Scott Kazmir

Scott Kazmir
Kazmir with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017
Pitcher
Born: (1984-01-24) January 24, 1984 (age 40) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
August 23, 2004, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Last MLB appearance
September 30, 2021, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	108–97
Earned run average	4.02
Strikeouts	1,618
Teams
Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays (2004–2009) Los Angeles Angels (2009–2011) Cleveland Indians (2013) Oakland Athletics (2014–2015) Houston Astros (2015) Los Angeles Dodgers (2016) San Francisco Giants (2021)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (2006, 2008, 2014) AL strikeout leader (2007)
Medals Men's baseball Representing  United States Olympic Games 2020 Tokyo Team

Scott Edward Kazmir (/ˈkæzmɪər/; born January 24, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who participated in 15 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons between 2004 and 2021, most notably with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kazmir was born and raised in the Houston, Texas area and gained the attention of MLB scouts as a award-winning multi-sport high school athlete. He was chosen in the first round (15th overall) of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets and quickly progressed through the lower levels of the club's minor league system. He was one of the top pitching prospects in 2004 when the Mets sent him to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in a trade deadline deal that has been listed as one of the most lopsided in recent major league history.^[1] The Devil Rays soon called him up to the major leagues, and he made his MLB debut as a 20 year old in August 2004.^[2] Kazmir quickly became a mainstay in Tampa Bay's starting rotation, winning at least 10 games in each of his four complete seasons with the club at a time when the team lost at least 90 games per year. He was named to his first All Star team in 2006, led the American League with 239 strikeouts in 2007, and is still among Tampa Bay's all-time leaders in many pitching categories, including strikeouts, earned run average (ERA), wins, and games started.^[3]

Kazmir missed time due to injury in 2008 and early 2009, and the Rays dealt him to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at the 2009 trade deadline. Continuing issues with his health and pitching mechanics reduced his effectiveness over the following seasons and the Angels released him in June 2011. Kazmir did not sign with any major league organization over the next season and a half as he independently sought to regain his form. He returned to the majors with the Cleveland Indians in 2013 and placed third in voting for American League Comeback Player of the Year after winning ten games. He then signed a two-year contract with the Oakland Athletics and continued his resurgence, as he was named an All-Star and earned a career high 15 wins in 2014. The A's dealt Kazmir to his hometown Houston Astros at the 2015 trade deadline, and he signed a three-year, $48 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the season.

Kazmir won 10 games for the Dodgers in 2016, but a series of injuries kept him out of the big leagues for the final two years of his contract, and he remained unsigned in 2019. He began another comeback in 2020 with an independent minor league team and returned to the major leagues in 2021 with the San Francisco Giants, for whom he started four games. Also in 2021, Kazmir was selected as a member of the United States national baseball team for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he started and won the quarterfinal game.