Daulton Jefferies

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Daulton Compton Jefferies, born August 2, 1995 in Merced, California, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He bats left-handed and throws right. He made his MLB debut on September 12, 2020 with the Oakland Athletics and has also played for the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jefferies starred at Buhach Colony High School in Atwater, California, where he was named the Central California Conference MVP as a junior and again as a senior. He posted strong pitching numbers and also hit well in high school. He initially planned to attend Stanford but chose the University of California, Berkeley, to play for the California Golden Bears.

At Cal, Jefferies showed promise. As a freshman in 2014 he went 2–8 with a 3.45 ERA. His sophomore year improved to 6–5 with a 2.92 ERA, and he earned First Team All-Pac-12. He also played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League. The Oakland Athletics drafted him 37th overall in 2016.

In the minor leagues, Jefferies posted a solid debut in 2016 and then faced a major setback. He started 2017 with Stockton but needed Tommy John surgery after just a couple of games. He spent 2018 rehabbing and returned in 2019 to split time between Stockton and Midland, finishing 2–2 with a 3.41 ERA in 79 innings. He was added to Oakland’s 40-man roster in November 2019 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Jefferies’ MLB debut came with the Athletics in 2020. He pitched in two innings and gave up five runs in his first big league outing, taking the loss. In 2022 he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and later underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the elbow, ending his season and wiping out the 2023 season as well. He was outrighted off Oakland’s roster in November 2022 and elected free agency in November 2023.

In December 2023, Jefferies signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. His contract was quickly added to the active roster in March 2024, but after two appearances he was designated for assignment in May and traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the Pirates, he appeared in four games before hitting the injured list with right elbow inflammation. He was moved to the 60-day injured list and, after the season, elected free agency again in November 2024.

Jefferies pitches with a four-pitch mix: a sinking fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s and can reach around 96 mph, a mid-80s changeup with good sink and fade, plus a slider and a curveball.

Personal notes: Jefferies is the nephew of former major league pitcher Blas Minor. His older brother Jake played as a catcher in the minor leagues, and his fiancée is Natalie Kienhofer.