Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy
Kennedy with the Kansas City Royals in 2016
Pitcher
Born: (1984-12-19) December 19, 1984 (age 39)
Huntington Beach, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 1, 2007, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
September 15, 2023, for the Texas Rangers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record104–114
Earned run average4.16
Strikeouts1,775
Saves66
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  United States
World Junior Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Sherbrooke
World University Championship
Gold medal – first place 2004 Tainan City

Ian Patrick Kennedy[1] (born December 19, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Between 2007 and 2023, he played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

A standout pitcher at La Quinta High School in California, Kennedy played three seasons of college baseball for the USC Trojans. The Yankees selected him 21st overall in the 2006 MLB Draft and he quickly rose through the team's farm system, making his major league debut the next year. The Yankees traded Kennedy to the Diamondbacks after the 2009 season, and he became Arizona's ace, leading the National League in wins during the 2011 season.

The Royals moved Kennedy to the bullpen in 2019 after a series of injuries, and he found a new role as the team's closer, and he continued to work as a relief pitcher for the remainder of his career.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference mlb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).