History of Jake Bird (baseball) in Timeline

Jacob Timothy "Jake" Bird is a professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the New York Yankees in MLB. He made his major league debut with the Colorado Rockies in 2022. Prior to his professional career, Bird played college baseball at UCLA, where he excelled, leading the Pac-12 Conference in earned run average in 2018. He was drafted by the Rockies in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB draft.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

December 4, 1995: Jacob Bird's birth

On December 4, 1995, Jacob Timothy Bird was born. He is an American professional baseball pitcher.

2014: Enrolled at UCLA

In 2014, Jake Bird enrolled at UCLA, majoring in economics, after not being selected in the MLB draft.

2014: All-Foothill League Selection

In 2014, Jake Bird was selected as All-Foothill League, having pitched to a 1.55 ERA with 72 strikeouts in his senior year of high school.

2016: Played with Falmouth Commodores

In 2016, Jake Bird played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League, achieving a 3-2 record with a 2.77 ERA.

2018: Led Pac-12 Conference in ERA

In 2018, Jake Bird led the Pac-12 Conference in earned run average while playing college baseball for the UCLA Bruins.

2018: Professional Debut with Grand Junction Rockies

In 2018, Jake Bird made his professional debut with the Grand Junction Rockies, achieving a 4-1 record with a 3.38 ERA and 30 strikeouts.

2018: Senior Year at UCLA

In 2018, as a senior at UCLA, Jake Bird had a 7-4 record, leading the Pac-12 Conference with a 2.18 ERA and striking out 61 batters. He was named All-Pac-12, Pac-12 All-Academic first team, and Academic All-America third team and drafted by the Colorado Rockies.

2019: Named South Atlantic League All-Star

In 2019, Jake Bird played with the Single-A Asheville Tourists and was named a South Atlantic League All-Star, going 7-2 with two saves and a 3.62 ERA.

2020: Began Playing Keyboard

In 2020, Jake Bird began playing an electronic keyboard to decompress after pitching in home games. His mother, a teacher, had brought it home from school.

2020: Minor League Season Cancellation and Skill Development

In 2020, Jake Bird did not pitch competitively due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related cancellation of the minor league season. He spent the year learning about pitching analytics and body movement, which improved his fastball velocity.

2021: Progressed through Double-A and Triple-A

In 2021, Jake Bird began the season with the Hartford Yard Goats and was promoted to the Albuquerque Isotopes, achieving a 6-1 record with a 3.38 ERA over 39 appearances. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League.

2022: MLB Debut with the Colorado Rockies

In 2022, Jake Bird made his Major League Baseball debut with the Colorado Rockies.

2022: Started 2022 with the Isotopes

Jake Bird started the 2022 season with the Isotopes, posting a 2.77 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 26 innings before being called up.

2023: Most Used Reliever for Colorado

In 2023, Jake Bird was Colorado's most-used reliever, pitching 89+1⁄3 innings, starting three times. He tied for the most innings by any MLB reliever.

2023: World Baseball Classic Injury and MLB Season

In 2023, an oblique muscle injury prevented Jake Bird from pitching in the World Baseball Classic. He was ejected from a May game against the Philadelphia Phillies after taunting Bryce Harper, leading to a bench-clearing brawl.

2023: Inability to Repeat Durability

Jake Bird could not repeat his durability from 2023, due to an elbow injury.

April 8, 2024: First MLB Save

On April 8, 2024, Jake Bird earned his first Major League Baseball save.

2024: Adjustments to Pitching Style

Beginning in 2024, Jake Bird began throwing his two fastballs less frequently in favor of his 85 mph slider and 81 mph changeup. He changed his slider movement to a sweeper in 2024.

July 31, 2025: Traded to the New York Yankees

On July 31, 2025, the Colorado Rockies traded Jake Bird to the New York Yankees in exchange for Roc Riggio and Ben Shields.

2025: Performance with the Rockies before Trade

In 2025, before being traded, Jake Bird posted a 4-1 record with a 4.73 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 53+1⁄3 innings pitched over 45 games with the Rockies.