Kyle Hendricks

Kyle Hendricks's Biography

Kyle Christian Hendricks, known to baseball fans as “The Professor,” is an American professional baseball pitcher who has made significant contributions to the game over the course of his storied career. Born on December 7, 1989, Hendricks has played for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB) since making his MLB debut in 2014. He topped MLB by delivering an extraordinary earned run average (ERA) for the 2016 season.

Growing up in San Juan Capistrano, California, Hendricks attended Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo. In 2008, he was honored with a draft pick by the Los Angeles Angels in the 39th round of the MLB draft. However, he decided against signing and chose to instead attend Dartmouth College, where he was a member of the Beta Alpha Omega fraternity. The promising pitcher retained his love for baseball at Dartmouth and played for the Dartmouth Big Green, under head coach Bob Whalen. During his junior year, Hendricks pitched an impressive of 6–3 win–loss record and a 2.47 earned run average with 70 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched.

In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League. His promising record caught the attention of the Texas Rangers, who gave him an opportunity in the eighth round of the 2011 MLB draft. Hendricks seized the chance and began his professional career with the Spokane Indians of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League.

However, it was in the Chicago Cubs that Hendricks truly found his baseball home. In exchange for Ryan Dempster, the Cubs acquired Hendricks and Christian Villanueva at the 2012 trade deadline. In 2013, he started his season with the Tennessee Smokies of the Class AA Southern League before being promoted to the Iowa Cubs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL) during the season.

The talented young pitcher began making a name for himself and was named the Cubs’ minor league pitcher of the year for 2013. Continuing his progress with the Cubs, he won the PCL’s Pitcher of the Week for May 12–18 in 2014. Later in the year, following the trade of Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics, Hendricks made his mainstream MLB debut. Displaying nerves of steel, he earned his first win at a home game against the San Diego Padres, and finished his debut year with an impressive record.

Throughout the following years, Hendricks made significant connections and displayed remarkable skills in the field. He was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for August 2016 and topped the MLB with an impressive 2.13 ERA in the same year. This ERA was the best in all baseball, making Hendricks the first Cub to lead the National League in the category since 1945 and the first to lead the majors since 1938.

In the historic Game 6 of the NLCS, Hendricks produced a remarkable performance, dealing 7+1⁄3 innings facing the minimum, ensuring the Cubs reached their first World Series since 1945. Ultimately, the Cubs won the 2016 World Series over the Cleveland Indians, a victory that broke their 108-year title drought. As Hendricks was the starting pitcher in Games 3 and 7 of this series, this triumph served as a crowning achievement in his career, highlighting his critical contribution to the team.

After dealing with a minor injury in 2017, Hendricks continued to contribute to the Cubs’ success in subsequent years. Despite facing challenges and experiencing ups and downs, he showed resilient dedication and commitment to the game. These qualities were on full display in the game against the Atlanta Braves on April 18, 2021, when he set an unprecedented record by becoming the first pitcher in Cubs history to allow four home runs in the first inning, a feat accomplished by only eight other players before him.

Spanning his entire career up until 2023, Hendricks had offered admirable performances each season, showing consistent growth and a never-give-up attitude, both of which were key to his success in the field. However, Hendricks faced a major hurdle in the form of a capsular tear in his shoulder in 2022, which sidelined him for much of the season. Despite this, he made a strong comeback the following year, turning heads once again with his resilient performance.

Off the field, Hendricks’ educational background has earned him respect and recognition. After completing his coursework in the winter of 2012 and fall of 2013, he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College in December 2013. This achievement, along with his calm, analytical playing style, led to the nickname “The Professor,” which was a nod not only to his Ivy League education but also an homage to legendary Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux, who also sported the same nickname. Hendricks also chose the moniker “Hendo” for Players Weekend during the 2017 season. In his personal life, Hendricks married his long-time girlfriend Emma Cain in November 2017.