BIOGRAPHY
Jordan McKinley Hicks was born on September 6, 1996, in Houston, Texas. He is a pitcher in the MLB.
Hicks attended Klein Oak High School in Klein, Texas, before transferring to Cypress Creek High School in Houston, Texas, for his senior year. He signed with Tulane University to play college baseball.
Hicks was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft out of Cypress Creek High School, and he signed with them for $600,000, forgoing his commitment to Tulane. He made his professional debut in 2016 with the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie Appalachian League and was promoted to the State College Spikes of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League during the season. In 12 starts between the two teams, he was 6–2 with a 2.97 ERA.
Hicks started 2017 with the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League, where he was named to the Midwest League All-Star game. He was promoted to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in July, with whom he was 0-1 with one save and a 1.00 ERA, and 32 strikeouts in 27 innings. Hicks finished 2017 with a combined 8–3 record and a 2.74 ERA in 22 games (19 starts) between the two clubs. After the season, the Cardinals assigned Hicks to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL), where he was selected to the Fall Stars Game. He finished the AFL season with nine appearances, an 0–2 record, and a 6.32 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15.2 innings, along with hitting up to 102.6 mph.
Hicks was a non-roster invitee to 2018 spring training. He made their Opening Day roster despite not having ever pitched above Class A-Advanced. He made his major league debut against the New York Mets and produced the highest average fastball velocity of the day at 100.4 miles per hour (161.6 km/h). He pitched one scoreless inning in which he earned his first strikeout against Jay Bruce. On April 21, Hicks earned his first major league win when he pitched the final 2 1⁄3 innings—all scoreless—versus the Cincinnati Reds to help seal a 4–3 victory.
On May 20, Hicks threw the fastest pitch of 2018 in MLB, at 105.1 mph. His four-seam fastball and sinker had the second- and third-highest average speeds of any MLB pitcher's pitches in 2018, at 100.5 mph and 100.4 mph. He continued to garner attention throughout the season as one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in MLB. Hicks finished his 2018 rookie campaign with a 3-4 record with six saves, a 3.59 ERA, and a 1.34 WHIP, striking out 70 batters in 77 2⁄3 relief innings.
Hicks signed a one-year, $937,500 contract with the Cardinals to avoid salary arbitration on March 22. On April 6, one day before Opening Day, the Cardinals announced that Hicks would be the team's fifth starter in the absence of Jack Flaherty.
On January 13, 2023, Hicks agreed to a one-year, $1.8375 million contract with the Cardinals, avoiding salary arbitration.
On July 30, 2023, the Cardinals traded Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league pitchers Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse.
Hicks signed a four-year deal with the San Francisco Giants starting in 2024.
