Zack Greinke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zack Greinke |
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Greinke with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 21, 1983 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 22, 2004, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2023, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 225–156 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.49 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,979 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Donald Zackary Greinke (born October 21, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams, including the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Houston Astros. Many consider Greinke to be one of the best pitchers of his time.
The Kansas City Royals chose Greinke in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft. He had already won the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award in high school. After playing in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut in 2004. His career faced challenges in 2005 and 2006 when he dealt with personal health issues, causing him to miss much of the 2006 season.
He returned in 2007 as a relief pitcher and became a starting pitcher again in 2008. By 2009, he was one of the top pitchers in the game. That year, he played in the MLB All-Star Game, had the lowest earned run average (ERA) in the major leagues, and won the American League Cy Young Award.
After his first time with the Royals, Greinke played for the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Astros from 2011 to 2021. During this period, he won six Gold Glove Awards in a row (2014–2019). He also led MLB in ERA for a second time in 2015 with the Dodgers. In 2022, he returned to play for the Royals.
Greinke was known for being a strong competitor and a unique player. He was a six-time All-Star, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He also led the league in earned run average twice and won an American League Cy Young Award.
Greinke is one of only five pitchers in MLB history to strike out 1,000 different batters. The others are Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, and Roger Clemens. His 1,000th unique strikeout happened on May 14, 2023, against Joey Wiemer.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Greinke was born in Orlando, Florida. His parents, Donald and Marsha Greinke, were teachers. He has German family roots. As a child, he played Little League baseball and was also good at tennis and golf.
As a teenager, Greinke helped his team win the Senior League World Series in 1999. He played shortstop for the team. His coach thought he hit almost .700 in that tournament.
Greinke mostly played shortstop when he started baseball at Apopka High School. He hit over .400 with 31 home runs during his high school career. He pitched as a relief pitcher in his sophomore and junior years. Then, he became a starting pitcher in his senior year.
In 2002, his senior year, Greinke had a 9–2 win–loss record. He also had a very low 0.55 earned run average (ERA) and 118 strikeouts in 63 innings. He held opposing batters to a very low .107 batting average. He led his team to a 32–2 record and their third straight district title. He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year.
Professional Baseball Career
Drafted by the Royals
The Kansas City Royals chose Greinke as the sixth overall pick in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. The Royals believed he was a skilled player who could quickly advance through their system. Greinke decided not to accept a scholarship offer from Clemson University. Instead, he signed with the Royals for a $2.5 million bonus.
Greinke played in six minor league games in 2002. He played for the Gulf Coast Royals, Spokane Indians, and Wilmington Blue Rocks. He had a 3.97 ERA in 11.1 innings.
In 2003, Greinke started the season with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. He had an impressive 11–1 record with a 1.14 ERA in 14 starts. These great numbers earned him spots on the Carolina League's mid-season and post-season all-star teams. He also won the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year award. His manager, Billy Gardner, Jr., said Greinke was "the best pitcher I've ever seen at this level of the minor leagues."
In July, he moved up to the Double-A Wichita Wranglers. There, he had a 4–3 record with a 3.23 ERA in nine starts. He helped them reach the playoffs with a win in the final game of the season.
Greinke was named the Royals' Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2003. In 2004, he was promoted to the Triple-A Omaha Royals. He had a 1–1 record with a 2.51 ERA in six starts there.
Kansas City Royals (2004–2010)
Greinke was called up to the major leagues on May 22, 2004. He made his MLB debut against the Oakland Athletics. He allowed two runs in five innings. At 20 years old, he was the youngest player in the major leagues. He almost got his first win, but the team's closer, Jeremy Affeldt, lost the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Greinke earned his first career win on June 8. He pitched seven innings without allowing any runs against the Montreal Expos. In 24 starts, Greinke finished the 2004 season with an 8–11 record and a 3.97 ERA.
On June 10, 2005, Greinke got his first major league hit, a home run off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Russ Ortiz. In 2005, Greinke led the American League in losses, finishing with a 5–17 record and a 5.80 ERA in 33 starts.
Greinke sometimes felt quiet and uncomfortable in the clubhouse. To help him, the Royals arranged for him to live with Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett. However, by the end of 2005 and early 2006, he almost quit baseball. He left spring training in February 2006 for personal reasons. It was later shared that he was dealing with depression and a social anxiety disorder. He missed most of the 2006 season to focus on his health. He started seeing a sports psychologist and taking medication. Greinke only made three appearances in 2006, finishing with a 1–0 record and a 4.26 ERA.
In 2007, Greinke returned to the Royals' starting rotation. He later moved to the bullpen in May. In 52 games (14 starts), Greinke finished 2007 with a 7–7 record, one save, and a 3.69 ERA.
Greinke returned to the starting rotation in 2008 and pitched very well. He made 32 starts and finished with a 13–10 record and 183 strikeouts. His 3.47 ERA was the best for a full-time Royals starter in 11 years. On January 26, 2009, he signed a four-year contract with the Royals worth $38 million.
After ending the 2008 season with 15 scoreless innings, Greinke started 2009 by not allowing a run in his first 24 innings. This meant he had a streak of 39 scoreless innings. Greinke was named American League (AL) Pitcher of the Month for April. His five wins, 0.50 ERA, and 44 strikeouts were the best in the Majors. On August 25, Greinke struck out 15 batters, breaking the team record for strikeouts in a single game. On August 30, Greinke pitched a one-hit complete game against the Seattle Mariners.
Greinke's record for the 2009 season was 16–8, and he had an ERA of 2.16, which was the lowest in MLB. On November 17, 2009, he won the AL Cy Young Award, given to the best pitcher in the league. Greinke said that using "modern pitching metrics" helped him. He especially liked FIP (fielding independent pitching), a statistic that helps measure how well a pitcher performs regardless of their team's defense.
Despite his amazing 2009 season, his performance in 2010 was not as strong. He finished the year 10–14 with a 4.17 ERA and 181 strikeouts.
Milwaukee Brewers (2011–2012)
On December 17, 2010, Greinke asked the Royals to trade him. He felt he was not motivated to play for a team that was rebuilding. The Royals traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers on December 19. In return, the Royals received Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jeffress, and Jake Odorizzi. Greinke later admitted he handled the trade request poorly, but the deal ended up being good for both teams.
In February 2011, before his first spring training with the Brewers, Greinke broke a rib while playing basketball. He started the 2011 season on the disabled list.
Greinke made his Brewers debut on May 4, 2011. Even though he missed the first month of the season, Greinke finished with a 16–6 record in 28 starts. He also had a 3.83 ERA and 201 strikeouts. He became only the fifth Brewers pitcher to strike out over 200 batters in a season. He was perfect 11–0 in his starts at Miller Park, the Brewers' home stadium.
On April 7, 2012, the Brewers beat the Cardinals 6–0 in Greinke's first start of the season. He pitched seven innings without allowing any runs.
In a rare event, Greinke became the first pitcher in 95 years to start three straight games in the Majors. This happened in July 2012. He was ejected from one game after only four pitches. He started again the next day, and then again after the All-Star break.
In 2012, Greinke made 21 starts with the Brewers. He had a 9–3 record, 120 strikeouts, and a 3.44 ERA.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2012)
Even though he was doing well with the Brewers, the team was not playing well. When talks about a new contract stopped, the Brewers traded Greinke to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on July 27, 2012. In return, they received Jean Segura and pitchers Ariel Peña and Johnny Hellweg.
Greinke made his first start for the Angels on July 29. He finished his time with the Angels with a 6–2 record and a 3.53 ERA in 13 starts. Overall in 2012, combining his time with both teams, Greinke made 34 starts with a 15–5 record, 200 strikeouts, and a 3.48 ERA.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2013–2015)
Greinke signed a six-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $147 million on December 8, 2012. This was the largest contract ever for a right-handed pitcher at that time. Greinke later said he chose the Dodgers because they offered more money.
On April 11, 2013, Greinke broke his left collarbone during a game incident with Carlos Quentin of the San Diego Padres. He was placed on the disabled list and needed surgery. It was thought he would miss eight weeks, but he returned to the Dodgers on May 15.
Greinke got his 100th career win on August 5, 2013, against the St. Louis Cardinals. He had a 5–0 record with a 1.23 ERA in August and was named National League Pitcher of the Month. Greinke finished his first season with the Dodgers with a 15–4 record and a 2.63 ERA in 28 starts. He also hit very well, with a .328 batting average. He won the Silver Slugger Award as the best hitting pitcher in the National League.
Greinke started the 2014 season by setting an MLB record. He had 22 straight starts (starting in July 2013) where he allowed two or fewer earned runs. He was chosen for the National League team at the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He finished the season with a 17–8 record and a 2.71 ERA in 32 starts, which was his highest win total. He won the Gold Glove Award as the best fielding pitcher in the National League.
In 2015, Greinke had an amazing streak. After June 13, he did not allow a run until the All-Star break. He was chosen for the All-Star Game again and was the starting pitcher for the National League. At that point, he had a major league-leading 1.48 ERA with a 7–2 record.
Greinke's scoreless innings streak reached 45 innings. This streak started on June 18 and ended on July 26. It is the sixth-longest streak in MLB history. Greinke finished the 2015 season with a 19–3 record, 200 strikeouts, and a major league-best 1.66 ERA. His ERA was the second lowest in Dodgers history.
Greinke pitched in two games in the 2015 National League Division Series against the New York Mets. After the season, he decided to end his contract with the Dodgers early and become a free agent. He officially opted out on November 3.
After the season, Greinke was named the Outstanding National League Pitcher at the Players Choice Awards. He also won his second Gold Glove Award. Greinke finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2016–2019)
On December 8, 2015, Greinke signed a six-year contract worth $206.5 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Greinke started on Opening Day 2016. He got his first win as a Diamondback on April 19, 2016, against the San Francisco Giants. On July 3, 2016, Greinke was placed on the disabled list due to a muscle strain. On August 24, 2016, he recorded his 2000th career strikeout. Greinke made 26 starts in his first season with Arizona, with a 13–7 record and a 4.37 ERA. He won his third straight Gold Glove Award after the season.
In 2017, Greinke was chosen for the NL All-Star team, his fourth All-Star selection. In 32 starts in 2017, Greinke finished with a 17–7 record, 215 strikeouts, and a 3.20 ERA. The Diamondbacks made it to the playoffs but lost to the Dodgers. Greinke won his fourth straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award after the 2017 season.
Greinke was named an All-Star again in 2018. He finished the season with a 15–11 record and a 3.21 ERA in 33 starts. After the season, he won his fifth straight Gold Glove Award.
On April 2, 2019, Greinke hit two home runs and struck out 10 batters. In 2019 with Arizona before he was traded, he was 10–4 with a 2.90 ERA.
Greinke batted .271 with three home runs and 8 RBI with the Diamondbacks in 2019. This earned him his second career Silver Slugger Award.
Houston Astros (2019–2021)
On July 31, 2019, the Diamondbacks traded Greinke to the Houston Astros. The Diamondbacks also agreed to pay $24 million of Greinke's remaining salary.
On September 14, 2019, Greinke became the 19th pitcher in MLB history to win a game against all 30 MLB franchises. In 2019 with the Astros, he was 8–1 with a 3.02 ERA. Between both teams in 2019, he was 18–5 with a 2.93 ERA. He walked only 30 batters in 208.2 innings, which was the best ratio of his career. Greinke started Games 3 and 7 of the 2019 World Series for Houston. The Astros lost Game 7.
In 2020, Greinke had a 3–3 record with a 4.03 ERA in 12 starts.
On April 1, 2021, Greinke earned his first Opening Day win for the Astros. He pitched six scoreless innings. In a game on May 25, he reached 3,000 career innings pitched, becoming the 135th pitcher in major league history to do so. On June 4, 2021, Greinke threw a complete game for the first time since April 2017.
In 2021, Greinke finished with an 11–6 record and 4.16 ERA over 30 games. In the 2021 World Series against the Atlanta Braves, Greinke started Game 4 and pitched four scoreless innings. He also got a hit in the second inning, becoming the first Astros pitcher to get a hit in World Series play. In Game 5, he was called in as a pinch hitter and got a single. This made him the first pitcher to record a pinch hit in the World Series since Jack Bentley in 1923. On November 3, 2021, Greinke became a free agent.
Return to Kansas City Royals (2022–2023)
Greinke wanted to finish his career with the Royals. On March 16, 2022, Greinke signed a one-year, $13 million contract to return to the Royals. On March 31, Greinke was announced as the Royals' Opening Day starter. This was the first time he had this role for the Royals since 2010, marking a long gap between his Opening Day starts for the same team. He made his 500th career start on June 29. Greinke finished 4–9 with a 3.68 ERA in 26 starts with the Royals in 2022.
Greinke re-signed with the Royals on a one-year contract worth $8.5 million on February 3, 2023. On March 24, Greinke was named the Royals' Opening Day starter for the second year in a row. On May 15, Greinke became the fifth pitcher in history to strike out 1,000 unique batters over his career. He became a free agent after the 2023 season.
Pitching Style
Greinke throws six different pitches:
- Four-seam fastball — 88–92 miles per hour (mph)
- Two-seam fastball — 86–91 mph
- Cutter — 85–89 mph
- Slider — 85–87 mph
- Curveball — 66–77 mph
- Changeup — 86–90 mph
His curveball has different speeds and movements. He often uses his two-seamer and slider against right-handed hitters. His changeup is mostly thrown to left-handed hitters. Greinke usually throws his curveball early in the count, and his slider is his most common pitch when there are two strikes.
Greinke's slider has been one of his most effective pitches. Batters have a very low batting average of .154 against it. It has led to 51% of his strikeouts. He limits how much he uses the slider to protect his arm.
Greinke has always had good strikeout-to-walk ratios throughout his career. He is known for preparing for each game more thoroughly than most pitchers.
Because of his upright pitching style, he is in a great position to field soft hits that come back to him. This helped him get many assists and win six straight NL Gold Glove Awards as a pitcher. He won an NL Gold Glove in 2019 even though he was traded during the season.
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Batting Skills
Greinke is a good hitting pitcher. He won two Silver Slugger Awards in his career and had a .225 batting average. He also stole nine bases in his career. He once said he wanted to end his career with ten home runs and ten stolen bases; he has nine of each, with his last home run and stolen base in 2019.
He entered Game 5 of the 2021 World Series as a pinch-hitter and got a hit. This made him the first pitcher to have a pinch hit in a World Series game since Jack Bentley in 1923. As of now, he is the last pitcher to have a hit in a postseason game. This is because the designated hitter rule was added to the National League in 2022, meaning pitchers no longer need to hit.
Personal Life
Greinke is married to Emily Kuchar. They met while attending Apopka High School. Emily was a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and was Miss Daytona Beach USA in 2008. They have three sons, born in 2015, 2017, and 2021. They live in Orlando, Florida.
Greinke's younger brother, Luke, was also a pitcher. He played college baseball at Auburn University. Luke was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2008 but stopped playing baseball a year later due to injuries.
See also
In Spanish: Zack Greinke para niños
- Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
- Kansas City Royals award winners and league leaders
- List of Los Angeles Dodgers team records
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career games started leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career innings pitched leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a pitcher leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders
- List of World Series starting pitchers
- Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders
