Fall 2024
Baseball

Reliever Jason Adam stepping up big for San Diego Padres, sees 'His hand through it all'

By Joshua Doering Oct 2, 2024
San Diego Padres pitcher Jason Adam reacts after a strike out, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Veteran reliever Jason Adam is no veteran of the MLB playoffs, but he looked like one Tuesday night. The 33-year-old San Diego Padres pitcher came in for the eighth inning of the wild-card matchup with the Atlanta Braves, and he recorded three strikeouts to keep Petco Park rocking after starting pitcher Michael King posted 12 strikeouts in his seven innings of work.

For Adam, it marked just the second MLB postseason appearance of his career, and his first time being part of a win. He struck out the first two batters he faced, allowed a single, then closed out the inning with another punch out.

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“There’s certainly more adrenaline,” Adam said after the game when asked if the postseason feels any different. “But at the same time, you just keep reminding yourself: It’s the same game, good pitches still get outs, so our job’s to go out there and make good pitches. It certainly is elevated because we all know what’s on the line, but at the same time it’s the same game.”

The Padres acquired Adam at the July trade deadline in an effort to strengthen their team bullpen as they battled for a wild-card spot. He has certainly delivered, posting a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 regular-season innings with San Diego.

Overall, Adam has a 7-2 record and 1.95 ERA across 73.2 total innings this season, marking the second time in three years he’s posted an ERA under 2.00. Adam made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2018 and spent time with three different teams in his first four big-league seasons.

He signed with the Rays in 2022 and has been one of the most reliable relievers in baseball over the past three years. He posted a 2.30 ERA in 170 appearances with Tampa Bay, helping the team make the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.

His performance also earned him a spot on the 2023 U.S. World Baseball Classic team that lost in the championship game to Japan. He did not allow a run and struck out five batters in four innings of work in the tournament.

Adam got his first taste of postseason baseball in 2022, throwing two scoreless innings in a season-ending loss to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the wild-card round. An oblique strain prevented him from pitching last season as the Rays were swept in the wild-card round again.

As frustrating as it was to watch his teammates without being able to help, Adam’s faith in God helped him see the experience as an opportunity to grow.

“You can look back on the times that things felt incredibly bleak and the times where it felt like everything was going perfectly, and you just see His hand through it all,” Adam said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in April. “Really, if I’m being honest, those times where things looked bleak, in the long run, are the times I’m most thankful for.”

Adversity is nothing new to Adam, who describes himself as a “Christ follower” on X and Instagram. He missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons because of issues with his elbow and spent seven years in the minors before reaching the majors.

The Omaha, Nebraska, native shared on the podcast that as he was getting close to returning at the end of the 2016 season, he felt another pop in his elbow. He knew there was very little chance the organization he was with at the time, the Minnesota Twins, would bring him back. Adam walked home from the facility and broke down.

“That was really the moment that God used to bring me to my knees and be like, all right, baseball is a terrible god,” he said. “A good work ethic is even a terrible god. Both good things, but terrible gods.”

Never afraid to be outspoken about the importance of the Lord in his life, Adam has also put his faith into action by serving in the community. Even though he is no longer a member of the Rays, he was named the team’s nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes players for their character and community involvement.

“It’s, without a doubt, the greatest honor of my career,” Adam told Sports Illustrated. “I think it’s hard to put into words. … At the end of the day, the goal is to use baseball … to make the lives of people around you just a little bit better.”

Adam and the Padres host the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of their best-of-three NL Wild Card Series at 8:38 p.m. ET Wednesday. If needed, Game 3 will be on Thursday.

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