Brandon Finnegan

Brandon K. Finnegan, also known as Finny, was born on April 14, 1993, in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended Southwest High School where he earned three varsity baseball letters and was recognized as All-State as a senior. Finnegan then continued his academic and athletic career at Texas Christian University (TCU), where he played college baseball for the TCU Horned Frogs. During his junior season in 2014, he achieved a 9-3 record with a 2.04 ERA, notably leading the Horned Frogs to the College World Series. That same year, he ranked third in NCAA Division I with 134 strikeouts. His collegiate achievements include multiple-America honors as a junior and honorable mention All-Big 12 as a sophomore. He also played for the 2013 USA Baseball national collegiate team.

Finnegan was drafted by the Kansas City Royals as the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He made his Major League Baseball debut on September 6, 2014, becoming one of only three Royals draft picks to debut in the same season they were selected. His rookie year was particularly notable as he became the first player in history to participate in both the College World Series and the MLB World Series in the same year. He pitched in seven postseason games for the Royals, including two outings in the World Series, and earned his first professional victory in Game 2 of the ALDS. In 2015, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a significant transaction involving Johnny Cueto. He transitioned from relief to starting pitcher roles with the Reds, completing his first full Major League season in 2016 with a 10-11 record and a 3.98 ERA across 31 starts. This season included 15 quality starts and two instances where he carried no-hitters into the seventh inning.

His career with the Reds was subsequently affected by injuries, including a strained left lat/trapezius and a strained teres major, leading to multiple stints on the disabled list in 2017. He underwent season-ending surgery in July 2017 to repair a dislocated right shoulder. After further time in the minor leagues with the Reds’ organization and a brief period with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Monarchs, Finnegan announced his retirement from professional baseball on September 18, 2024.