Rookie of the Year: Craig Kimbrel, 2011

Pitcher, Atlanta Braves

Age:  23 (May 28)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 215

Prior to 2011:

A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Kimbrel played quarterback with his high school’s football team as well as baseball. Moving on to Wallace State Community College, he was utilized as a bullpen closer and spot starter and posted an 8-0 record as a freshman in 2007. Primarily a reliever in 2008, he went 9-3 with a 2.88 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched. Selected by the Braves in the 33^rd round of the 2008 amateur draft, Kimbrel signed for a $391,000 bonus. With three minor league teams in ’08 he appeared in a total of 24 games and compiled a 3-2 tally with 10 saves, an 0.51 ERA, and 56 strikeouts in 35.1 innings, displaying an impressive explosive fastball. With four teams from Class A to AAA in 2009, Kimbrel pitched in 49 games and went 2-3 with 18 saves, a 2.85 ERA, and 103 strikeouts in 60 innings. On the downside he gave up 45 walks and threw 10 wild pitches as he had difficulty with his control. Pitching in the Arizona Fall League with the Peoria Saguaros he struck out 18 batters in 10.1 innings but also walked 16 batters on his way to a 10.45 ERA. Opening 2010 with Gwinnett of the Class AAA International League, Kimbrel was pitching effectively with 6 saves in the first 11 games along with a 1.20 ERA and 21 strikeouts when he was called up to the Braves due to an injury opening on the pitching staff. Making 21 major league appearances he recorded four wins and a save as well as producing a 0.44 ERA with 40 strikeouts (of 88 batters faced) in 20.2 innings pitched. He also appeared in four postseason games during the NLDS vs. the San Francisco Giants where he was charged with a loss. He entered 2011 as Atlanta’s bullpen closer.

2011 Season Summary

Appeared in 79 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 79 [2, tied with Bill Bray & Jose Veras]

Games Started – 0

Games Finished - 64

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 4

Losses – 3

PCT - .571 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 46 [1, tied with John Axford]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 77

Hits – 48

Runs – 19

Earned Runs – 18

Home Runs – 3

Bases on Balls – 32

Strikeouts – 127

ERA – 2.10 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 1

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4

League-leading games finished were +1ahead of runners-up John Axford & Francisco Cordero

Most strikeouts, game – 4 (in 2 IP) at LA Dodgers 4/21

 

Midseason Snapshot: G – 47, 2-2, ERA - 2.35, SV – 28, SO - 70 in 46 IP

 

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Fielding

Chances – 11

Put Outs – 4

Assists – 7

Errors – 0

DP – 0

Pct. - 1.000

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

23^rd in NL MVP voting, tied with Starlin Castro, ChiC., Carlos Ruiz, Phila. & Giancarlo Stanton, Fla. (1 point, 0% share)

9^th in NL Cy Young voting, tied with John Axford, Mil. (2 points, 1% share)

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Craig Kimbrel, Atl.: 160 points – 32 of 32 first place votes, 100% share

Freddie Freeman, Atl.: 70 points – 44% share

Vance Worley, Phila.: 40 points –  25% share

Wilson Ramos, Wash.: 6 points – 4% share

Josh Collmenter, Ariz.: 5 points – 3% share

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Braves went 89-73 to finish second in the NL Eastern Division, 13 games behind the division-winning Philadelphia Phillies. Lifted by the arrival of rookies Kimbrel and first baseman Freddie Freeman, the Braves appeared headed for a wild card playoff berth, entering September with an 8.5-game lead in the NL wild card race before losing 18 of their last 26 games to finish behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild card standings.

Aftermath of ‘11:

In 2012 Kimbrel followed up on his excellent rookie season by again co-leading the NL in saves with 42 to go along with a 1.01 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. With his excellent four-seam fastball and power curve, 2013 proved to be another outstanding season for Kimbrel as he topped the NL with 50 saves while recording a 1.21 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched. The Braves signed him to a four-year contract extension for $42 million in 2014 and he went on to lead the NL in saves once again with 47 while striking out 95 batters in 61.2 innings and compiling a 1.61 ERA. In addition to being an All-Star for the fourth consecutive year, he received the Trevor Hoffman Award as the NL’s best relief pitcher. Just prior to the 2015 season, the Braves traded Kimbrel to San Diego along with disappointing outfielder Melvin Upton. His first blown save with the Padres, following nine saves in succession for his new club, ended a streak of 35 straight saves with no failures. He ended up having a relative down year with the disappointing Padres, going 4-2 with 39 saves in 61 appearances, along with a 2.58 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. In the offseason he was dealt again for prospects to the Boston Red Sox. Kimbrel had a strong first half with the Red Sox in 2016, recording 17 saves and earning another All-Star selection. A knee injury that required surgery knocked him out of action for several weeks and he finished with 57 total appearances and 31 saves in 33 appearances along with a 3.40 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 53 innings. In 2017 he followed up with a 5-0 record and 35 saves in 67 appearances, along with a 1.43 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 69 innings. He received the Mariano Rivera Award as the American League’s top reliever in addition to his sixth All-Star selection. Along the way he also pitched an immaculate inning, with three strikeouts on the minimum nine pitches in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2018, and during the season Kimbrel contributed a 5-1 tally and 42 saves along with a 2.74 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 62.1 innings. He struggled in the ALDS against the Yankees, recorded 3 saves in the ALCS win over Houston, and picked up a save in four appearances in the World Series against the Dodgers. A free agent in the offseason, Kimbrel eventually signed with the Chicago Cubs for three years and $43 million. Struggling with knee inflammation that caused him to struggle down the stretch, he appeared in only 23 games in 2019 and produced an 0-4 mark with 13 saves and a 6.53 ERA. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Kimbrel got off to a poor start before improving his performance enough to appear in 18 games and record two saves with a 5.28 ERA. In 2021 he returned to outstanding form and was 2-3 with 23 saves and a 0.49 ERA for the Cubs and closed out a combined no-hitter in June against the Dodgers. With the Cubs unloading players prior to the trade deadline, Kimbrel was dealt across town to the White Sox who utilized him as a setup man. His performance dropped off and he finished up by appearing in a combined 63 games and going 4-5 with 24 saves, a 2.26 ERA, and 100 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched. With his role uncertain entering 2022, he was traded once again to the Los Angeles Dodgers where he regained the role of bullpen closer. For his career through his first 13 appearances in 2022 for the Dodgers, Kimbrel has compiled a 35-29 record and 381 saves while pitching in 659 games, along with a 2.19 ERA and 1043 strikeouts in 640.1 innings pitched. With the Braves he was 15-10 with 186 saves, a 1.43 ERA, and 476 strikeouts in 289 innings. Appearing in 23 postseason games, his record is 0-1 with 7 saves, a 4.13 ERA, and 27 strikeouts in 24 innings. He has been an eight-time All-Star (four with Atlanta) and has led the NL in saves four times.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.