Ian Kennedy | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Pitcher | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born: Huntington Beach, California, U.S. | December 19, 1984|||||||||||||||||||||
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 record | 104–114 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Earned run average | 4.16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Strikeouts | 1,775 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saves | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stats at Baseball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||
Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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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.