Sport: Baseball
Born: April 18, 1990
Towns: Howell, New Jersey
Anthony James DeSclafani was born April 18, 1990 in Freehold and grew up in Howell, NJ. A good all-around athlete, he grew to 6’1” as a teenager and was throwing a fastball in the 80s by the time he joined Mike Yorke’s Colts Neck High Cougars. Anthony’s speed and control drew scores of college and pro scouts. As a junior, he began toying with a changeup and mastered it within a few months. Rather than waiting until his senior year, Anthony committed to the University of Florida as a junior. The Boston Red Sox still gambled a pick on him, selecting him in the 22nd round.
With the recruiting pressure off, Anthony glided to a 7–1 record and a sub-1.50 ERA as a senior. The Cougars repeated as Shore Conference division champs and made it all the way to the Central Jersey title game.
Playing for Kevin O’Sullivan’s Florida Gators, Anthony had a good freshman year and a poor sophomore season. After sharpening his game in the Cape Cod Summer League, he returned to school as a junior and helped Florida win 53 games in 2011. That spring, the Gators won the SEC Tournament and reached the College World Series final. They lost 2 games to 0 to South Carolina. Anthony’s college catcher was Mike Zunino, one of the nation’s top prospects.
The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Anthony in the sixth round of the 2011 MLB Draft and he began his pro career in 2012. He went 11–3 and ended up as a key part of the mega-trade between the Jays and Marlins that winter. Among the players involved in this deal were Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Jake Marisnick, Adeiny Hechevarria, Yunel Escoabr, John Buck, Josh Johnson, Jeff Mathis, Emilio Bonifacio and Henderson Alvarez.
Viewed by many as a future middle reliever, Anthony continued to improve his slider and changeup and showed he had the secondary pitches needed by a big-league starter. He went 9–6 in 2013 and was named Miami’s 2013 Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Anthony was called up to the Marlins in May of 2014 after Jose Fernandez was shut down for the year with an arm injury. Anthony won his first start, going six strong innings against the Dodgers. He saw action in 13 games and went 2–2 with a 6.27 ERA.
The Marlins decided that 2015 was a “win-now” year and dealt Anthony to the Reds for veteran Mat Latos. While Latos got bombed in his first two starts for Miami, Anthony sparkled in his debut with the Reds. In the season’s first three weeks, he was the only Cincinnati starter to log a victory. He ended the year 9–13 with 4.05 ERA in 31 starts. Anthony went 9–9 the following season but experienced elbow problems. He missed all of 2017 with a sore UCL, but returned to the mound and pitched well in 2018. In 2019, Anthony had his best season, making 31 start and striking out 167 batters in 166 2/3 innings.
Following the Covid-shortened 2020 season, Anthony hit the free-agent market and signed with the Giants. He was a major reason the team won 107 and finished atop the NL West in 2021. Anthony went 13–7 with a career-best 3.17 ERA and twirled a pair of shutouts. What could have been a Cinderella season ended in Game 5 of the NLDS, when he failed to get out of the second inning in a winner-take-all showdown with the Dodgers.
The Giants’ pitching looked great heading into 2022, but they finished 81–81. Anthony’s absence from the rotation was a major part of the problem. An ankle injury nagged him through the first half of the season, limiting him to just 19 innings before he decided to have surgery. He had pitched through the pain for much of the previous year, but the Giants had given him a big contract and decided the best move was to protect their investment and have him 100% for 2023.
Anthony nailed down a spot in the Giants’ rotation and made 18 starts in 2023 before a flexor strain in July landed him on the injured list. He did not return to the mound, finishing the year 4–8 after a solid April and May. In January of 2024, Anthony was traded twice—first to the Mariners and then by the Mariners to the Twins. He injured his elbow in spring training and was shut down before Opening Day. He later underwent tendon flexor surgery, ending his year.