# Kyle Finnegan
**Kyle Finnegan** (Kyle Edward Finnegan, born 1991 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. A sixth-round draft pick of the [Oakland Athletics](https://www.edgepedia.org/oakland-athletics) in 2013 out of [Texas State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/texas-state-university), he reached the majors with the [Washington Nationals](https://www.edgepedia.org/washington-nationals) in 2020, became their closer, made the National League All-Star team in 2024, and was traded to Detroit in July 2025.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) • [2](https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Kyle_Finnegan)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Detroit, Michigan; 6 ft 2 in, 198 lb; bats and throws right[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) |
| Draft | Sixth round (191st overall), 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft, Oakland Athletics, from Texas State University[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) |
| MLB debut | July 25, 2020, vs. New York Yankees[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) |
| All-Star | National League, 2024, as a replacement for Ryan Helsley[2](https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Kyle_Finnegan) |
| Best season | 2024: career-high 38 saves, second-most in the NL and third in MLB; Washington's Pitcher of the Year for a second straight season[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) |
| Trades and contracts | Non-tendered by Washington in November 2024; traded to Detroit on July 31, 2025; re-signed a two-year, $19 million deal in December 2025[3](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/nationals-non-tender-kyle-finnegan.html) • [4](https://apnews.com/article/7a7d771f58aad301d7e0953fc0eb919d) • [5](https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/kyle-finnegan-tigers-contract) |
| Career (through 2026) | 410 games, 29-31 record, 3.66 ERA, 114 saves, 408.0 innings, 390 strikeouts, 1.34 WHIP[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) |
## Amateur career and draft
Finnegan played college baseball at Texas State University in [San Marcos, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-marcos-texas). The Oakland Athletics selected him in the sixth round of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft, with the 191st overall pick.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) He began his professional career that summer in the Athletics' system and spent 2014 as a starter at Single-A Beloit, going 7-9 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts and earning a Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star selection.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
## Minor-league career
**Conversion to relief.** In 2016, Finnegan pitched exclusively in relief for the first time in his career and combined for a 2-3 record, seven saves, and a career-low 2.54 ERA in 43 appearances between Single-A Stockton and Double-A Midland.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) He was named a Texas League Midseason All-Star in 2017 and again in 2019, and in 2019 he went 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas, with 14 saves that led Oakland's minor-league system and career-best marks of 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.14 WHIP.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) • [6](https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/kyle-finnegan-close-to-dream-mlb-debut)
After the 2019 season he elected free agency and signed with the Washington Nationals in December 2019.[7](https://www.milb.com/app-firstpitch/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
## Washington Nationals (2020-2025)
Finnegan made Washington's Opening Day roster in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and led the Nationals bullpen with 25 appearances, allowing scoreless relief in 21 of them; his debut came on July 25 against the [New York Yankees](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-yankees).[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) He became the Nationals' closer during 2021, recording his first career save on July 29 at Philadelphia, and that year threw the fifth immaculate inning in Nationals history (2005-present) on May 5 against Atlanta.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
**Closer years.** In 2023 he was voted Washington's Pitcher of the Year by the D.C. media after leading the Nationals and ranking seventh in the [National League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-league) with a career-high 28 saves, and he was the only reliever in MLB with at least 28 saves and at least eight holds.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) His 2024 season was stronger still: he converted a career-high 38 saves, second-most in the National League and third in MLB, was named the club's Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season, and was selected to the National League All-Star team as a replacement for Ryan Helsley.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) • [2](https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Kyle_Finnegan) From April 13 to May 8, 2024, he tossed 11 no-hit innings, the second-longest hitless streak by any pitcher in Nationals history behind [Max Scherzer](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-scherzer)'s 16-inning streak in 2015.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
The underlying metrics were less favorable than the save totals. After the 2024 season, MLB Trade Rumors noted his 22.1% strikeout rate was below the league average for relievers despite a 97.4 mph average fastball, and that his FIP of 4.42 over 2023-2024 had not treated him as a premium reliever.[3](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/nationals-non-tender-kyle-finnegan.html) The Nationals non-tendered him in November 2024, when he had been projected to earn $8.6 million in arbitration, then re-signed him as a free agent in February 2025.[3](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/nationals-non-tender-kyle-finnegan.html) • [7](https://www.milb.com/app-firstpitch/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
He recorded 20 saves with Washington in 2025, sixth-most in the National League at the time of the trade, going 1-4 with a 4.38 ERA in 40 relief outings.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) Across his five and a half seasons with the club he accumulated 108 saves.[5](https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/kyle-finnegan-tigers-contract)
## Detroit Tigers (2025-present)
On July 31, 2025, the AL Central-leading Tigers acquired Finnegan from Washington for minor-league right-handers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales, Detroit's third- and tenth-round draft picks from 2024.[4](https://apnews.com/article/7a7d771f58aad301d7e0953fc0eb919d) His Detroit debut was a four-out save on August 2 at Philadelphia, and he opened his Tigers career 3-0 with a hold and four saves, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out 19 over his first 14.1 innings across 12 games.[8](https://www.mlb.com/es/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) He became the first MLB reliever to change teams at the deadline and immediately throw 14 or more scoreless innings since Erik Goeddel in 2018.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) He finished the 2025 season at 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 16 games with Detroit, then made his first postseason appearance, pitching six games and striking out three in 7.1 innings.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
After electing free agency in November 2025, he re-signed with Detroit on December 20, 2025, for two years and $19 million, with salaries of $8.75 million in 2026 and $8 million in 2027 plus performance bonuses for games finished.[5](https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/kyle-finnegan-tigers-contract) • [7](https://www.milb.com/app-firstpitch/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) A right adductor strain ended his 2025 season early; he was placed on the injured list September 5, 2025, and activated September 28, 2026, after a rehab assignment with the [Toledo Mud Hens](https://www.edgepedia.org/toledo-mud-hens).[7](https://www.milb.com/app-firstpitch/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
## Pitching style
Finnegan works primarily off a firm fastball and a split-finger pitch. In 2024 his pitch mix was 67.6% [four-seam fastball](https://www.edgepedia.org/four-seam-fastball), 26.8% split finger, and 5.6% slider, a shift from his early Nationals seasons, when he threw a sinker more than two-thirds of the time.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448) His fastball averaged 96.3 mph in 2025, ranking in the 82nd percentile for velocity, and FanGraphs attributed his Detroit success, a 1.97 FIP and a 34.8% strikeout rate in 16 appearances, to deliberate changes in pitch usage that he had postponed while closing in Washington.[9](https://blogs.fangraphs.com/bringing-back-kyle-finnegan-was-an-easy-decision-for-the-tigers/)
His entrance at [Nationals Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/nationals-park) drew attention in 2024: the team's entertainment staff synced his walkout song, Silverchair's "Tomorrow," with the ballpark's lights.[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/07/05/kyle-finnegan-nationals-closer-entrance/)
## References
1. [Kyle Finnegan Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
2. [Kyle Finnegan, BR Bullpen, Baseball-Reference](https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Kyle_Finnegan)
3. [Nationals Non-Tender Kyle Finnegan, MLB Trade Rumors](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/nationals-non-tender-kyle-finnegan.html)
4. [MLB trade deadline tracker, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/7a7d771f58aad301d7e0953fc0eb919d)
5. [Kyle Finnegan re-signing with Tigers, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/kyle-finnegan-tigers-contract)
6. [Long road leads Nats reliever to MLB doorstep, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/kyle-finnegan-close-to-dream-mlb-debut)
7. [Kyle Finnegan, MiLB.com player page](https://www.milb.com/app-firstpitch/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
8. [Kyle Finnegan, Detroit Tigers (Spanish player page), MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/es/player/kyle-finnegan-640448)
9. [Bringing Back Kyle Finnegan Was an Easy Decision for the Tigers, FanGraphs](https://blogs.fangraphs.com/bringing-back-kyle-finnegan-was-an-easy-decision-for-the-tigers/)
10. [Lights, camera, closer: Nats reliever Kyle Finnegan's flashy new entrance, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/07/05/kyle-finnegan-nationals-closer-entrance/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Baseball and related bat sports › Professional baseball in the Americas › MLB players and personnel biographies › Relief pitchers and closers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license