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| Jered Weaver | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jered Weaver |
| Position | Pitcher |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Birth date | 4 October 1982 |
| Birth place | Lompoc, California |
| Debutleague | MLB |
| Debutdate | April 12 |
| Debutyear | 2006 |
| Debutteam | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim |
| Finalleague | MLB |
| Finaldate | July 23 |
| Finalyear | 2016 |
| Finalteam | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim |
| Statleague | MLB |
| Stat1label | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value | 150–92 |
| Stat2label | Earned run average |
| Stat2value | 3.65 |
| Stat3label | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value | 1,717 |
| Teams | * Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2006–2013, 2016) * Los Angeles Angels (2016) |
Jered Weaver (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball primarily for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. A first-round draft pick, he emerged as a leading starting pitcher in the late 2000s and early 2010s, known for high strikeout totals, pitch control, and durability across seasons that included All-Star selections and a near-Cy Young Award contention.
Born in Lompoc, California, Weaver grew up in a family connected to baseball through youth programs in Santa Barbara County, California. He attended Lompoc High School (Lompoc, California) where he played for varsity teams and competed in regional tournaments linked to California Interscholastic Federation playoffs and American Legion Baseball. After high school he enrolled at Long Beach State University and pitched for the Long Beach State Dirtbags, a collegiate program with alumni who reached Major League Baseball. While at Long Beach State he faced Pac-10 opponents including UCLA and USC, compiled statistics that attracted scouting attention from MLB scouts and was named to collegiate award lists comparable to the Golden Spikes Award watchlists.
Weaver was selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft by the Anaheim Angels. He progressed through the Angels' minor league affiliates including stops at Arkansas Travelers, Salt Lake Bees, and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, facing hitters from Pacific Coast League and Texas League rosters. Weaver made his MLB debut for the Angels in April 2006 and compiled a rookie campaign that led to increased workload in rotation slots against teams such as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Oakland Athletics. Over subsequent seasons he delivered standout performances—recording high strikeout totals against lineups from the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, and Toronto Blue Jays—and contended within the American League for rotation accolades. In 2011 he posted one of his best seasons during which he pitched a no-hitter bid and engaged in head-to-head competition with pitchers like Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia, David Price, Felix Hernandez, and Cliff Lee. Injuries and stints on the disabled list, including interactions with sports medicine staff and rehabilitation assignments with minor league clubs, influenced later years; he returned for his final MLB appearances in 2016 before retiring from active play.
Weaver's arsenal featured a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup deployed to right-handed and left-handed hitters in lineups from franchises such as the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants. Analysts compared his approach to contemporaries like Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, Gio Gonzalez, Jon Lester, and Roy Halladay for command and pitch sequencing. Scouts from organizations including the Baseball Writers' Association of America and representatives from the Society for American Baseball Research noted his strikeout-per-nine-innings rates against opponents from the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians and cited advanced metrics tracked by Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs.
Weaver grew up in a family with ties to athletics and attended community events in Santa Barbara, California. Off the field he engaged with charitable organizations and community initiatives that partnered with the Angels and local chapters of national nonprofits. He maintained relationships with teammates and coaches across franchises such as Mike Scioscia, Erick Aybar, Vladimir Guerrero, Tim Salmon, and opponents like Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols during his career.
During his career Weaver earned All-Star Game selections and received votes in Cy Young Award balloting. He led the American League in strikeouts per nine innings in peak seasons and pitched complete games and quality starts against clubs including the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers. His statistical milestones include surpassing 1,500 career strikeouts and accruing double-digit win seasons in multiple campaigns that prompted recognition from media outlets such as The Sporting News and ESPN.
After retiring, Weaver remained connected to baseball through instructional roles, appearances at Spring Training events, guest spots on broadcasts for networks including FOX Sports and MLB Network, and mentorship of prospects in Minor League Baseball. His career is referenced in historical discussions of the Angels' franchise alongside figures such as Nolan Ryan and Mike Trout and in analyses by Baseball Prospectus and The Athletic regarding pitcher development and injury management. Weaver's legacy also persists in local baseball communities in California, where youth pitchers study footage of his mechanics and repertoire.
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Los Angeles Angels players Category:Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball players Category:People from Lompoc, California