Craig Kimbrel

Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is a nine-time All-Star, two-time Reliever of the Year, and a 2018 World Series champion. 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'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, where he played baseball and was a quarterback for the football 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 (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 123 hitters in 81 innings pitched, mainly as a reliever. Professional career