| Craig Kimbrel | |
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| Atlanta Braves – No. 46 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: May 28, 1988 Huntsville, Alabama |
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| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| May 7, 2010 for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Career statistics (through 2011 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 8–3 |
| Earned run average | 1.75 |
| Strikeouts | 167 |
| Saves | 47 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988, in Huntsville, Alabama) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Breaking the record for saves by a rookie in the 2011 season, Kimbrel was awarded the Rookie of the Year Award for the National League.
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Kimbrel was drafted by the Braves in the 33rd round of the 2007 draft, but elected to remain at Wallace State Community College in order to improve his draft position. He was then taken by the Braves in the third round of the 2008 draft, and was the 96th player chosen.[1]
Kimbrel got his first call up from Gwinnett on May 5, 2010, to replace the injured Jair Jurrjens on the roster.[2] 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.[3] He earned his first major league save on September 19, 2010 against the New York Mets. Kimbrel's record for the 2010 season was 4–0, with one save and a 0.44 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. He recorded 40 strikeouts and 16 walks.[1] In the 2010 playoffs, he shut down the eventual World Champion San Francisco Giants on several occasions; he had 7 strikeouts in a total of 4 1/3 innings, appearing in all 4 games of the NLDS between the Giants and the Braves.
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, Kimbrel passed the record for most saves by a National League rookie before the All-Star break.[4] He is the fastest Braves pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts, doing so in 59 1/3 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.[5] On July 5, his 26th save matched Jonathan Papelbon's record for most saves by a rookie before the All-Star break.[6] On July 7, Kimbrel's 27th save of the year against the Colorado Rockies broke Papelbon's record.[7]
Kimbrel was selected to the 2011 All Star Game during his first full season in the majors. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy choose Kimbrel as a replacement for Giants pitcher Matt Cain.
On July 22, 2011 in a game versus the Cincinnati Reds, Kimbrel broke the Braves rookie record for saves in a season (31).[8]
On August 9, 2011 in a game versus the Florida Marlins, 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 30 2/3 innings without yielding a run.[9][10] On August 23, 2011, Kimbrel recorded his 40th save, tying the rookie save record of Neftali Feliz. He subsequently broke this record with his 41st save on August 31 with two strike outs in a game against the Washington Nationals. At the time, he led the majors in saves and had not given up a run in his last 34 innings.[11] The following night September 1, 2011, Kimbrel surpassed Cliff Lee's record of thirty four scoreless innings with thirty four 2/3 scoreless innings for the longest scoreless streak in the majors in 2011.[12] The scoreless inning streak came to an end after 37 2/3 innings, on September 10, 2011.[13]
He was named the NL Rookie of the Month and MLB Delivery Man of the Month for August 2011.[14][15]
Kimbrel ended the season tied for the National League lead with 46 saves—shattering the previous rookie record of 40, set by (former Braves prospect) Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers in 2010—and led the Major Leagues with 127 strikeouts in 77 innings of relief.[16]
On November 14, the Baseball Writers' Association of America 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--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[17]--making the pair the first team-mates to take the top two spots since 1989, when the Chicago Cubs' Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith came in first and second in the balloting.[18][19] 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 came in fourth.[16]
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