William Jacob Bennett (born December 2, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2026.
| Jake Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox – No. 64 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: December 2, 2000 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 1, 2026, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics (through May 7, 2026) | |
| Win–loss record | 1–1 |
| Earned run average | 4.35 |
| Strikeouts | 4 |
| Teams | |
| |
Early life and amateur career
editBennett grew up in Bixby, Oklahoma, and attended Bixby High School.[1] He was selected in the 39th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Washington Nationals,[2] but did not sign with the team.
Bennett attended the University of Oklahoma to play college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. He had a 3–0 win-loss record with 0.75 earned run average (ERA) in three starts during his true freshman season before it was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.[3] As a redshirt freshman, he had a 4–3 record with a 6.34 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 16 appearances with 13 starts.[4] Bennett was named the Sooners' Friday night starter going into his redshirt sophomore season.[5] He finished the season with a 10–4 record and a 3.69 ERA and 133 strikeouts against 22 walks over 20 appearances with 19 starts.[6] In 2021, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[7]
Professional career
editWashington Nationals
editThe Washington Nationals selected Bennett in the second round of 2022 Major League Baseball draft.[8] He signed with the team and received a $1,734,800 signing bonus.[9] Bennett made his professional debut in 2023 with the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals and High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, compiling a 1–6 record and 3.14 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched across 15 starts. He underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the conclusion of the season, which consequently caused him to miss the entirety of the 2024 campaign.[10]
Bennett returned to action in 2025 with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators, Wilmington, and Fredericksburg, logging a combined 2–5 record and 2.27 ERA with 64 strikeouts across 19 games (18 starts). On November 18, 2025, the Nationals added Bennett to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[11]
Boston Red Sox
editOn December 15, 2025, the Nationals traded Bennett to the Boston Red Sox for another pitching prospect, Luis Perales.[12] Bennett was optioned to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox to begin the 2026 season.[13] Across his first five outings for Worcester, he compiled a 2–1 record and 0.86 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 21 innings. On May 1, 2026, Bennett was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[14] He made his MLB debut that evening, starting and earning the win against Mike Burrows and the Houston Astros at Fenway Park, giving up five hits and one earned run in five innings pitched.[15]
References
edit- ↑ "Former Bixby star Jake Bennett has emerged as leader on Oklahoma pitching staff". Tulsa World. February 17, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ↑ "Baseball draft: State preps picked". Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. June 6, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ↑ "OU baseball: Three things to know about the 2021 Sooners". Oklahoman. February 19, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ↑ "Bennett Pitches Oklahoma to Big 12 Tournament Semifinals". Baseball America. May 27, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ↑ "OU baseball: Jake Bennett, Jackson Nicklaus on a roll for Sooners". Oklahoman. May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ↑ "Nationals take LHP Jake Bennett in second round". MASN. July 17, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ↑ "#23 Jake Bennett – Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ↑ Weyrich, Matt (July 17, 2022). "Nats draft Oklahoma LHP Jake Bennett in second round". NBC Sports Washington. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ↑ "Nationals 2022 Draft signings tracker". MLB.com. July 27, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ↑ "How new acquisition Jake Bennett fits the Red Sox pitching mold". mlb.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ↑ McDonald, Darragh (November 18, 2025). "Nationals Select Three Players To 40-Man Roster". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ Norris, Josh (December 15, 2025). "Red Sox, Nationals Swap Pitching Prospects Luis Perales, Jake Bennett". Baseball America. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ↑ "Red Sox's Jake Bennett: Bound for minor-league camp". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Red Sox Recall Jake Bennett For MLB Debut". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ↑ Healey, Tim (May 2, 2026). "Jarren Duran, Jake Bennett power Red Sox past Astros in return to Fenway". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB · Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Oklahoma Sooners bio