Joey Gallo, the 31-year-old two-time All-Star slugger, announced a dramatic career pivot on April 25, 2025, revealing his intention to transition from outfielder to pitcher. In a viral X post, Gallo shared a montage showcasing his arm strength, stating, “Just to be clear, I will be pitching.” The video, which garnered over 500,000 views within 24 hours, per X Analytics, featured clips of Gallo gunning down runners from the outfield, highlighting the raw power that could serve him well on the mound.
Gallo’s decision comes after the Chicago White Sox released him in March 2025 following a lackluster spring training, where he managed just 2 hits in 20 at-bats with 11 strikeouts, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. Rather than seeking another opportunity as a hitter, Gallo is now pursuing a comeback as a pitcher, a move that, while unconventional, aligns with his athletic background. At Bishop Gorman High School in Nevada, Gallo was a standout pitcher, throwing a no-hitter his senior year and earning the 2012 Nevada Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year award, per Gatorade.com. Perfect Game clocked his fastball at 94 mph and lauded his deceptive changeup, noting his potential as a two-way prospect before he focused on hitting, per PerfectGame.org. Standing 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, per Baseball-Reference, Gallo also brings elite arm metrics to the table—his outfield throws averaged 93.8 mph in 2021, ranking in the 95th percentile league-wide, per Baseball Savant.
White Sox assistant GM Josh Barfield confirmed Gallo’s interest in pitching, telling MLB.com on April 26, “I know it’s something he’s been dabbling around with in between some of the reps here. He had expressed interest through his agent if it didn’t work out on the Major League team, that he was going to explore the pitching side.” However, the White Sox, amid a rebuild with a focus on young pitchers like Garrett Crochet and Drew Thorpe—who combined for 28 wins in 2024, per ESPN—couldn’t offer Gallo a clear path to develop in that role. Barfield added, “Where we are right now, it’s tough to give him that opportunity.”
Gallo’s career as a hitter has been marked by power and inconsistency. A first-round pick (No. 39 overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2012, he slugged 209 home runs across 10 MLB seasons with the Rangers, Yankees, Dodgers, Twins, Nationals, and White Sox, but his career batting average sits at .194, with a strikeout rate of 36.7%, per Baseball-Reference. His peak came in 2019 with the Rangers, when he hit 22 homers in 70 games and made his second All-Star team, per MLB.com. Despite recent struggles—hitting .160 with 5 homers in 2024 across 74 games, per ESPN—Gallo’s athleticism and arm strength have kept him relevant, as evidenced by highlight plays like his 2018 throw to nab Dee Gordon at third, clocked at 98.5 mph, per Statcast.
He now joins a niche group of former position players attempting to reinvent themselves as pitchers. Tyler Naquin, an outfielder who played eight MLB seasons, signed with the Guardians as a pitcher in February 2025, per MLB.com’s Mandy Bell, while Brett Phillips, another outfielder, made a similar switch with the Yankees in 2024, appearing in 12 minor league games with a 3.86 ERA, per MiLB.com. Historical precedents like Rick Ankiel, who transitioned from pitcher to outfielder and back, offer hope—Ankiel posted a 3.90 ERA in 41 MLB relief appearances in 2007-2009, per Baseball-Reference. Gallo, however, has never pitched in a big-league game, though his high school pedigree and arm strength suggest potential.
Gallo’s agent, Scott Boras, has been instrumental in facilitating this shift, reaching out to teams to gauge interest, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on April 27. While no team has signed him yet, his viral video has sparked buzz, with some scouts intrigued by his raw arm talent, though his age and lack of recent pitching experience pose risks, per FanGraphs’ Jay Jaffe. Gallo’s determination to embrace this challenge reflects his adaptability, a trait that could see him return to MLB in a new role, potentially facing the same hitters he once battled from the batter’s box. Whether he succeeds or not, his bold reinvention has already captured the baseball world’s attention.
