Jordan Hicks

Jordan Hicks

26-Year-Old PitcherRP
St. Louis Cardinals
2023 Fantasy Outlook
St. Louis made the puzzling decision to experiment with Hicks as a starter. It didn't go well, as he walked 21 in 26.1 innings across eight starts, completing five innings only once. Hicks suffered a right forearm flexor injury in late May and missed over a month before returning as a multi-inning reliever. He fared better in shorter stints out of the bullpen, but still struggled with his control, finishing the season with 35 walks in 61.1 innings (his most since 2018). His slider was really good when he was able to locate it, as batters whiffed at the pitch at a near-50% rate. The contact he gave up was mostly groundballs (57.6%) thanks to a sinker that clocked in at 99.4 mph on average. Hicks still has some post-hype appeal and could re-enter the Cardinals' mix for saves if his walk and strikeout rates trend in the right direction. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#594
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $1.8375 million contract with the Cardinals in January of 2023.
Mixed results so far
PSt. Louis Cardinals
March 18, 2023
Hicks has allowed four earned runs on six hits and five walks while striking out six over 5.2 innings over six Grapefruit League appearances.
ANALYSIS
Hicks' strikeout potential remains enticing, but the overall results are not where they need to be to feel confident about his ability to fill a high-leverage role. With experience as a starter, there's always the option to stretch Hicks out for long-relief duties, but the right-hander has also had success in the past as a reliever. He's little more than a late-draft dart throw in fantasy given his skill set.
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Pitching Stats
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2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
29
Last 10 Games
18
Last 5 Games
17
How many pitches does Jordan Hicks generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Jordan Hicks generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2020
 
 
-17%
BAA vs RHP
2022
 
 
-15%
BAA vs RHP
2021
 
 
-29%
BAA vs RHP
2020
No Stats
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2020vs Left .226 116 26 18 21 6 1 2
Since 2020vs Right .188 191 47 27 30 3 1 3
2022vs Left .232 104 23 17 19 5 1 2
2022vs Right .197 159 40 18 27 3 0 3
2021vs Left .182 12 3 1 2 1 0 0
2021vs Right .130 32 7 9 3 0 1 0
2020vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2020
 
 
-2%
ERA on Road
2022
 
 
-21%
ERA at Home
2021
 
 
-82%
ERA on Road
2020
No Stats
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2020Home 4.97 1.37 38.0 3 3 0 9.2 6.9 0.7
Since 2020Away 4.86 1.32 33.1 0 3 0 9.2 4.3 0.5
2022Home 4.32 1.23 33.1 3 3 0 9.2 5.7 0.8
2022Away 5.46 1.43 28.0 0 3 0 9.3 4.5 0.6
2021Home 9.64 2.36 4.2 0 0 0 9.6 15.4 0.0
2021Away 1.69 0.75 5.1 0 0 0 8.4 3.4 0.0
2020Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Jordan Hicks compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
1.80
 
K/9
9.2
 
BB/9
5.1
 
HR/9
0.7
 
Fastball
99.5 mph
 
ERA
4.84
 
WHIP
1.32
 
BABIP
.272
 
GB/FB
2.46
 
Left On Base
64.9%
 
Exit Velocity
80.6 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
4.1%
 
Spin Rate
2134 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
19.8%
 
Swinging Strike
9.5%
 
Prospect Rankings History
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2017
Hicks, who opted out of the 2020 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2019, returned last spring and was eased into action once the season started. The plan was to eventually return to closing duties, but Alex Reyes performed well in the role early on and Hicks' performance was spotty in low-leverage situations. He strugged to throw strikes, walking 10 batters over 10 innings before elbow inflammation sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The injury required Hicks to get multiple opinions and an injection, but surgery was not necessary. Now the Cardinals may be rethinking his role, as he's expected to compete for a 2022 rotation spot during spring training. Without having to pitch at extreme velocities, the move could help Hicks avoid the recurring elbow problems that have stalled his career. Just be prepared for a workload restriction if he indeed enters 2022 as a starter.
Those who used a roster spot on Hicks in early 2019 drafts were hoping for the best, and never got it. He had Tommy John surgery in June of 2019, so while he could have pitched in 2020, it was highly unlikely he would have looked like the same guy as these recoveries never go off without a hitch. It turned out that Hicks had a setback in his recovery in June of 2020, which made the decision to opt out of the 2020 season even easier for the Type 1 diabetic. The good news here is he is closer to two full years removed from his surgery, so his command should be sharper than it would have been had he pitched in 2020. Walks were a problem for him prior to surgery, but velocity with his movement allows him to overcome some mistakes more than other pitchers. Keep an eye on health reports this winter to ensure the setback is behind him.
To say it's easy to fall in love with Hicks' stuff does not do Hicks' stuff justice. He throws the hardest fastball in the game -- clocking in at over 100 mph on average -- and can break off an impressive slider. Hicks even began experimenting with a nasty changeup, which got people talking in spring training and got the Rob Friedman aka "Pitching Ninja" treatment on Twitter. During his time on the mound in 2019, Hicks had a 28.2 K% and .163 BAA. Here's the problem: pitchers with this extreme velocity and violent arm whip are (in theory) more susceptible to injuries. Unfortunately, we saw this with Hicks, as the right-hander was diagnosed with a torn UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery in late June. Hicks will likely still be only 23 years old when he returns to the major leagues, so his future is extremely bright, but he should not be expected to immediately reclaim closer duties for St. Louis in 2020.
Rather than continue his development as a starter, the Cardinals decided to jump Hicks three levels straight to the big-league bullpen. It was easy to see why St. Louis thought Hicks could bypass Double- and Triple-A and help the team right away -- he throws absolute gas (100.5 mph average fastball). He peppered the Fastest Pitches leaderboard from Statcast, a leaderboard that used to consist almost exclusively of Aroldis Chapman. The right-hander enjoyed quite a bit of success and even got a chance to close out some games later in the year, though for a pitcher with his pure stuff, Hicks didn't generate many strikeouts early on. The Ks did finally tick up a bit over the final two months (22.7%), but so did the walks (17.3%). Hicks' future is bright and he has "future closer" written all over him, but given his inexperience and fits of wildness in his rookie season, it's not out of the question the Cardinals keep him confined to setup duty to start 2019.
Hicks was sidelined with shoulder inflammation after he was selected in the third round of the 2015 draft, so he did not make his professional debut until last season. His numbers in the Appalachian League were not particularly pretty, but his repertoire, which includes a low-90s fastball and a slider with wipeout potential, required a challenge in the form of a promotion to the New York-Penn League in late July. Hicks walked too many hitters at both stops, but his overall production started to match his stuff against short-season hitters, who hit just .217 against him. This allowed him post a 1.76 ERA despite walking 16 over 30.2 innings. The development of his changeup along with better fastball command/control will be paramount in his quest to remain a starter, as is the case with most lower-level arms. Hicks has the raw tools to someday pitch in the middle of a big league rotation, making him worth following as he moves up the ranks.
More Fantasy News
Appears set for relief role
PSt. Louis Cardinals
February 17, 2023
Hicks is expected to earn high-leverage spots as a reliever to begin 2023, Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
ANALYSIS
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Avoids arbitration
PSt. Louis Cardinals
January 13, 2023
Hicks and the Cardinals agreed on a one-year, $1.8375 contract Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
ANALYSIS
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Makes return from IL
PSt. Louis Cardinals
October 5, 2022
The Cardinals activated Hicks (neck) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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On track for activation next week
PSt. Louis Cardinals
Neck
October 1, 2022
Hicks (neck/arm) had a strong bullpen session Friday and is on track to be activated from the 15-day injured list prior to the end of the regular season, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
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Bullpen session on tap
PSt. Louis Cardinals
Neck
September 28, 2022
Hicks (neck/arm) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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