Craig Kimbrel is a former professional baseball player who played as a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on May 28, 1988, in Huntsville, Alabama, and attended Wallace State Community College before being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 2008 MLB draft.
Kimbrel made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2010 and quickly established himself as one of the best relief pitchers in the league. He was named to the National League All-Star team in each of his first four seasons and won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2011.
During his time with the Braves, Kimbrel set numerous records and earned a reputation as one of the most dominant closers in the game. He led the NL in saves in each of his first four seasons and was named the NL Reliever of the Year in both 2013 and 2014.
In 2015, Kimbrel was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he continued to pitch at a high level. He was named to the NL All-Star team for the fifth time that year and finished the season with 39 saves and a 2.58 ERA.
After just one season with the Padres, Kimbrel was traded again, this time to the Boston Red Sox. He spent three seasons with the Red Sox, helping them win the World Series in 2018. During his time in Boston, Kimbrel continued to be one of the best closers in the game, earning three more All-Star selections and leading the American League in saves in 2017.
In 2019, Kimbrel signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He struggled in his first season with the team, posting a career-high 6.53 ERA in just 20.2 innings pitched. He rebounded somewhat in 2020, posting a 5.28 ERA in 15 appearances, but was released by the Cubs after the season.
Kimbrel signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 and pitched well for the team, posting a 0.49 ERA in 23 appearances. He helped the Dodgers win the NL West division title but struggled in the postseason, allowing four runs in just 2.1 innings pitched.
Overall, Kimbrel had a highly successful career as a relief pitcher in MLB. He finished his career with 371 saves, good for 12th on the all-time list, and a career ERA of 2.54. He was named to the All-Star team seven times and won the NL Rookie of the Year award and the NL Reliever of the Year award twice each.
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