Craig Kimbrel Bio
Craig Michael Kimbrel is an American professional baseball pitcher. Born on May 28, 1988, in Huntsville, Alabama, Kimbrel has built a reputation as one of the most dominant closers of his generation. Over the course of his MLB career, he has played for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and Houston Astros. He is a nine-time All-Star, a four-time Reliever of the Year, and a 2018 World Series champion with the Red Sox. Kimbrel also represented the United States in international competition.
Known for a high-velocity fastball paired with a sharp curveball, Kimbrel reached several career milestones faster than any pitcher before him. He became the youngest pitcher in MLB history to record 300 saves and the eighth pitcher to reach 400 saves. After the 2025 season, he is a free agent.
Early Life and Background
Craig Michael Kimbrel was born on May 28, 1988, in Huntsville, Alabama. He is the son of Mike Kimbrel and Sandy Kimbrel. Kimbrel grew up alongside two brothers, Alan and Matt, in a family that encouraged athletics. Matt Kimbrel later played baseball in the Atlanta Braves minor league system for three seasons before being released, giving the family a direct connection to professional baseball.
Kimbrel attended Lee High School in Huntsville, where he played both baseball and football. On the diamond, he developed into a top pitching prospect, and on the gridiron, he served as a quarterback for the school’s football team. His high school teammate, Buddy Boshers, also went on to pitch professionally, reflecting the strong baseball tradition in the Huntsville area.
After high school, Kimbrel enrolled at Wallace State Community College in Alabama, where he continued to refine his pitching craft. He went 8–0 with a 1.99 ERA as a freshman in 2007, working as the team’s closer and a spot starter. In 2008, he posted a 9–3 record with a 2.88 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 81 innings, primarily out of the bullpen.
Path to Professional Baseball
Kimbrel’s college success drew early attention from MLB scouts. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 33rd round of the 2007 MLB draft, but he chose to remain at Wallace State to improve his draft stock. The decision paid off when Atlanta took him again in the third round, with the 96th overall pick, in the 2008 MLB draft.
Kimbrel moved quickly through Atlanta’s minor league system, developing the power repertoire that would later define his major league career. By 2010, he was knocking on the door of the big leagues, having refined a four-seam fastball that sat in the upper 90s and a power curveball thrown with a distinctive spike grip.
Craig Kimbrel Career
Early Career (2010)
Kimbrel received his first major league call-up from the Gwinnett Braves on May 15, 2010, replacing the injured Jair Jurrjens on the Atlanta roster. He earned his first major league save on September 19, 2010, against the New York Mets, finishing the year 4–0 with one save and a 0.44 ERA in 20⅔ innings. He recorded 40 strikeouts against 16 walks.
In the 2010 National League Division Series, Kimbrel was the losing pitcher in Game 3 against the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Despite the postseason result, his electric debut hinted at the closer role he would soon claim.
Atlanta Braves Breakthrough (2011–2014)
Kimbrel made the Braves’ roster out of spring training in 2011 as the team’s primary closer. He surpassed the National League rookie record for saves before the All-Star break and went on to set an MLB rookie record with 46 saves that season. He struck out 127 batters in 77 innings and was named the 2011 NL Rookie of the Year, receiving all 32 first-place votes in unanimous fashion, the first since Albert Pujols in 2001.
Kimbrel was selected to the 2011 All-Star Game and remained an All-Star for each of the next three seasons. He led the National League in saves from 2011 through 2014, becoming the first pitcher to accomplish that feat in four straight years since Bruce Sutter (1979–1982). He won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award in 2012 and the Delivery Man of the Year Award in 2013, when he became just the 11th pitcher in MLB history to record a 50-save season.
On February 16, 2014, Kimbrel signed a four-year, $42 million extension with the Braves. He surpassed John Smoltz’s franchise saves record that June and finished 2014 with 47 saves and a 1.61 ERA. Across his Braves tenure, Kimbrel established himself as one of the most feared closers in baseball.
San Diego Padres (2015)
On April 5, 2015, the Braves traded Kimbrel to the San Diego Padres along with outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. In 61 appearances for San Diego, he recorded 39 saves with a 2.58 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 59⅓ innings. On June 8, 2015, he recorded his 200th career save against his former Atlanta team, becoming the fastest pitcher ever to reach that milestone in only 318 games.
Boston Red Sox Era (2016–2018)
On November 13, 2015, Kimbrel was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He settled in as Boston’s closer and was named an All-Star in 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2017, he posted a 1.43 ERA with 35 saves and 126 strikeouts in 69 innings, holding right-handed batters to the lowest average in the majors.
On May 5, 2018, Kimbrel recorded his 300th career save against the Texas Rangers, reaching the milestone in fewer games and at a younger age than any other pitcher. He finished 2018 with 42 saves, helping the Red Sox capture the World Series title over the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. He then declined Boston’s qualifying offer and became a free agent.
Chicago Cubs and White Sox (2019–2021)
After sitting out the early portion of the 2019 season, Kimbrel signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on June 7, 2019. He worked through mechanical adjustments and finished the year 0–4 with 13 saves. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he posted a 5.28 ERA over 15⅓ innings.
Kimbrel found his form in 2021, advancing to 11th on the all-time saves list. On June 24, 2021, he was part of a combined no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On July 30, 2021, the Cubs traded him to the Chicago White Sox, where he was used outside the closer role. He became a free agent after the 2021 campaign.
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 pitched in 63 games for Los Angeles, finishing 6–7 with a 3.75 ERA and 22 saves, though he was removed from the closer role by the end of the season.
Philadelphia Phillies (2023)
On January 4, 2023, Kimbrel signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. On May 26, 2023, he recorded his 400th career save against the Atlanta Braves, becoming the eighth pitcher in MLB history to reach that milestone. In June 2023, he was named NL Reliever of the Month after posting a 0.69 ERA across 13 innings. Kimbrel struggled in the National League Championship Series, taking losses in Games 3 and 4 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and became a free agent after the season.
Baltimore Orioles and Return to Atlanta (2024–2025)
On December 6, 2023, the Baltimore Orioles signed Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million deal. He made 57 appearances in 2024, going 7–5 with 23 saves before being designated for assignment on September 18, 2024, and released on September 24.
On March 19, 2025, Kimbrel signed a minor league deal to return to the Atlanta Braves organization. He was added to the major league roster on June 6, 2025, but was designated for assignment the next day and elected free agency on June 9, 2025. On June 10, 2025, he signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, where he pitched at Triple-A Round Rock before being released on August 21. On August 22, 2025, he signed a major league contract with the Houston Astros, appearing in 13 games with a 2.45 ERA. He is currently a free agent.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kimbrel relies on a four-seam fastball averaging 97–98 mph, occasionally touching 101 mph, paired with a power curveball in the mid-to-upper 80s thrown with a spike grip. The combination produces elite whiff rates and a career strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate of 14.7. His distinctive pre-pitch stance, dubbed the Kimbrel or Spider Arms, has become one of baseball’s most recognizable routines.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kimbrel set the MLB rookie saves record with 46 in 2011 and was a unanimous NL Rookie of the Year. He recorded his 200th save in only 318 games, the fastest in MLB history, and his 300th save at a younger age than any previous pitcher. In 2021, he was part of a combined no-hitter against the Dodgers, and in 2023, he became the eighth pitcher in MLB history to reach 400 saves.
Craig Kimbrel Career Wins and Saves
Across 15 major league seasons, Craig Kimbrel has established himself as one of the most accomplished closers in MLB history. He is the owner of a rookie saves record, a franchise saves record in Atlanta, and a place among the all-time saves leaders.
Major League Highlights
Kimbrel set the MLB rookie saves record with 46 in 2011 and led the National League in saves for four consecutive seasons from 2011 through 2014. He reached 200 career saves in 2015, 300 in 2018, and 400 in 2023, becoming the eighth pitcher in MLB history to achieve that milestone. He has been named an All-Star nine times and earned Reliever of the Year honors four times.
Other Performances
Kimbrel represented the United States in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, serving as the closer for Team USA. He also recorded a combined no-hitter with the Cubs in 2021, working alongside Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, and Andrew Chafin to silence the Dodgers.
Craig Kimbrel Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Craig Kimbrel is the son of Mike Kimbrel and Sandy Kimbrel, and he grew up with two brothers, Alan and Matt. His brother Matt Kimbrel played three seasons in the Atlanta Braves minor league system, giving the family ties to professional baseball.
Personal Life
Kimbrel married Ashley Holt, a former Wallace State cheerleader, in 2012. The couple has two children, with their oldest, a daughter, born on November 3, 2017. The daughter was born with heart defects and has undergone two surgeries. Kimbrel is a born-again Christian.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season saw Craig Kimbrel in motion throughout the year. He returned to the Atlanta Braves organization on a minor league deal in March, pitching between Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett before a brief major league stint that ended in his designation for assignment on June 7.
Kimbrel signed with the Texas Rangers on June 10, 2025, and worked out of the Triple-A Round Rock Express bullpen. In 24 appearances at Round Rock, he went 0–1 with a 3.86 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and five saves in 21 innings before being released on August 21.
On August 22, 2025, Kimbrel joined the Houston Astros on a major league contract. He appeared in 13 games for Houston, going 0–1 with a 2.45 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 11 innings, working behind closer Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu. After the 2025 season, Kimbrel is once again a free agent.