Pitcher · 2026

Craig Kimbrel

Age: 38
B/T: R/R
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 215 lb
Number: #46

Born: May 28, 1988 in Huntsville, AL, USA
MLB debut: May 7, 2010
Drafted: 2007, round 33
College: Wallace State CC
High school: Robert E. Lee

dbWAR: .4
IP: 33.2
ERA: 4.81
FIP: 4.33
K/9: 8.6
FIP−: 104

Craig Kimbrel is a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2026 he struck out 32 batters over 33.2 innings across 33 appearances, going 0-2. His ERA of 4.81 was 15.2% higher than the league average of 4.18 — 13th of 15 on his team, and 331st of 467 among MLB pitchers with 20+ innings. Stripping out defence, his 4.33 FIP suggests he pitched better than his ERA shows. He missed bats on 25.5% of swings (12.4% of every pitch he threw), walked 11.1% of the batters he faced and struck out 22.2%. His 0.1 dbWAR is built from that FIP rather than runs allowed, so it credits him for what he controls and not for the defence behind him.

League context

Percentile among qualified pitchers, 2026.

FIP4.33

K/98.6

WHIP1.34

WAR.1

Platoon splits

How left- and right-handed hitters fare against him.

Opponent batting by the side the hitter bats from, 2026. Counted from play-by-play, so totals can differ from the box-score season line by a plate appearance or two.
Split	PA	AB	H	HR	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	K%
vs LHB	74	63	20	3	10	14	.317	.411	.587	.431	18.9%
vs RHB	70	61	9	1	6	18	.148	.243	.246	.223	25.7%

Pitch sequencing

What Craig Kimbrel throws in each count, and what he follows each pitch with. Select any cell for the breakdown.

ShowBatter

Four-seamSweeperKnuckle curveSinkerChangeup

Select a count to see exactly what Craig Kimbrel throws in it.

Pitch arsenal

What he throws, how hard, and how often it misses in 2026.


Four-Seam Fastball	67.2%	395	93.6	2,282	47.6%	25.2%
Sweeper	14.8%	87	85.6	2,601	41.4%	36.4%
Knuckle Curve	8.5%	50	84.2	2,603	30.0%	5.6%
Sinker	6.6%	39	93.7	2,120	53.8%	15.8%
Changeup	2.9%	17	88.6	1,626	23.5%	66.7%

Craig Kimbrel's arsenal by usage. Velocity is average release speed in mph, spin in rpm, and whiff rate is misses per swing — the cleanest single measure of whether a pitch beats hitters.

Pitching

Standard and advanced, by season.


2026	33	33.2	0	2	0	29	18	32	16	4.81	4.33	1.34	8.6	4.3	115	104	0.1
2025	14	12.0	0	1	0	10	3	17	7	2.25	4.22	1.42	12.8	5.3	54	101	0.1
2024	57	52.1	7	5	23	40	31	73	31	5.33	4.18	1.36	12.6	5.3	131	102	0.2

Head to head

Put Craig Kimbrel beside up to three others.

Compare — add up to 3 more players

Craig Kimbrel

Similar players

Nearest 2026 seasons by command, run prevention and role, on rate statistics rather than totals.

Anthony NunezBAL

ERA: 4.60
FIP: 4.09
SO: 46
WAR: 0.3

Very close

Sam MollCIN

ERA: 4.27
FIP: 4.42
SO: 48
WAR: 0.1

Very close

Anthony BandaMIN

ERA: 4.46
FIP: 4.31
SO: 33
WAR: 0.1

Very close

Brad KellerPHI

ERA: 4.02
FIP: 4.14
SO: 32
WAR: 0.2

Very close

How these are computed

wOBA uses linear weights measured from this season's own play-by-play rather than published constants, and wRC+ is park-adjusted against that same league. dbWAR is our own open implementation — not fWAR or bWAR — and the full derivation, including its simplifications, is on the methodology page.