 games as a rookie in 2020 and followed that with a 5-9 record and 11 saves, to go along with an ERA of 3.55 in 2021. He was a mainstay in the Nats' bullpen over the next few years, repeating with 11 saves in 2022 and another 28 in 2023. His number of appearances varied from 65 to 68 in his first four full seasons with Washington (not counting 2020), and he did not pitch a single time as a starter. Unlike other late-game relievers, he did not have huge strikeout totals, hovering around 1 per inning, but his WHIP was generally good and there was not a lot of competition for the closer's job on a series of underperforming teams in the Nation's Capital.

During the 2024 season, Finnegan emerged as the major league leader in one particular category: pitch clock violations. His propensity to lose track of how much time he has to begin his pitching motion cost the Nationals a game on June 22nd, as the Colorado Rockies had the bases loaded against him with the score tied at 7-all in the bottom of the 9th inning, when he committed his ninth such violation of the season while facing Ryan McMahon with a full count and the bases loaded. This resulted in home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt calling ball four and a very anticlimactic walk-off win for the Rox. It was the first time a game had ended in such a manner since the introduction of the pitch clock before the previous season. In spite of this hiccup, he was named to the National League team for the 2024 All-Star Game, as a replacement for Ryan Helsley. He went 3-8, 3.68 with 38 saves in 65 games in what was his best season to date.

He started the 2025 season with Washington, going 1-4, 4.38 with 20 saves in 40 games, but on July 31st, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers in return for a couple of minor leaguers. He was due to hit free agency at the end of the season, and with the Nationals once again out of the running for the postseason, they decided to cash in on his trade value. With Detroit, he pitched very well, putting up an ERA of 1.50 in 16 outings, covering 18 innings with a 3-0 record and 4 saves. He pitched in the postseason for the first time that year, making two appearances and earning a win over the Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card Series, and another four in the Division Series against the Seattle Mariners. Things did not go as well at that stage, as he was charged with a loss in Game 2 on October 5th, and also allowed a run in his next two outings, including the decisive Game 5. He was not involved in the decision that day, however, as the run he gave up came in the 7th inning, and the Tigers lost the game in the 15th frame. He became a free agent after the season, but re-signed with Detroit on December 9th, agreeing on a two-year contract worth $19 million.

Notable Achievements[edit]

  • NL All-Star (2024)
  • 30 Saves Seasons: 1 (2024)

Further Reading[edit]

  • Jason Beck: "Veteran reliever Finnegan returning to Tigers on 2-year deal", mlb.com, December 10, 2025. [1]
  • Thomas Harding and Jessie Camerato: "'Just a weird ending': Rox clock Nats with first-of-its-kind walk-off", mlb.com, June 23, 2024. [2]

Related Sites[edit]

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