Paul Blackburn Bio
Paul Cady Blackburn (born December 4, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently signed to a major league contract with the New York Yankees. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and the New York Mets, making his MLB debut in 2017 with the Athletics before being named an All-Star in 2022. A right-handed starter for most of his career, Blackburn has built a reputation for durability and consistency through years of development in the minor leagues.
Born and raised in Brentwood, California, Blackburn attended Heritage High School before being selected in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. Over more than a decade in professional baseball, he has navigated trades, injuries, and role changes while contributing at both the starting and relief levels. His journey from a first-round draft pick to a journeyman major league pitcher reflects the patience and resilience required to sustain a career in professional baseball.
Early Life and Background
Paul Cady Blackburn was born on December 4, 1993, in Brentwood, California, a city located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. He grew up in the same community where he would later attend Heritage High School, becoming one of the top pitching prospects in Northern California during his teenage years. His early exposure to baseball came through local youth leagues and high school competition, where he developed into a highly regarded draft prospect.
Blackburn’s performance at Heritage High School drew national attention from MLB scouts, who evaluated him as one of the most polished high school pitchers in his draft class. His combination of size, mechanics, and mound presence made him a target for teams seeking a long-term starting pitching prospect. These formative years in Brentwood laid the foundation for his transition to professional baseball immediately after high school.
Path to Major League Baseball
Blackburn’s path to the major leagues began when the Chicago Cubs selected him in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft out of Heritage High School. He made his professional debut that same season with the Rookie Arizona League Cubs, posting a 2–0 record with a 3.48 ERA in nine games, including six starts. The following year, he advanced to the Low-A Boise Hawks, where he went 2–3 with a 3.33 ERA in 13 games.
In 2014, Blackburn pitched for the Single-A Kane County Cougars, compiling a 9–4 record with a 3.23 ERA across 24 starts. He continued his climb in 2015 with the High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, where he recorded a 7–5 mark with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in 18 starts. Blackburn began 2016 with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies before being traded on July 20, 2016, along with Daniel Vogelbach, to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Mike Montgomery and Jordan Pries. Seattle assigned him to the Double-A Jackson Generals, and across 26 total games between Tennessee and Jackson, he went 9–5 with a 3.27 ERA.
Paul Blackburn Career
Early Career (2016–2017)
On November 12, 2016, Blackburn was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Danny Valencia, and the team added him to its 40-man roster shortly thereafter. He began the 2017 season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, posting a 5–6 record with a 3.05 ERA and 56 strikeouts by late June. On June 28, 2017, he was named to the 2017 Pacific Coast League All-Star Team, recognizing his strong work in the Athletics’ system.
Blackburn received his call-up to the major leagues on July 1, 2017, making his debut against the Atlanta Braves. In that outing, he threw six innings, allowing three hits and no earned runs on 96 pitches in a 4–3 loss. Five days later, on July 6, he earned his first career win against the Seattle Mariners, pitching 7⅔ innings and allowing one earned run in a 7–4 victory. He closed his rookie season with a 3–1 record and a 3.22 ERA in ten starts before a line drive off the bat of Trey Mancini ended his year prematurely on August 22.
Oakland Athletics Breakthrough (2018–2022)
Blackburn’s tenure in Oakland included several injury setbacks, beginning in 2018 when he started the season on the disabled list and compiled a 7.16 ERA across six starts before a forearm injury ended his campaign. He appeared in only four games in 2019, posting a 10.64 ERA in 11 innings, and made a single appearance in the shortened 2020 season. In February 2021, Blackburn was designated for assignment following the signing of Mitch Moreland, but he was outrighted to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators and later had his contract selected on August 18.
The 2022 season marked Blackburn’s breakthrough year, as he went 7–6 with a 4.28 ERA in 21 starts for the Athletics. His strong performance earned him the honor of being Oakland’s lone representative at the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. On January 13, 2023, he signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract to avoid salary arbitration, and he responded with a 4–7 record, a 4.43 ERA, and a career-high 104 strikeouts across 21 appearances in 2023.
New York Mets Era (2024–2025)
On January 11, 2024, Blackburn signed a one-year, $3.45 million contract with the Athletics, avoiding arbitration for a second time. He opened the season with 19⅓ consecutive scoreless innings, setting a team record for the most season-opening scoreless innings by a starter since the franchise moved to Oakland. His streak extended to 22⅓ innings before ending in his fourth start, the second-longest season-opening streak in Athletics franchise history and the longest since Harry Krause in 1910. Across nine starts with Oakland in 2024, he posted a 4–2 record with a 4.41 ERA before being traded to the New York Mets on July 30 in exchange for pitcher Kade Morris.
With the Mets, Blackburn went 1–2 with a 5.18 ERA and 21 strikeouts over 24⅓ innings in five starts. On October 11, 2024, he underwent cerebrospinal fluid leak repair and was ruled out for four to five months. Blackburn began the 2025 season on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation and was activated on June 2, making his season debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers with five strong innings. On June 8, he earned the first save of his career by closing out the final four innings of a 13–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. He struggled afterward, going 0–3 in his next three starts, and was designated for assignment by the Mets on August 16 before being released on August 19.
Paul Blackburn Current Team and Recent Move
On August 21, 2025, Blackburn signed a major league contract with the New York Yankees, joining his fourth MLB organization. The signing provided him with an opportunity to contribute down the stretch of the 2025 season after navigating injuries and roster changes with the Mets. His addition to the Yankees’ pitching staff added veteran depth to a club pursuing postseason success.
Paul Blackburn Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Details about Paul Cady Blackburn’s family background and personal life are limited in publicly available sources. He was raised in Brentwood, California, where he attended Heritage High School and developed into a top draft prospect. Blackburn maintains a presence on social media, including an Instagram account under the handle paulyb_58, where he occasionally shares updates about his career.
2025 Season Performance
Blackburn’s 2025 season has been defined by a slow start, injury recovery, and multiple team transitions. After beginning the year on the injured list with right knee inflammation, he returned to the Mets’ rotation in early June and delivered a strong debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers. His first career save on June 8 against the Colorado Rockies highlighted a brief stretch of effective relief work, though inconsistency followed.
Following a rough patch in which he went 0–3 across three starts, Blackburn was designated for assignment and subsequently released by the Mets in mid-August. He quickly caught on with the New York Yankees, signing a major league contract on August 21, 2025, to provide veteran rotation depth. As the season progresses, Blackburn will look to stabilize his performance and contribute to a Yankees team with postseason aspirations.