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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| Free agent | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 21, 1983 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 23, 2004, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) |
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| 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 professional baseball pitcher. He is currently a free agent. Greinke is known for his long career in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Kansas City Royals in two different periods. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Houston Astros. He helped the Astros reach the World Series in 2019 and 2021. Many people see Greinke as one of the best pitchers of his time.
The Royals chose Greinke in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft. This was after he won the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award in high school. He played in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in 2004. In 2005 and 2006, he faced personal challenges and missed most of the 2006 season. He came back in 2007 as a relief pitcher. By 2008, he was a starting pitcher again. He became one of the top pitchers in baseball. In 2009, he played in the MLB All-Star Game. He also had the best earned run average (ERA) in the major leagues. That year, he won the American League Cy Young Award.
After his first time with the Royals, Greinke played for several other teams. These included the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Astros from 2011 to 2021. During this time, he won six Gold Glove Awards in a row from 2014 to 2019. He also led the league in ERA again in 2015 with the Dodgers.
Greinke is a very competitive player. Teammates often describe him as unique. He has been an All-Star six times. He has won six Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards. He led the league in ERA twice and won an American League Cy Young Award.
At 41 years old, Greinke is currently a free agent. He has 2,979 career strikeouts. He is only 21 strikeouts away from joining the 3,000 strikeout club. He has more strikeouts than any other pitcher not in that club. Greinke is also one of only five pitchers to strike out 1,000 different batters. His 1,000th unique strikeout happened on May 14, 2023.
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Early Life and High School Baseball
Greinke was born in Orlando, Florida. His parents, Donald and Marsha Greinke, were teachers. He has German roots. As a child, he played Little League baseball. He was also good at tennis and golf. In 1999, Greinke helped his team win the Senior League World Series. He played shortstop for the team. His coach said he hit close to .700 in that tournament.
Greinke started playing baseball at Apopka High School as a shortstop. 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. He became a starting pitcher in his senior year (2002). That year, Greinke had a 9–2 win-loss record. He also had a 0.55 earned run average (ERA) and 118 strikeouts in 63 innings. Opposing batters only hit .107 against him. He led his team to a 32–2 record and their third straight district title. He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year. After high school, he played in an All-Star Classic. There, he impressed professional scouts.
Starting a Professional Career
Drafted by the Royals
The Kansas City Royals chose Greinke in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. He was the sixth player picked overall. The Royals believed he was a skilled player who could quickly move up their system. Greinke turned down a scholarship to Clemson University. He signed with the Royals for a $2.5 million bonus.
Minor League Journey
In 2002, Greinke pitched in six minor league games. He played for different Royals farm teams. He had a 3.97 ERA in 11.1 innings.
In 2003, Greinke started the season with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. He had an 11–1 record with a 1.14 ERA in 14 starts. He was named to the Carolina League All-Star teams. He also won the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year award. His manager called him "the best pitcher I've ever seen at this level." 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.
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.
Major League Baseball Career
Kansas City Royals (2004–2010)
Greinke was called up to the major leagues on May 22, 2004. He made his debut against the Oakland Athletics. He allowed two runs in five innings. At 20 years old, he was the youngest player in MLB. He almost got his first win, but the team's closer gave up the lead.
Greinke got his first career win on June 8. He pitched seven scoreless innings against the Montreal Expos. In 24 starts, Greinke finished 2004 with an 8–11 record and a 3.97 ERA.
On June 10, 2005, Greinke hit his first major league home run. It was off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Russ Ortiz. In 2005, Greinke led the American League in losses. He finished 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 player George Brett. By late 2005, Greinke almost quit baseball. He left spring training in February 2006 for personal reasons. It was later shared that he was dealing with some personal challenges. He returned to the Royals' facility in April. He started seeing a sports psychologist. Greinke only pitched three times in 2006. He finished the year 1–0 with a 4.26 ERA.
In 2007, Greinke started in the Royals' rotation. But he moved to the bullpen in May. He made 52 appearances (14 starts) and finished 2007 with a 7–7 record, one save, and a 3.69 ERA.
Greinke returned to the starting rotation in 2008. He pitched well that season. He made 32 starts and finished with a 13–10 record. He also had 183 strikeouts. His 3.47 ERA was the best for a Royals starter in 11 years. On January 26, 2009, he signed a four-year contract worth $38 million.
Greinke ended the 2008 season with 15 scoreless innings. He 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. He had five wins, a 0.50 ERA, and 44 strikeouts. On August 25, Greinke struck out 15 batters. This broke a team record. On August 30, Greinke pitched a one-hit complete game.
Greinke's record for 2009 was 16–8. He had an ERA of 2.16, the lowest in MLB. On November 17, 2009, he won the AL Cy Young Award. Greinke said his performance was partly due to using "modern pitching metrics." These are statistics that help pitchers understand their game better. He liked FIP (fielding independent pitching) the most. He said, "That's pretty much how I pitch, to try to keep my FIP as low as possible."
In 2010, his performance was not as strong. He finished the year 10–14 with a 4.17 ERA.
Milwaukee Brewers (2011–2012)
On December 17, 2010, Greinke asked the Royals to trade him. He said he was not motivated to play for a team that was rebuilding. The Royals traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers on December 19. He was traded with Yuniesky Betancourt for four players. He wore number 13 because his usual number 23 was taken. Greinke later said he handled the trade request poorly.
In February 2011, 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, Greinke finished with a 16–6 record in 28 starts. He had a 3.83 ERA and 201 strikeouts. He was one of only five Brewers pitchers to strike out over 200 batters in a season. He was perfect 11–0 in starts at Miller Park, the Brewers' home stadium.
On April 7, 2012, Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings. The Brewers won 6–0.
In an unusual event, Greinke became the first pitcher in 95 years to start three straight games. On July 7, he was ejected after throwing the ball down. The next day, Greinke started again but only lasted three innings. After the All-Star break, he started again on July 13. This third start lasted five innings.
By July 2012, Greinke had made 21 starts for the Brewers. He had a 9–3 record and a 3.44 ERA.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2012)
The Brewers were not doing well in 2012. Greinke was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on July 27, 2012. He was traded for three minor league players.
Greinke made his first start for the Angels on July 29. After a few tough starts in August, he pitched very well in four straight games. He allowed two or fewer runs in each of those games, all wins.
On September 25, Greinke became the first pitcher since 1920 to get 13 strikeouts in five innings or less. He and four other Angels pitchers tied an American League record by striking out 20 batters in a nine-inning game. He finished his time with the Angels with a 6–2 record and a 3.53 ERA in 13 starts. Overall in 2012, Greinke had a 15–5 record and a 3.48 ERA.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2013–2015)
Greinke signed a six-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 8, 2012. The deal was worth $147 million. At the time, it was the largest contract ever for a right-handed pitcher. Greinke said he chose the Dodgers because they offered more money.
On April 11, 2013, Greinke broke his left collarbone in a fight. He was hit by a pitch and another player charged the mound. He needed surgery and was expected to miss eight weeks. But he returned to the Dodgers on May 15.
On June 11, 2013, Greinke was hit in the head and neck by a pitch. This led to another fight between teams. Greinke was not involved in the fight itself.
Greinke got his 100th career win on August 5, 2013. He was 5–0 with a 1.23 ERA in August. He 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. He also hit .328, which was very good for a pitcher. He won the Silver Slugger Award as the best hitting pitcher in the National League.
Greinke started 2014 by setting an MLB record. He had 22 straight starts (since July 2013) where he allowed two or fewer runs. He was chosen for the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He finished the season with a 17–8 record and a 2.71 ERA. This was his highest win total. He won the Gold Glove Award as the best fielding pitcher.
On June 13, 2015, Greinke gave up a home run. This was the last run he allowed until the All-Star break. He was chosen for the All-Star Game again. He was chosen to start for the National League team. At that point, Greinke had a 1.48 ERA, the best in MLB. Greinke had a scoreless innings streak of 45 innings. This is the sixth-longest streak in MLB history.
Greinke finished the 2015 season with a 19–3 record and 200 strikeouts. His 1.66 ERA was the best in the major leagues. His ERA was the second lowest in Dodgers history. He also had the best WHIP (0.844) in franchise history.
Greinke pitched in two games in the 2015 National League Division Series. He lost the deciding game. After the series, he decided to leave his contract with the Dodgers. He became a free agent on November 3.
After the season, Greinke won his second Gold Glove Award. He finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2016–2019)
On December 8, 2015, Greinke signed a six-year, $206.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Greinke started on Opening Day 2016. He gave up seven runs in four innings. He got his first win as a Diamondback on April 19, 2016. On July 3, 2016, Greinke was placed on the disabled list due to an injury. On August 24, 2016, he got his 2000th career strikeout. Greinke made 26 starts in his first season with Arizona. He had a 13–7 record and a 4.37 ERA. He won his third straight Gold Glove Award.
In 2017, Greinke was chosen for the NL All-Star team. This was his fourth All-Star selection. He was 10–4 with a 3.05 ERA at that time. On September 16, he pitched eight shutout innings. He also hit two doubles in that game. In 32 starts in 2017, Greinke finished with a 17–7 record and a 3.20 ERA. The Diamondbacks made the playoffs. Greinke won his fourth straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
Greinke was an All-Star again in 2018. He finished the season with a 15–11 record and a 3.21 ERA. He won his fifth straight Gold Glove Award.
On April 2, 2019, Greinke hit two home runs and struck out 10 batters. Before he was traded, he was 10–4 with a 2.90 ERA with Arizona.
Greinke hit .271 with three home runs 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. They also paid part of his salary.
On September 14, 2019, Greinke became the 19th pitcher in MLB history to win a game against all 30 MLB teams. In 2019 with the Astros, he was 8–1 with a 3.02 ERA. Overall in 2019, he was 18–5 with a 2.93 ERA. He walked very few batters. Greinke started Games 3 and 7 of the 2019 World Series. In Game 7, he pitched well but was taken out of the game in the seventh inning. The Astros lost the game.
In 2020, Greinke had a 3–3 record with a 4.03 ERA.
On April 1, 2021, Greinke won his first Opening Day start. He pitched six scoreless innings. On May 25, he reached 3,000 career innings pitched. This made him the 135th pitcher in MLB history to do so. On June 4, 2021, Greinke threw a complete game.
In 2021, Greinke finished with an 11–6 record and a 4.16 ERA. In the 2021 World Series, Greinke started Game 4. He also got a hit in Game 4. In Game 5, he was a pinch hitter and got another hit. He was the first pitcher to get a pinch hit in the World Series since 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 contract to return to the Royals. On March 31, he was named the Royals' Opening Day starter. This was the first time since 2010. He made his 500th career start on June 29. Greinke finished 2022 with a 4–9 record and a 3.68 ERA.
Greinke re-signed with the Royals for 2023. On March 24, he was named the Royals' Opening Day starter again. On May 15, Greinke became the fifth pitcher ever to strike out 1,000 unique batters. 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 can have two different speeds and movements. He sometimes throws a mix of these. He uses his two-seamer and slider more against right-handed batters. His changeup is only thrown to left-handed batters. Greinke often uses his curveball early in the count. His slider is his most common pitch when he has two strikes.
Greinke's slider has been very effective. Batters hit only .154 against it. It has led to 51% of his strikeouts. He limits using the slider to protect his arm.
Greinke has always had good strikeout-to-walk ratios. He was in the top 10 in his league five times. He is known for studying each game more than most pitchers.
His pitching style helps him field soft hits. He hides the ball next to his right knee before throwing. This helps him get many assists. It also helped him win six straight NL Gold Glove Awards as a pitcher. He won a Gold Glove in 2019 even after being traded.
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Batting Skills
Greinke is a good hitting pitcher. He has won two Silver Slugger Awards. He has a career batting average of .225. He has also stolen nine bases in his career. He wants to finish his career with ten home runs and ten stolen bases. He has nine of each. His last home run and stolen base were in 2019.
In Game 5 of the 2021 World Series, he entered as a pinch hitter and got a hit. He was the first pitcher to have a pinch hit in a World Series game since 1923. As of 2024, he is the last pitcher to get a hit in a postseason game. This is because the designated hitter rule was added to the National League in 2022.
In his fourth time at bat in the major leagues, Greinke hit his first home run. Years later, his teammate Alex Gordon was struggling. Greinke showed him the video of his home run many times. He then left, saying, "Do more of that."
Personal Life
Greinke is married to Emily Kuchar. They met in high school. Emily was a former cheerleader and a beauty pageant winner. 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 he left 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
