Craig Michael Kimbrel Bio
Craig Michael Kimbrel is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, New York Mets, and Tampa Bay Rays. Kimbrel is a nine-time All-Star, four-time Reliever of the Year, 2011 National League Rookie of the Year, and 2018 World Series champion. He has accumulated 440 career saves across his MLB tenure spanning from 2010 to the present. Internationally, Kimbrel represented the United States at the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Early Life and Background
Craig Michael Kimbrel was born on May 28, 1988, in Huntsville, Alabama, to Mike and Sandy Kimbrel. He attended Lee High School in Alabama, where he excelled at baseball and also played quarterback on the football team. During his high school baseball career, Kimbrel was teammates with Buddy Boshers. After graduating, he attended Wallace State Community College, where he refined his skills as a collegiate pitcher.
In 2007, Kimbrel went 8-0 with a 1.99 earned run average as a freshman, serving as the team’s closer and occasional spot starter. He improved significantly in 2008, posting a 9-3 record with a 2.88 ERA while striking out 123 hitters in 81 innings pitched. His exceptional performance caught the attention of professional scouts.
Path to Professional Baseball
The Atlanta Braves selected Kimbrel in the 33rd round of the 2007 MLB Draft, but he elected to remain at Wallace State to improve his draft position. The Braves selected him again in the third round with the 96th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. This decision to return to college proved beneficial, as he dramatically improved his stock and entered professional baseball as a more polished prospect.
Craig Michael Kimbrel Career
Atlanta Braves Breakthrough (2010–2014)
Kimbrel received his first major league call-up from the Gwinnett Braves on May 15, 2010. He earned his first major league save on September 19, 2010, against the New York Mets. Kimbrel finished the 2010 season with a 4-0 record, one save, and a remarkable 0.44 ERA in 20+ innings of work.
The 2011 season marked Kimbrel’s breakthrough. He made the Braves’ Opening Day roster as the team’s primary closer and set an MLB record with 46 saves by a rookie. He became the fastest Braves pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts, doing so in just 59+ innings. Kimbrel received all 32 first-place votes to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, the first unanimous selection since Albert Pujols in 2001. He earned his first All-Star selection and led the National League with 46 saves while recording 127 strikeouts in 77 innings.
Kimbrel continued his dominance in 2012, earning his second All-Star selection. He led the NL with 42 saves and posted a 1.01 ERA while striking out 116 batters in 62+ innings. His strikeout rate of 16.7 per nine innings made him the first pitcher in history to strike out at least half the batters he faced during a season. He won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting. In 2013, Kimbrel became the second Braves pitcher after John Smoltz to record three 30-save seasons and earned the Delivery Man of the Year Award across all of Major League Baseball. He recorded his 50th save of the season on September 27, becoming the 11th pitcher in MLB history to achieve a 50-save season.
On February 16, 2014, Kimbrel signed a four-year, $42 million extension with the Braves. On June 6, he surpassed John Smoltz as the Braves’ all-time franchise leader in saves. He became the fastest pitcher ever to reach 400 strikeouts and led the NL with 47 saves, becoming the first pitcher to lead the National League in saves for four consecutive seasons since Bruce Sutter accomplished the feat from 1979 to 1982.
San Diego Padres (2015)
On April 5, 2015, the Braves traded Kimbrel to the San Diego Padres along with outfielder B.J. Upton. On June 8, he recorded his 200th career save against his former team, the Braves, becoming the fastest pitcher ever to reach that milestone at just 318 games. In his lone season with the Padres, Kimbrel made 61 appearances, recording 39 saves with an 87 strikeouts in 59+ innings pitched and a 2.58 ERA.
Boston Red Sox (2016–2018)
On November 13, 2015, the Padres traded Kimbrel to the Boston Red Sox. He was named to the 2016 All-Star Game but missed the game due to a left knee injury that required surgery. He finished the 2016 season with 31 saves and a 3.40 ERA in 57 appearances.
The 2017 season proved exceptional for Kimbrel. On May 11, against the Milwaukee Brewers, he struck out the side on nine consecutive pitches, joining Pedro Martínez and Clay Buchholz as the only pitchers in franchise history to pitch an immaculate inning. He earned AL Reliever of the Month honors for May and finished the season with 35 saves and a 1.43 ERA while striking out 126 batters in 69 innings.
On May 5, 2018, Kimbrel recorded his 300th career save against the Texas Rangers, achieving this milestone at a younger age and in fewer games than any pitcher in MLB history. He was named to his seventh All-Star team. During the postseason, he recorded six saves as the Red Sox won the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. Following the season, he declined Boston’s qualifying offer and became a free agent.
Chicago Cubs (2019–2021)
On June 7, 2019, Kimbrel signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. He joined the major league roster on June 27 and recorded his first save of the season against Atlanta. He finished the 2019 season with 13 saves and a 6.53 ERA. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he recorded 28 strikeouts in 15+ innings pitched.
On May 26, 2021, Kimbrel advanced to 11th on the all-time saves list. On June 24, he pitched a combined no-hitter against the Dodgers along with Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, and Andrew Chafin. On July 30, the Cubs traded Kimbrel to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer.
Chicago White Sox (2021)
After joining the White Sox, Kimbrel struggled and was removed from the closer role. He posted a 5.09 ERA in 24 regular season games and a 9.00 ERA in three playoff games. The White Sox exercised his $16 million option for the 2022 season on November 22, 2021.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2022)
On April 1, 2022, the White Sox traded Kimbrel to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for A.J. Pollock. He appeared in 63 games for the Dodgers, finishing with a 6-7 record, 3.75 ERA, and 22 saves. By season’s end, he had been removed from the closer role. He did not pitch for the Dodgers in the playoffs.
Philadelphia Phillies (2023)
On January 4, 2023, Kimbrel signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. On May 26, he recorded his 400th career save, becoming the eighth MLB pitcher to achieve that milestone. In June, he earned NL Reliever of the Month honors with a 0.69 ERA, allowing only one run on six hits with 21 strikeouts and five saves in 13 innings. In the NL Championship Series, Kimbrel was the losing pitcher in Games 3 and 4, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to lose back-to-back postseason appearances 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 signed Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million contract with a club option for 2025. He made 57 appearances for Baltimore, compiling a 7-5 record and 5.33 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 23 saves. The Orioles designated him for assignment on September 18, 2024, and released him on September 24.
Houston Astros (2025)
On August 22, 2025, Kimbrel signed a major league contract with the Houston Astros. He appeared in 13 games with Houston, going 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 11 innings of work. He did not record a save, as the Astros used Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu as their primary closers during the 2025 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kimbrel uses a combination of a four-seam fastball and a power curveball to generate swings and misses. At his prime, his fastball averaged 97-98 miles per hour and occasionally reached 101 mph. His curveball, thrown with a spike grip, sat in the mid-to-upper 80s. The whiff rate on his four-seamer was 33 percent, while his curveball generated a 52 percent whiff rate. This combination contributed to a career strikeouts per nine innings rate of 14.0. His pre-pitch stance gained widespread attention and was dubbed the Kimbrel stance or Spider Arms.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kimbrel reached several significant milestones across his career. His 46 saves as a rookie in 2011 set an MLB record. He became the fastest pitcher ever to reach 200 saves (318 games), 300 saves (494 games), and 400 strikeouts (236 innings). On May 26, 2023, he became the eighth MLB pitcher to record 400 career saves. He led the NL in saves for four consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2014 and won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.
Craig Michael Kimbrel Career Wins
Across his MLB career from 2010 through June 2026, Kimbrel has accumulated a 56-50 win-loss record with a 2.66 ERA, 1,304 strikeouts, and 440 saves. He has been named an All-Star nine times, won NL Rookie of the Year in 2011, captured the World Series championship in 2018, earned two Reliever of the Year awards, won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award, and led the NL in saves four times.
Career Highlights
Kimbrel’s most dominant stretch came during his five seasons with the Atlanta Braves from 2010 to 2014. He made four consecutive All-Star teams, led the National League in saves each season, won the NL Rookie of the Year award, captured two Reliever of the Year honors, and accumulated 186 saves with a 1.43 ERA. His peak season came in 2012 when he posted a 1.01 ERA and became the first pitcher in history to strike out at least half the batters he faced in a single season. He also contributed to a combined no-hitter on June 24, 2021, while with the Chicago Cubs.
Other Achievements
Beyond MLB, Kimbrel represented the United States at the 2013 World Baseball Classic as Team USA’s closer. He was named Delivery Man of the Year in 2013, recognizing his excellence across all of Major League Baseball.
Craig Michael Kimbrel Family
Family Background
Kimbrel has two brothers. His brother Matt played baseball in the Braves minor league system for three seasons. His father Mike and mother Sandy supported his baseball career from an early age in Huntsville, Alabama.
Personal Life
Kimbrel married Ashley Holt, a former Wallace State Community College cheerleader, in 2012. They have two children together. Their oldest daughter was born on November 3, 2017, with heart defects and has undergone two surgeries. Kimbrel is a born-again Christian and has spoken publicly about his faith. He currently resides in Alabama when not traveling for baseball.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented a challenging year for Kimbrel as he moved between three organizations. He began the year with the Atlanta Braves organization after signing a minor league contract on March 19. He made 18 appearances across Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett, recording a 1-1 record with a 2.00 ERA and three saves before the Braves selected his contract on June 6. He made only one appearance before being designated for assignment and electing free agency on June 9.
Kimbrel then signed with the Texas Rangers on June 10, joining their Triple-A affiliate Round Rock Express. He appeared in 24 games with Round Rock, posting a 3.86 ERA and five saves before being released on August 21. The Houston Astros signed him to a major league contract four days later. With Houston, he appeared in 13 games with a 2.45 ERA but did not record a save, as the Astros utilized Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu as their primary closing options. The 2025 campaign marked Kimbrel’s 16th professional season and demonstrated his continued durability despite increasing roster instability in the later stages of his career.