Carlos Zambrano

Big Z, the Cubs' all-time home run king among pitchers.

Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano, who stands 6 ft and weighs 275 lb, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001.

Quick Facts

Position: Pitcher
Born: 1 June 1981
Birthplace: Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: August 20
Debut year: 2001

Lore & Background

After being used in both starting and relief duties, he enjoyed his first full season as a starter in 2003, finishing with a 13–11 record, 168 strikeouts and a 3.11 ERA. Zambrano is known as one of the best hitting pitchers of recent times. He was a switch-hitter with a career .238 batting average with 24 home runs, 71 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .396. The 24 home runs are the most ever by a Cubs pitcher. He also tied with Ferguson Jenkins for the club record for home runs by a pitcher in a single season, hitting six in 2006. Zambrano was called on to pinch hit 20 times in his career and won three Silver Slugger Awards for his hitting. Zambrano was the only National League pitcher to win at least 13 games in each year from 2003 to 2008. In 2006, he became the first player from Venezuela to lead the National League in wins.

Reader's Guide

Zambrano was called up to the Cubs and pitched in his first game on August 20, 2001, starting against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field in the second game of a double header. He played 6 games making 1 start with a 1–2 record and a 15.26 ERA in 2001. In 2002, he finished with a 4–8 record and a 3.66 ERA in 32 games (16 starts). In 2003, he started 32 games with a 3.11 ERA and 13 wins. In 2004, he led his team in ERA (2.75, fourth in the league), won 16 games, collected 188 strikeouts, and led the league in hit batsmen (20). He was also selected as an All-Star for the first time. In 2005, he was named the opening day starter for the Cubs.