Former IU baseball pitcher Jack Perkins made his MLB debut on Sunday afternoon, becoming the third former Hoosier to make his first big league appearance in 2025.
Pitching for the Oakland A’s, the 6-foot-1 and 25-year-old Perkins was effective in three innings of relief against Cleveland.
Perkins pitched the final three frames for Oakland and gave up no runs and one hit while striking out two. He threw 21 strikes in 30 pitches. He wasn’t the only former Hoosier to pitch in the game, as Tim Herrin saw action in relief for Cleveland and struck out the only batter he faced.
After his MLB debut, Perkins expressed gratitude to the IU staff on his X account. “I would not be here without the coaching staff at IU. They revitalized my career. Forever grateful,” he said.
First major league strikeout for Jack Perkins!! pic.twitter.com/qO3RcQoaJc
— Athletics (@Athletics) June 22, 2025
Hailing from Kokomo, Ind., Perkins transferred to IU from Louisville and played one season (2022) for the Hoosiers.
Perkins became the 11th pitcher in Indiana history to reach the 90-strikeout mark and finished No. 10 on the IU single season charts in strikeouts (91). He was selected in the 5th round of the 2022 MLB First Year Player Draft by Oakland.
Sunday’s opportunity came about for Perkins after a strong month on the minors. Across three Triple-A starts in June, Perkins posted a 0.55 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .094 batting average.
Indiana has now had seven former players see MLB action in 2025. Perkins joins Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia), Tim Herrin (Cleveland), Kyle Hart (San Diego), Scott Effross (Yankees), Craig Yoho (Milwaukee) and Matt Gorski (Pittsburgh).
Last 6 MLB Debuts – Former Indiana Players
• Matt Gorski (Pirates) – April 24, 2025 vs. Angels
• Craig Yoho (Brewers) – April 21, 2025 vs. Giants
• Tanner Gordon (Rockies) – July 7, 2024 vs. Royals
• Andrew Saalfrank (Diamondbacks) – September 5th, 2023 vs. Rockies
• Tim Herrin (Guardians) – April 2, 2023 vs. Mariners
• Scott Effross (Cubs) – August 29, 2021 vs. White Sox
For complete coverage of former IU athletes in the professional ranks, GO HERE.
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