| Erik Kratz | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Kratz with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: June 15, 1980 Telford, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 17, 2010, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 22, 2020, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .209 |
| Home runs | 31 |
| Runs batted in | 105 |
| Teams | |
| |
Erik Floyd Kratz (born June 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees during an 11-year career.[1] Kratz was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 29th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft.[1]
After playing with minor league affiliates of the Blue Jays for seven years, from 2002 through 2008, Kratz signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009. He made his big league debut for the Pirates on July 17, 2010, starting as catcher and going 2-5 with 1 RBI.[2][1] Before the 2011 season, Kratz signed a minor-league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, appearing several times in 2011 and 2012 at the Major-League level and ultimately winning the backup catcher job on the Phillies' 2013 roster.
Kratz was dealt back to the Toronto organization prior to the 2014 season, and divided his playing time between MLB and the Blue Jays’ Triple-A Buffalo Bisons farm team before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in July. He returned to the Phillies in 2015, and played for the Houston Astros and Pirates in 2016. Kratz played for the New York Yankees in 2017. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018, and played for the San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays in 2019. He finished his career with the Yankees in 2020.[1]
- ^ a b c d "Erik Kratz Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
- ^ Houston Astros vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score: July 17, 2010