Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
in the
Texas Rangers organization. He has previously played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
,
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
,
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
,
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
,
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
, and
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
. He is a nine-time
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
, four-time
Reliever of the Year, and a
2018 World Series champion. Internationally, Kimbrel
represented the United States.
As a rookie with the Braves in 2011, Kimbrel was named their
closer and set an MLB record for
saves by a rookie, with 46. He was awarded the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
's (NL) 2011
Rookie of the Year Award. He
led the NL in saves for four consecutive seasons (2011– 2014). He recorded his 200th save in June 2015 with the Padres, and his
300th save in May 2018 with the Red Sox, making him the youngest pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone. On May 26, 2023, Kimbrel became the eighth major-league pitcher to achieve 400 career saves.
Early life
Craig is the son of Mike and Sandy Kimbrel. He attended
Lee High School in
Huntsville,
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
, where he played baseball and was a
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
for the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team. In baseball, Kimbrel was a teammate of
Buddy Boshers.
College career
Kimbrel attended
Wallace State Community College. While at Wallace State in 2007, Kimbrel had an 8–0
win–loss record with a 1.99
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) as a freshman in 2007, serving as the team's
closer and a
spot starter. In 2008, he was 9–3 with a 2.88 ERA,
striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish television legal drama television series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017, based on ''The Good Wife'' by Robert King (writer), Robert and Michelle King. Prod ...
123 hitters in 81
innings pitched
In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
(for an elite rate of 13.67
K/9) mainly as a
reliever.
Professional career
Drafts and minor leagues
The
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
selected Kimbrel in the 33rd round of the
2007 MLB draft, but he elected to remain at Wallace State in order to improve his draft position. He was then taken by the Braves in the third round, with the 96th overall selection, of the
2008 MLB draft.
Atlanta Braves (2010–2014)
2010
Kimbrel got his first call-up from the
Gwinnett Braves on May 15, 2010, to replace the injured
Jair Jurrjens on the roster. He was called up for the second time in his career on June 4, 2010, to replace
Takashi Saito, who was placed on the 15-day DL. He earned his first major league save on September 19, 2010, against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
. Kimbrel's record for the
2010 season was 4–0, with one save and a 0.44 ERA in innings. He recorded 40 strikeouts and 16
walks.
In the
2010 NLDS, he was the losing pitcher in Game 3 against the eventual
World Series Champion
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) and concludes the MLB postseason. First played in 1903, the World Series championship is a best-of-seven playoff and is a contest between the champions of base ...
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
.
2011
Kimbrel made the roster to start the 2011 season as the team's primary closer. He was successful in his first four save opportunities before blowing his first career save on April 21, 2011. On June 3, 2011, in a game versus the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, Kimbrel passed the record for most saves by a National League rookie before the All-Star break. He is the fastest Braves pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts, doing so in career innings. His new record surpassed the previous record set by
John Rocker in the 1998–1999 season, where it took Rocker 70 career innings to reach the 100 career strikeout mark. On July 5, his 26th save matched
Jonathan Papelbon's record for most saves by a rookie before the All-Star break. On July 7, Kimbrel's 27th save of the year against the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
broke Papelbon's record.

Kimbrel was selected to the
2011 All Star Game during his first full season in the majors.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
manager
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955) is an American professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his playing ...
chose Kimbrel as a replacement for Giants pitcher
Matt Cain.
On July 22, 2011, in a game versus the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, Kimbrel broke the Braves rookie record for saves in a season (31).
On August 9, 2011, in a game versus the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park.
The ...
, Kimbrel tied the National League rookie record for saves in a season (36 by
Todd Worrell of the
St. Louis Cardinals in 1986). He broke that record on August 17 in a game versus the San Francisco Giants. On August 21, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 100th strike out which coincided with his 39th save of the season and a string of innings without yielding a run. On August 23, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 40th save, tying the rookie save record of
Neftalí Feliz. He subsequently broke this record with his 41st save on August 31 with two strikeouts in a game against the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. At the time, he led the majors in saves and had not given up a run in his last 34 innings. The following night, Kimbrel surpassed
Cliff Lee's mark of 34 scoreless innings with scoreless innings for the longest scoreless streak in the majors in 2011. He was named the
NL Rookie of the Month and
Delivery Man of the Month for August 2011. His scoreless inning streak came to an end after innings, on September 9, 2011.
The Braves' season ended when Kimbrel blew a save against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
in the last game of the season. The loss knocked Atlanta out of playoff contention, completing a historic
late-season collapse that squandered an early September lead of games in the National League Wild Card race. Kimbrel's mediocre September (4.76 ERA) led to charges that manager
Fredi González
Fredi Jesús González (born January 28, 1964) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball coach (baseball), coach and manager (baseball), manager who is the current third base coach for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He ...
had overworked him over the course of the season.
Kimbrel ended the season tied for the National League lead with 46 saves—surpassing the previous rookie record of 40, set by Feliz in 2010—and led major league relievers with 127 strikeouts in 77 innings.
On November 14, the
Baseball Writers' Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines, and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908 and is known fo ...
announced the results of their 2011 National League
Rookie of the Year vote; Craig Kimbrel received all 32 first-place ballots—the first unanimous selection since 2001 winner
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (, ; born December 11, 1985) is a Dominicans, Dominican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former first baseman and designated hitter who is the manager of the Leones del Escogido of the Domin ...
—for 160 points.
Freddie Freeman finished second in the voting with 21 second-place votes and seven third-place votes, for a total of 70 points—making the pair the first teammates to take the top two spots since 1989, when the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
'
Jerome Walton and
Dwight Smith came in first and second in the balloting. The only other time two Braves finished in the top five, the organization was still located in Milwaukee—
Gene Conley was voted third-best rookie of the 1954 season;
Hank Aaron
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one ...
came in fourth.
Kimbrel was also named the ''
Players Choice Awards'' NL Outstanding Rookie by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
2012
Kimbrel again made the All-Star team in 2012. He struck out the two batters he faced. He won the Delivery Man of the Month Award for September 2012. On September 26, he
struck out four batters in the ninth inning.
Kimbrel was thoroughly dominant throughout the 2012 season. He led the National League with 42 saves (in 45 opportunities) and
Win Probability Added among pitchers. He struck out 116 batters in innings, producing a
K/9 rate of 16.7.
In so doing, he also became the first pitcher in history to strike out at least half the batters he faced during a season. He also went to an 0–2 count on 56% of the batters he faced. Kimbrel allowed only 3.9 hits and 2.0 walks per 9 innings he pitched, giving him a
WHIP
A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...
of 0.65 and a
batting average against of .126. He finished with an ERA of 1.01.
He won the NL
Rolaids Relief Man Award. Kimbrel finished fifth in the 2012 National League Cy Young Award voting, and eighth in the 2012 National League MVP voting.
2013
Kimbrel began the 2013 season with three
blown saves during his first nine save opportunities, tying his personal record for blown saves during the entire 2012 season. Nonetheless, on May 9, 2013, in a game against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, Kimbrel earned his 100th save, making him the second youngest player in MLB history to reach that mark. With a save against the Cardinals on July 27, 2013, he became only the second Atlanta pitcher after John Smoltz to have three 30-save seasons. Kimbrel surpassed John Smoltz's Braves record of 27 consecutive saves on August 17, 2013.
On September 27, Kimbrel recorded his 50th save of the season in a game against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
. In doing so, he became the 11th pitcher in Major League history to have a 50-save season. He won the
Delivery Man of the Year Award (across all of MLB) and also was voted the
"GIBBY Awards" Closer of the Year – by the fans, media, team front-office personnel, former players, and
SABR
Sabr () (literally 'endurance' or more accurately 'perseverance' and 'persistence'"Ṣabr", ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'') is one of the two parts of Iman (concept), faith (the other being ''shukr'') in Islam. It teaches to remain Spirituality, sp ...
.
2014
On February 16, 2014, Kimbrel agreed to a four-year, $42 million extension with the Braves that ran through 2017, with an option for 2018. On April 2, Kimbrel tied
Gene Garber's 141 saves with the Braves, good for second in franchise history. Two days later, on April 4, Kimbrel recorded his 142nd career save, to move into sole possession of second place. On April 25, 2014, Kimbrel became the fastest pitcher ever to reach 400 strikeouts—reaching the mark in 236 innings' worth of work. On June 6, 2014, Kimbrel recorded his 155th save in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, surpassing
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time Ma ...
as the new franchise leader in saves. On August 29, 2014, Kimbrel recorded his 40th save of the season. He became the third pitcher to reach that single-season milestone in four straight seasons. Kimbrel finished the season with a 1.61 ERA and 95 strikeouts in innings.
He led the National League with 47 saves, becoming the first pitcher to lead the NL in saves for four consecutive seasons since
Bruce Sutter (1979–82).
San Diego Padres (2015)

On April 5, 2015, Kimbrel was traded to the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
along with outfielder
Melvin Upton, Jr., in exchange for
Carlos Quentin,
Cameron Maybin, prospects
Matt Wisler, Jordan Paroubeck, and the 41st overall pick in the
2015 MLB draft.
On June 8, Kimbrel recorded his 200th career save against his former team, the Braves. He became the fastest pitcher ever to reach that milestone, taking only 318 games to do so.
In his one season with the Padres, Kimbrel made 61 appearances, finishing 53 games while recording 39 saves; he struck out 87 while walking 22 in innings pitched with a 2.58 ERA.
Boston Red Sox (2016–2018)
On November 13, 2015, the Padres traded Kimbrel to the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
in exchange for
Manuel Margot,
Javy Guerra,
Carlos Asuaje, and
Logan Allen.
2016
On July 8, 2016, Kimbrel injured his knee while taking warmups. The next day, an
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
revealed that there was a tear in the
medial meniscus of the left knee. The injury required surgery, and three to six weeks to recover. He returned to the bullpen at the start of August.
For the
2016 Red Sox, Kimbrel made 57 regular season appearances, finishing 47 games while recording 31 saves. In 53 innings pitched, he had a 3.40 ERA while striking out 83 and walking 30.
In the
2016 American League Division Series
The 2016 American League Division Series (ALDS) were two Playoff format#Best-of-five playoff, best-of-five game series in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2016 MLB Postseason, 2016 postseason to determine the participating teams in the 2016 Ameri ...
, Kimbrel made two appearances; he retired all four batters he faced, three by strikeout, as the Red Sox were swept by the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
.
2017
On May 11, 2017, against the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
at
Miller Park
American Family Field is a retractable roof stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Located southwest of the intersection of Interstate 94 in Wisconsin, Interstate 94 and Brewers Boulevard, it is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewe ...
, Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth inning on nine consecutive pitches, joining
Pedro Martínez and
Clay Buchholz as the only pitchers in franchise history to accomplish this feat, commonly referred to as an
immaculate inning. Two weeks later, Kimbrel recorded a second four-strikeout inning while facing the
Texas Rangers. Kimbrel was subsequently named
AL Reliever of the Month for May.
For the
2017 Red Sox, Kimbrel made 67 regular season appearances, finishing 51 games while recording 35 saves. In 69 innings pitched, he had a 1.43 ERA while striking out 126 and walking 14. Of all MLB pitchers, he held right-handed batters to the lowest batting average, .108 (in 30 or more innings).
In the
2017 American League Division Series, Kimbrel made two one-inning appearances; he faced a total of 12 batters, giving up four hits, one walk, and one run while recording two strikeouts, as the Red Sox lost to the eventual
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
champions, the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
.
2018

On May 5, 2018, facing the
Texas Rangers, Kimbrel recorded his 300th career
save. He achieved this milestone in fewer games (494), fewer save opportunities (330), and at a younger age (29) than any other pitcher. On July 8, Kimbrel recorded his 27th save of the season, and was named to the
2018 MLB All-Star Game.
For the 2018 regular season, Kimbrel recorded 42 saves in 63 appearances, pitching to a 2.74 ERA with 96 strikeouts in innings.
In the postseason, Kimbrel recorded six saves while allowing seven earned runs in innings, as the Red Sox went on to win the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
over the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in five games. On November 12, Kimbrel declined Boston's one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer, thus becoming a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
.
Kimbrel did not sign with any teams during the off-season, remaining a free agent into the 2019 season.
Chicago Cubs (2019–2021)
On June 7, 2019, Kimbrel signed with the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
on a three-year contract, reportedly worth $43 million. On June 27, he was added to the Cubs' major league roster from the Triple-A
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...
, and recorded his first save of the season, against Atlanta. On August 5, 2019, he was placed on IL for a knee inflammation. On August 18, 2019, he was reactivated from the IL to help the Cubs beleaguered bullpen. He finished the year 0–4 with 13 saves and a 6.53 ERA in 23 games.
In the
pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Kimbrel went 0–1 with a 5.28 ERA and recorded 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in innings.
On May 26, 2021, Kimbrel advanced to
11th on the all time saves list after the Cubs beat the Pirates 4–1 at Pittsburgh. On June 24, 2021, Kimbrel pitched a combined
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
along with
Zach Davies,
Ryan Tepera, and
Andrew Chafin.
Chicago White Sox (2021)
On July 30, 2021, the Cubs traded Kimbrel to the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
in exchange for
Nick Madrigal and
Codi Heuer.
Out of the closer role, Kimbrel had a 5.09 ERA in 24 regular season games and a 9.00 ERA in three playoff games for the White Sox. On November 22, the White Sox exercised his $16 million option for the 2022 season.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2022)
On April 1, 2022, the White Sox traded Kimbrel to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in exchange for
A. J. Pollock. He pitched in 63 games for the Dodgers and finished with a 6–7 record, 3.75 ERA and 22 saves.
However, by the end of the season he had been removed from the closer role.
Philadelphia Phillies (2023)
On January 4, 2023, Kimbrel signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
.
He recorded his 400th career save on May 26, 2023, against the Atlanta Braves. In June, he pitched 13 innings in as many appearances, allowing only 1 run on 6 hits with 21 strikeouts and 5 saves, good for a 0.69 ERA, earning him NL Reliever of the Month honors.
In the
2023 National League Championship Series, Kimbrel was the losing pitcher in Games 3 and 4. In Game 3, he gave up a walk-off single to
Ketel Marte in the bottom of the ninth inning, and in Game 4, he blew a two-run lead in the 8th inning and gave up three runs, including a two-run home run to
Alek Thomas. He became the first Phillies pitcher to lose back-to-back appearances in the playoffs since
Mitch Williams in the
1993 World Series. He became a free agent after the season.
Baltimore Orioles (2024)
On December 6, 2023, the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
signed Kimbrel on a one-year, $13 million deal with a club option for the 2025 season.
He made 57 appearances for Baltimore in 2024, compiling a 7–5 record and 5.33 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 23 saves. Kimbrel was
designated for assignment on September 18, 2024, a day after he allowed six runs in the ninth inning against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. He was released by the Orioles organization on September 24.
Atlanta Braves (2025)
On March 19, 2025, Kimbrel signed a minor league contract with the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
organization. In 18 appearances split between the Double-A
Columbus Clingstones and Triple-A
Gwinnett Stripers
The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...
, he accumulated a 1–1 record and 2.00 ERA with 23 strikeouts and three saves over 18 innings pitched. On June 6, the Braves selected Kimbrel's contract, adding him to their active roster. He pitched the seventh inning of that night's game against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. The next day, Kimbrel was designated for assignment. He elected free agency on June 9.
Texas Rangers
On June 10, 2025, Kimbrel signed a minor league contract with the
Texas Rangers.
International career
Kimbrel was named the closer for
Team USA in the
2013 World Baseball Classic
The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009.
Unlike the tw ...
. Despite not surrendering one lead-off double all year with the Braves in 2012, Kimbrel gave one up to
Nelson Cruz of the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
in their round two matchup. Kimbrel would go on to give up two runs in the game, and be the losing pitcher in Team USA's 3–1 loss to the eventual champions.
Pitching style
Kimbrel uses a combination of a
four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...
and a power
curveball to get
outs.
His fastball averages and occasionally tops out at . His curve, thrown with a "
spike" grip, stays in the mid-to-upper 80s. The
whiff rate of his four-seamer is 33%, and the curve is at 52%. This combination contributes to a career
strikeouts per nine innings rate of 14.7 (). He is also tied for third among all pitchers from 2002 to 2012 in the highest percentage of pitches that resulted in swinging strikes.
Kimbrel's four-seam fastball was the 12th-fastest among Major League relievers in the 2011 season. In addition, he threw the hardest curveball, averaging . His fastball had the fifth-highest whiff rate among relief pitchers (32%), and he also had the highest whiff rate of any reliever's curveball, at better than 55%. His pre-pitch stance has also been widely noted and has been dubbed "Kimbreling" or "Spider Arms".
Personal life
Kimbrel has two brothers, Alan and Matt. Matt Kimbrel played baseball in the Braves minor league system for three seasons before being released.
Kimbrel married former
Wallace State cheerleader
Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ent ...
Ashley Holt in 2012. They have two children. Their oldest, daughter Lydia Joy, was born November 3, 2017, with
heart defect
A congenital heart defect (CHD), also known as a congenital heart anomaly, congenital cardiovascular malformation, and congenital heart disease, is a defect in the structure of the heart or great vessels that is present at birth. A congenital h ...
s, and has undergone two surgeries.
Kimbrel is a
born again
To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
.
See also
*
Atlanta Braves award winners and league leaders
*
List of Boston Red Sox award winners
*
List of Chicago Cubs no-hitters
*
List of Major League Baseball career games finished leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
Below is a list of Major League Baseball no-hitters, enumerating every no-hitter pitched in Major League Baseball history. The list also includes no-hit games that were broken up in extra innings or were in shortened games, although they have no ...
*
List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders
*
List of people from Huntsville, Alabama
Notes
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimbrel, Craig
1988 births
Living people
American League All-Stars
Atlanta Braves players
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from Huntsville, Alabama
Boston Red Sox players
Chicago Cubs players
Chicago White Sox players
Columbus Clingstones players
Danville Braves players
Gwinnett Braves players
Gwinnett Stripers players
Iowa Cubs players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners
Mississippi Braves players
Myrtle Beach Pelicans players
National League All-Stars
National League (baseball) saves champions
Peoria Saguaros players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Rome Braves players
San Diego Padres players
Wallace State Lions baseball players
World Baseball Classic players of the United States
2013 World Baseball Classic players