Brennan Russell Malone (born September 8, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.
Amateur career Malone attended Porter Ridge High School in Indian Trail, North CarolinaIII, David T. Foster. "Union County high school pitcher ranked in top 10 nationally". charlotteobserver. Retrieved on June 15, 2019. before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year."Brennan Malone hopes to refine secondary pitches". The 3rd Man In. January 21, 2019. Retrieved on June 15, 2019.Shirley, Gabrielle (June 3, 2019). "MLB Draft prospect: Brennan Malone, IMG Academy". WFLA. Retrieved on June 15, 2019. At IMG, he was recorded throwing as high as 97 miles per hour. He committed to play college baseball at the University of North Carolina.
Professional career Arizona Diamondbacks Malone was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, making him one of only three high school pitchers selected in the first round of the 2019 draft."Diamondbacks load up on upside, pitching with seven picks on first day of MLB draft". azcentral. Retrieved on June 15, 2019.Staff, theScore. "D-Backs select prep star Brennan Malone No. 33 overall". theScore.com. Retrieved on June 15, 2019. He signed for $2.2 million."D-backs sign 1st-round pick pitcher Brennan Malone". Arizona Sports. June 11, 2019. Retrieved on June 15, 2019. After signing, he was assigned to the Arizona League Diamondbacks, going 1–2 with a 5.14 ERA over seven innings. He also pitched in one game for the Hillsboro Hops at the end of the year.
Pittsburgh Pirates On January 27, 2020, the Diamondbacks traded Malone and Liover Peguero to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Starling Marte and cash considerations. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Malone missed a majority of the 2021 season due to a lat injury, and pitched only 14 innings for the year for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Pirates and Single-A Bradenton Marauders.
Malone returned to the FCL Pirates and Bradenton in 2022, but made just three appearances before being placed on the injured list in mid-June due to shoulder soreness. On August 16, 2022, Malone underwent season-ending surgery to repair damage to his right labral tissue; the procedure also caused him to miss the entirety of the 2023 campaign. He returned to action in 2024 with the FCL Pirates, posting a 4.15 ERA across 10 appearances.
Malone made 25 appearances for Bradenton during the 2025 campaign, compiling a 1-0 record and 4.45 ERA with 26 strikeouts across innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2025.
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