Kolby Allard

Kolby Kenneth Allard (born August 13, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He was selected by the Braves with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft.

Early life and amateur career

Kolby Allard was born in Anaheim, California on August 13, 1997, to parents Kenny and Kristi. He has a younger brother. Allard began playing baseball at the age of five, and focused on pitching at age ten.

Allard attended San Clemente High School in San Clemente, California. As a junior, he had a 1.32 earned run average (ERA) with 98 strikeouts in innings pitched. After the season, he played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic, where he was named MVP after striking out the side in the inning he pitched. Later in the summer he played for the USA Baseball 18U National Team. Allard's senior season ended prematurely after he suffered a stress fracture in his back. Prior to the injury, Allard was projected to be a top 10 pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft. He committed to play college baseball for the UCLA Bruins.

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves selected Allard with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. His high school batterymate, Lucas Herbert, was also drafted by the Braves, 54th overall. Allard signed with the Braves on July 9 for $3 million.

Allard began pitching for the Gulf Coast League Braves in August 2015. After three scoreless appearances, he was shut down for back surgery which was described as a "minor back procedure." The Braves sent Allard to extended spring training to start the 2016 season. Allard spent 2016 with both the Rome Braves and the Danville Braves. In 2017, he pitched for the Mississippi Braves. The next year Allard was invited to spring training and ultimately began the season with the Gwinnett Stripers. Allard pitched innings for the Stripers, recording a 2.80 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 33 walks. He was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on July 30, 2018. Allard made his major league debut the next day, pitching five innings against the Miami Marlins, yielding four earned runs on five hits, as well as two walks and one strikeout. Age 20 at the time of his first appearance, Allard became the youngest left-handed pitcher since Charlie Vaughan in 1966 to record a win in his debut. Allard opened the 2019 season with Gwinnett, going 7–5 with a 4.17 ERA over 110 innings.

Texas Rangers

On July 30, 2019, Allard was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Chris Martin. He was then optioned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. After one start for Nashville, Allard was promoted to the Rangers. In 9 starts for Texas, Allard went 4–2 with a 4.96 ERA, 52 hits, and 33 strikeouts over innings.

He struggled greatly in 2020 for Texas, when he went 0–6 with a 7.75 ERA with 20 walks over innings; his six losses were second-most in the American League. In 2021 for Texas, Allard posted a 3–12 record with a 5.41 ERA and 104 strikeouts over innings. His 12 losses were fifth-most in the American League, and the 29 home runs he gave up were 7th-most in the AL. Among AL pitchers with 120+ innings pitched, he had the league's 5th-highest ERA (5.41); he also had MLB’s 3rd-highest home runs per nine innings pitched rate, at 2.09.

In 2022 for Texas he was 1–2 with a 7.29 ERA. He gave up nine home runs in 21 innings."Koby Allard,"
Baseball Reference.

Atlanta Braves (second stint)

On November 9, 2022, Allard was traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Jake Odorizzi and cash considerations. Allard suffered a Grade 2 right oblique strain in spring training and was placed on the 60-day injured list to begin the season. On June 18, 2023, he began a rehab assignment with the Triple–A Gwinnett Stripers. Allard was activated from the injured list on June 28 and slotted as the starting pitcher in the team's game against the Minnesota Twins, where he contributed to a win for the Braves by pitching innings with three hits and one walk allowed along with eight strikeouts thrown. On July 18, 2023, Allard was placed back on the 60-day injured list with left shoulder nerve inflammation. For the 2023 season, with Atlanta he was 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA in 12.1 innings in which he gave up 16 hits. He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 17.

Philadelphia Phillies

On January 23, 2024, Allard signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was optioned to the Triple–A Lehigh Valley IronPigs to begin the 2024 season. The Phillies promoted him to the major leagues on July 28.

Allard made 23 appearances (17 starts) in the minor leagues in 2024, compiling a 3–9 record and 5.66 ERA with 84 strikeouts across innings pitched for the Double–A Reading Fightin Phils and Triple–A Lehigh Valley. In 7 games (4 starts) for the Phillies, he recorded a 5.00 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 27 innings of work. On November 4, Allard was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Lehigh Valley, but he rejected the assignment and elected free agency.

Cleveland Guardians

On February 3, 2025, Allard signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians that included an invitation to spring training. He began the year with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, recording a 4.86 ERA with 13 strikeouts over his first four starts. On April 26, the Guardians selected Allard's contract, adding him to their active roster. In 16 appearances for Cleveland, he logged a 2-0 record and 2.55 ERA with 16 strikeouts across innings pitched. On July 3, Allard was designated for assignment by the Guardians. He elected free agency after clearing waivers on July 8. The next day, Cleveland re-signed Allard to a minor league contract and selected him to the active roster.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allard, Kolby
1997 births
Living people
Atlanta Braves players
Baseball players from Anaheim, California
Baseball players from Orange County, California
Cleveland Guardians players
Columbus Clippers players
Danville Braves players
Gulf Coast Braves players
Gwinnett Stripers players
Lehigh Valley IronPigs players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Mississippi Braves players
Nashville Sounds players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Reading Fightin Phils players
Rome Braves players
Round Rock Express players
San Clemente High School (California) alumni
Sportspeople from San Clemente, California
Texas Rangers players
21st-century American sportsmen