With the 2022 season over for the Kansas City Royals, there are many questions regarding their future. One looming question is about 38-year-old Zack Greinke and his future in the majors. 2022 may be the last time that Greinke pitches a major league game, so a look back on his successful career is in order.
Greinke the Royal
Zack Greinke was a first-round draft pick of the Royals in 2002. Now 20 years later, he is in a Royals uniform once again. Greinke made his debut with Kansas City on May 22, 2004, against the Oakland Athletics. He pitched five innings and earned a no-decision. However, Greinke won his first game on June 8 against the Montreal Expos at Kauffman. In this game, he went seven innings allowing three hits, no earned runs, and five strikeouts. He finished his rookie year 8-11, with a 3.97 ERA, 145 innings pitched, and came in 4th in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.
His 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons saw the right-hander figuring out how to be effective as an everyday starter. This included Greinke spending most of the 2006 season in Double-A with the Wichita Wranglers. Consequently, 2008 became his breakout season. At age 24, Greinke pitched 202 1/3 innings, with a record of 13-10, an ERA of 3.47, and 183 strikeouts.
2009: The Cy Young Season
With flashes of brilliance in 2008, Greinke entered the 2009 season as the ace of the Royals staff. He rallied off six straight wins in his first six starts to accumulate an ERA of 0.40 in 45 innings pitched. Including three complete games against Chicago, Detroit, and Texas. Heading into the All-Star break, Greinke had a record of 10-5 with an ERA of 2.12 through 127 1/3 innings pitched and 129 strikeouts. This gave Greinke his first All-Star Game appearance in nearby St. Louis.
He finished the second half of the season strong with a 6-3 record. Including another complete game, a 10-strikeout game against Texas, and a 15-strikeout game against Cleveland. At the close of the 2009 season, Greinke had six complete games, 229 1/3 innings pitched, and 242 strikeouts. He led the league in ERA with 2.16, an ERA+ of 205, and a WHIP of 1.073, earning him his first and only Cy Young Award.
National League Era
After the 2010 season, the Royals traded Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers. In two seasons with the Brewers, Greinke was 25-9, with an ERA of 3.67 in 294 2/3 innings. The Brewers went on to make the 2011 postseason, where he made two starts for Milwaukee en route to the NLCS. He became a free agent after the 2012 season and became a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Greinke reached another level as a member of the Dodgers. In 2013, he pitched 177 2/3 innings. Greinke went 15-4 with an ERA of 2.63. Although he was not an all-star, he was 8th in the National League Cy Young voting. Also, he earned a Silver Slugger award. He was crucial in the Dodgers winning their first division title in four years. In 2014, Greinke made his second All-Star Game appearance and had a 17-8 record, a 2.71 ERA in 202 1/3 innings. He also received a Gold Glove Award.
2015 : Greinke’s Best Season
After two great seasons with the Dodgers, Zack Greinke reached a new level in 2015. Like 2009, he got off to a strong start, with five wins in six starts and an ERA of 1.56. By the end of the first half, Greinke appeared in eighteen games; in fifteen of those starts, he allowed two runs or less. He ended the first half with a record of 8-2 and an ERA of 1.36. Not only did Greinke make his third All-Star Game appearance, but he was also named the starter for the National League.
Greinke rolled along through August and September and ensured the Dodgers would return to the postseason. He ended the season 19-3 with 222 2/3 innings pitched and 200 strikeouts. He led the Majors in ERA with 1.66, ERA+ with 222, and WHIP with 0.844. Unfortunately, he finished second in the Cy Young voting losing to Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs. Despite this, he ended the season in the top ten in MVP voting and received his second Gold Glove Award.
Greinke the Diamondback
Following the 2015 season, Greinke signed a six-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks worth $206 million. In four years with the Diamondbacks, he had a record of 55-29, pitched 714 2/3 innings with an ERA of 3.40, and struck out 683 batters. He earned four Gold Gloves, had three all-star selections, and won his second Silver Slugger award. He even helped the Diamondbacks attain a Wild Card birth in 2017.
Racing for the Pennant
During the 2019 season, it became apparent that the Diamondbacks weren’t World Series contenders. Consequently, they sent Greinke to the Houston Astros in a blockbuster trade. Greinke became a thriving force on a rotation that consisted of himself, Justin Verlander, and Gerrit Cole. The Astros went to the World Series in 2019 but fell one game short of the title. After falling one game short of the World Series in 2020, they returned to the World Series in 2021. Unfortunately, Greinke and the Astros fell one game short once again. He spent the 2022 season with the Royals. Now at 38 years old, his baseball future is uncertain.
Legacy
If this season turns out to be Greinke’s last, he leaves a workhorse legacy. In his 19 seasons in the majors, he pitched more than 200 innings in a season nine times. His ERA was below 3.00 on six different occasions. Not to mention 223 career wins. Greinke is one of the best pitchers of his era. He could all but guarantee effective pitching, fielding, and hitting. His accomplishments include six All-Star selections, six Gold Gloves, two ERA titles, and a Cy Young Award. If he were to retire, he has a good chance of being elected to the Hall of Fame.
Greinke’s 2022 season was good. He had an ERA of 3.68 in 137 innings pitched and a WHIP of 1.343. He certainly could make a major league rotation in 2023. Ultimately, it is up to him whether he is ready to retire, and fans will know his decision in the coming months.
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