Chris Flexen

Chris Flexen's Biography

Christopher John Flexen, a native of the U.S. born on July 1, 1994, has carved an impressive career as a professional baseball pitcher. With an athletic career that’s spanned internationally and several competitions, Flexen is currently with the Chicago White Sox, a team in the Major League Baseball (MLB). His MLB trajectory has seen him playing for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and the Colorado Rockies. He also featured in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), for the Doosan Bears.

Growing up in Newark, California, Flexen honed his sporting prowess at Newark Memorial High School, where he was the quarterback for the school’s football squad and also secured a place in the varsity baseball team during his freshman year. The displayed exceptional talent in these two sports earned him the nickname “Flex.” He initially committed to play college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. However, the opportunity to join the big leagues presented itself much sooner. He was selected in the 14th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets, and a signing bonus of $375,000 convinced him to accelerate his career.

2012 was important for Flexen as he started off his journey with the Kingsport Mets, earning a 1–3 win-loss record with a 5.63 ERA across seven games. Flexen returned to Kingsport for the 2013 segment and delivered an 8-1 win–loss record with a 2.09 ERA during his 11 starts. His journey advanced in 2014, playing for Savannah Sand Gnats and charting a 3-5 win-loss record with a 4.83 ERA within 13 starts.

Flexen also showed resilience when faced with medical hurdles. Following a Tommy John surgery in 2014, Flexen returned to the field in 2015 with a combined 2.42 ERA in 12 games between the Savannah, Brooklyn Cyclones, and GCL Mets. In 2016, Flexen displayed his skill as the Pitcher for the St. Lucie Mets, recording a 10-9 win-loss record with a 3.56 ERA in 25 starts. His remarkable performances earned him a place on the Mets’ 40-man roster after the 2016 season.

2017 saw Flexen commence the season with St. Lucie. His impressive ERA of 2.13 earned him a promotion to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on May 31. Subsequently, Flexen made his major league debut on July 27, 2017, against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. He bagged his first major league win against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field.

Flexen’s prowess made him New York’s ninth-best prospect entering the 2018 season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all smooth sailing that year, which ended with knee surgery. He was subsequently designated for assignment in December 2019, after which he signed a one-year contract with the KBO’s Doosan Bears, leading to notable performances in 2020.

Flexen returned to MLB in December 2020, signing a two-year, $4.75-million contract with the Seattle Mariners. The 2021 season saw a resurgence in Flexen’s career, finishing in the top 10 in ERA, wins, ERA+, Fielding Independent Pitching, and games started. Flexen moved to a reliever role in 2022, recording his first career save and finishing the season registering a 8–9 record with a 3.73 ERA.

In 2023, after a challenging patch with the Mariners, he was traded to the New York Mets for Zach Muckenhirn. Yet, his stint with the Mets was brief, leading to his release on July 6, 2023. On July 13 of the same year, Flexen signed with the Colorado Rockies organization, during which, he had his contract selected for Colorado’s primary league roster.

Flexen closed out 2023 as a free agent but soon signed a one-year, $1.75-million contract with the Chicago White Sox on December 30. As the new season unfolds, Flexen continues to make his mark in the world of professional baseball.