Steven Okert

Steven Chandler Okert

Bats Left, Throws Left
Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
School Grayson County College, University of Oklahoma
High School Rowlett High School
Debut April 19, 2016

Born July 9, 1991 in Riverside, CA USA

Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Steven Okert reached the major leagues in 2016.

He was drafted three times. Initially, the Milwaukee Brewers took him in the 43rd round of the 2010 amateur draft, one selection ahead of pitcher Daniel Winkler, but he opted not to sign. The Brewers took him again in the 33rd round of the 2011 amateur draft, and though he became the first player from that round to reach the majors, he did not sign this time, either. He inked a contract after being taken by the San Francisco Giants in the 4th round of the 2012 amateur draft.

The reliever posted ERAs of 2.20 and 2.97 in his first two professional campaigns, but 2014 -- his third season -- was his breakout year. Going 2-2 with a 2.11 ERA, 24 saves, 40 games finished and 92 strikeouts (in 68 1/3 innings) over 57 games between the San Jose Giants and Richmond Flying Squirrels, Okert was named a California League Mid-Season All-Star and a MiLB.com Organization All-Star. After posting a 0.75 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 12 innings for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League, he was named a Rising Star and to the All-Prospect Team.

He reached Triple A for the first time in 2015, and though his ERA rose to 3.82 in 52 games, he still posted a 10.1 K/9 IP ratio for the Sacramento River Cats. Entering 2016, he was ranked the #17 prospect in the Giants chain by Baseball America. He had a 2.70 ERA through his first four appearances with Sacramento in 2016 before earning a promotion to the majors. In his first big league appearance, on April 19, he tossed two innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He walked the first batter he faced, Welington Castillo, but finished with two strikeouts in two innings (Jake Lamb and David Peralta). After going 0-0, 3.21 in 16 games his first season, he again pitched for the Giants in 2017 and 2018, being used largely as a LOOGY and going 1-1, 5.67 in 44 games in his sophomore season, and 0-0, 1.23 in 10 games the next year.

After being out of the major leagues for two full seasons, he resurfaced with the Miami Marlins in 2021 after having been signed as a free agent during that year's spring training. He had a good year, going 3-1, 2.75 in 34 games, making longer appearances on the mound following the introduction of the "three-batter minimum" room. In 2022, he went 5-5, 2.98 in 60 games, with 63 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings and in 2023 went 3-2, 4.45 in 64 games. He made his first two career starts that year, both coming as an opener in a bullpen game and lasting less than an inning each time. He made his postseason debut in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 3rd, giving up 1 run in 1 inning of work in a 4-1 loss.

On February 11, 2024, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins in return for utility player Nick Gordon. He pitched only one season for Minnesota, going 3-2, 5.09 in 44 games, while also recording his first major league save. He then signed as a free agent with the Houston Astros before the 2025 season and had a very good first year for them, pitching 68 times with a record of 3-2, 1 save and an ERA of 3.01. His 71 2/3 innings that year were a personal high, he allowed just 45 hits and struck out 84. He was back with Houston in 2026 and was a part of history on May 25th when he was the middle man in a combined 9-0 no-hitter against the Texas Rangers. First-year man Tatsuya Imai handled the first six innings, and he retired the Rangers without giving up a hit in the 7th although he walked a batter. Alimber Santa then finished the game with two perfect innings in what was his major league debut.

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Steven Okert on mlb.com

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