Daulton Compton Jefferies (born August 2, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics. He played college baseball for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the Athletics with the 37th overall pick of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.

Amateur career

Jefferies attended Buhach Colony High School in Atwater, California, where he both pitched and played shortstop. As a junior in high school, Jefferies was named the Most Valuable Player award in the Central California Conference after pitching to a 8–0 win–loss record with a 1.26 earned run average and putting up a .366/.480/.505 slash line. In Jefferies's senior season, he went 10–2 with a 0.92 earned run average and a school-record 142 strikeouts, again taking home the conference's Most Valuable Player award.^[1] Jefferies had initially verbally committed to play baseball for Stanford University during the summer of his junior year of high school, but the offer fell through and Jefferies was forced to find another school, eventually deciding on the University of California, Berkeley.^[2]

As a freshman for the California Golden Bears in 2014, Jefferies started 15 games, finishing the year 2–8 with a 3.45 earned run average and 58 strikeouts in a team-high 92+2⁄3 innings. Jefferies' sophomore season saw both his record and earned run average improve, as he appeared in 14 games, starting 13, and went 6–5 with a 2.92 earned run average, enough to warrant a First Team All-Pac-12 selection.^[3] The summer after his sophomore season, Jefferies was a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team,^[4] and played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.^[5]

Professional career

Oakland Athletics

Jefferies was drafted by the Oakland Athletics with the 37th overall pick of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.^[6] He spent his first professional season with the AZL Athletics where he posted a 2.38 earned run average with 17 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched.^[7] He pitched in only two games for the Stockton Ports in 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, thus ending his season.^[8] He appeared in one game in the AZL in 2018 as he continued to rehab his way back to full health. Jefferies split the 2019 season between Stockton and the Midland RockHounds, going a combined 2–2 with a 3.41 earned run average over 79 innings.^[9]

On November 20, 2019, the Athletics added Jefferies to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.^[10] Jefferies was called up as the extra man for a doubleheader on September 12, 2020, against the Texas Rangers. It was his major league debut but it did not go well as Jefferies only lasted two innings, giving up five runs on two home runs and taking the loss.

On May 20, 2022, Jefferies was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, and was sidelined indefinitely.^[11] On September 11, Jefferies underwent Tommy John surgery to repair UCL damage in his right elbow. The surgery prematurely ended his 2022 season, and wiped out his 2023 season as well.^[12] He was outrighted off the roster on November 14, 2022. Jefferies elected free agency on November 6, 2023.^[13]

San Francisco Giants

On December 8, 2023, Jefferies signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants.^[14]

Pitching style

Jefferies has a four pitch repertoire. His fastball has a bit of sink and sits in the low-to-mid 90s, but can top out around 96 mph. His primary off-speed pitch is his changeup which he throws in the mid-80s with good sink and fade. He also has a decent slider and a good three-quarters curveball.^[15]

Personal life

Jefferies is the nephew of former major league pitcher Blas Minor, and his older brother Jake was a catcher in the minor leagues for both the Miami Marlins' and Tampa Bay Rays' organizations.^[16]