Jacob Timothy Bird (born December 4, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Bird debuted in MLB with the Colorado Rockies in 2022 and was traded to the Yankees in July 2025. He played college baseball for the UCLA Bruins, where he led the Pac-12 Conference in earned run average in 2018. The Colorado Rockies selected Bird in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He currently wears number 59 for the Yankees.
Bird has established himself as a ground-ball pitcher throughout his professional career. His career MLB statistics include a 12-12 win-loss record, a 4.78 earned run average, and 243 strikeouts through June 20, 2026. He was born in Newhall, California, and grew up in Valencia, California, in the Santa Clarita Valley region.
Early Life and Background
Bird was born in Newhall, California, and raised in Valencia, California. He identifies as Jewish, with his paternal grandmother being Jewish and his mother being Catholic. He has three brothers, and his father also attended UCLA. Bird grew up with a clear passion for baseball from an early age. When he was eight years old, at the end of second grade, he signed his friends’ yearbooks with the prediction: “Save this autograph for when I’m playing in the major leagues.”
Bird attended West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch, California, where he played baseball as both a pitcher and outfielder while also competing on the basketball team. During his senior year, he posted a 1.55 earned run average with 72 strikeouts and 11 walks over 58 innings pitched. He earned All-Foothill League honors in 2014. Bird committed to play baseball at the University of California, Los Angeles during his senior year of high school.
Path to Professional Baseball
Bird enrolled at UCLA after going unselected in the 2014 MLB Draft. He majored in economics while playing for the UCLA Bruins baseball team. During the summer of 2016, Bird played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he went 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA as a starting pitcher. His junior year saw him post a 5-5 record with a 2.75 ERA, showcasing consistent performance at the collegiate level.
Bird’s senior season in 2018 proved to be his breakthrough campaign. He started 16 games and compiled a 7-4 record while leading the Pac-12 Conference with a remarkable 2.18 earned run average. He struck out 61 batters over 111⅔ innings pitched. His performance earned him All-Pac-12 honors, Pac-12 All-Academic first team recognition, and Academic All-America third team accolades. The Colorado Rockies selected Bird in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft following his standout senior season.
Jacob Timothy Bird Career
Minor League Development (2018-2022)
Bird signed with the Colorado Rockies for a signing bonus of $50,000 after being drafted. He made his professional debut in 2018 with the Grand Junction Rockies of the Rookie-level Pioneer League, going 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 26⅔ relief innings. In 2019, Bird played for the Single-A Asheville Tourists and was named a South Atlantic League All-Star. He went 7-2 with two saves and a 3.62 ERA, striking out 80 batters in 87 innings across 40 games, tying for the third-most appearances in the league.
The 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing Bird from competitive pitching. However, he used the off year productively, studying pitching analytics and body movement, which helped increase his fastball velocity. Bird began the 2021 season with the Hartford Yard Goats of Double-A, where he induced an impressive 70.9% ground ball rate before earning promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque in June. Over 39 combined appearances, he went 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 58⅔ innings. He capped the year by pitching in the Arizona Fall League for the Salt River Rafters, posting a 2.84 ERA with one save.
Colorado Rockies Breakthrough (2022-2025)
Bird returned to Albuquerque to begin the 2022 season. Before his call-up, he had a 2.77 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 26 innings over 22 games while inducing a 64.4% ground ball rate. On June 11, 2022, the Rockies selected Bird’s contract and promoted him to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut on June 16 against the Cleveland Guardians, throwing one scoreless inning in relief. On July 3, Bird earned his first MLB win after a scoreless eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished his rookie season with a 2-4 record, a 4.91 ERA, and 47 strikeouts in 47⅔ innings across 38 games.
An oblique muscle injury early in spring training prevented Bird from pitching for Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was optioned to the minors before the season started but returned on Opening Day when Daniel Bard went on the injured list. Bird emerged as Colorado’s most-used reliever in 2023. He went 3-3 with a 4.33 ERA in 89⅓ innings, making three starts. He tied with Tyler Holton of the Detroit Tigers for the most innings by any MLB reliever at 84⅓, which ranked ninth-most by a reliever in franchise history. Bird’s 70 pitching appearances led the Rockies and ranked eighth in the National League. His 52.6% ground ball percentage was the highest on the team for any pitcher with more than 25 innings pitched.
Bird earned his first MLB save on April 8, 2024. However, he struggled with injuries throughout the season, spending time on the injured list with elbow and groin issues. He was demoted to Triple-A upon returning from his injuries and returned to the majors in three separate stints. With the Rockies in 2024, he went 2-2 with one save and a 4.50 ERA in 40 innings pitched. In 2025 with Colorado before being traded, Bird posted a 4-1 record with a 4.73 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 53⅓ innings across 45 games.
New York Yankees (2025-Present)
On July 31, 2025, the Rockies traded Bird to the New York Yankees in exchange for Roc Riggio and Ben Shields. After struggling in three appearances with the Yankees, giving up a grand slam in a loss to the Miami Marlins and a walk-off home run to the Texas Rangers, New York demoted Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on August 5, 2025. He did not return to the majors during the remainder of the 2025 season.
Pitching Style and Strengths
Bird is a ground-ball pitcher with a low-slot, sidearm delivery. His primary pitch is a sinker that he throws approximately 50% of the time, averaging 95 mph with significant tailing action designed to induce ground balls. He also throws a 91 mph cutter. Beginning in 2024, Bird began throwing his fastballs less frequently in favor of his 85 mph slider and 81 mph changeup. He adjusted his slider movement to a sweeper in 2024. Bird has acknowledged that his pitches generally move less when pitching at Coors Field due to the altitude and thinner air.
Career Statistics
Through June 20, 2026, Bird has compiled a 12-12 win-loss record with a 4.78 earned run average and 243 strikeouts across approximately 144 major league innings pitched. He has appeared in 144 MLB games, all in relief except for three starts in 2023. His career includes one save, recorded on April 8, 2024.
Personal Life
Bird has three brothers. Their father also attended UCLA and played college baseball. In 2020, Bird began playing an electronic keyboard that his mother, who works as a teacher, brought home from school. He plays the keyboard after home games as a way to decompress and relax. When Bird was promoted to the majors with the Rockies in 2022, he was roommates with battery-mate Brian Serven. The following year, he lived in a Denver hotel while playing for Colorado.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a significant transition for Bird. He began the year with the Colorado Rockies, where he continued to serve as a reliable ground-ball specialist out of the bullpen. Before the trade, Bird had posted a 4-1 record with a 4.73 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 53⅓ innings across 45 appearances. His ability to generate ground balls remained a consistent strength throughout his time in Colorado.
The July 31 trade to the New York Yankees represented a new chapter in Bird’s career. He struggled immediately in his new uniform, surrendering critical runs including a grand slam and a walk-off home run in his first three appearances. The Yankees demoted him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 5, where he continued to work on his stuff. Bird did not return to the majors for the remainder of the season, finishing the year with a 27.00 ERA in his brief MLB stint with New York and a 6.32 ERA in his Triple-A appearances.