Zack Greinke

Did You Know?

• Greinke is one of only five pitchers to strike out 1,000 different batters, achieving the milestone against Joey Wiemer on May 14, 2023.
• His younger brother Luke was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 12th round of the 2008 MLB draft but left baseball after one year due to injuries.
• Greinke's wife Emily Kuchar was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and Miss Daytona Beach USA 2008.

Early life

Greinke was born in Orlando, Florida, to teachers Donald and Marsha Greinke. Of German descent, he played Little League and excelled in tennis and golf as a youth. In 1999, he helped his team win the Senior League World Series title, playing shortstop and hitting close to .700 in the tournament. At Apopka High School, he primarily played shortstop, batting over .400 with 31 home runs in his career. As a senior in 2002, he posted a 9–2 record, a 0.55 ERA, and 118 strikeouts in 63 innings, holding batters to a .107 average. He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year after leading his team to a 32–2 record and a third straight district title.

Professional career

The Kansas City Royals selected Greinke sixth overall in the 2002 MLB draft. He turned down a scholarship from Clemson University to sign for a $2.5 million bonus. After six minor league games in 2002, he opened 2003 with the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, going 11–1 with a 1.14 ERA in 14 starts, earning Carolina League Pitcher of the Year honors. Promoted to Double-A Wichita, he went 4–3 with a 3.23 ERA in nine starts.

In 2004, he pitched six games for Triple-A Omaha before making his MLB debut on May 22 against the Oakland Athletics, allowing two earned runs in five innings. He recorded his first win on June 8, throwing seven scoreless innings against the Montreal Expos, and finished 2004 with an 8–11 record and a 3.97 ERA. In 2005, he led the American League in losses with a 5–17 record and a 5.80 ERA. After missing most of 2006 due to depression and anxiety, he returned as a reliever in 2007 and rejoined the rotation in 2008. In 2009, he made the All-Star team, led MLB in ERA, and won the AL Cy Young Award. He returned to the Royals in 2022.

Pitching style

Greinke throws six pitches: a four-seam fastball (88–92 mph), two-seam fastball (86–91 mph), cutter (85–89 mph), slider (85–87 mph), curveball (66–77 mph), and changeup (86–90 mph). His curveball has two speeds with different movement, and his two-seamer is most used against right-handed hitters. The slider, his most common two-strike pitch, has produced 51% of his strikeouts with a .154 batting average and .230 slugging percentage against it, though he limits its use to avoid arm strain. He has finished in his league's top ten in strikeout-to-walk ratio eleven times. Described as a "scientist as a pitcher," he prepares extensively for each start. His upright overhand delivery, with a pause hiding the ball near his right knee, a forward-facing follow-through, and late movement to the lower strike zone, aids fielding soft hits and contributed to six consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards.

Batting

Greinke is one of three pitchers to win the Cy Young, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove Awards. He has won two Silver Slugger Awards with a .225 batting average and has nine stolen bases on ten attempts. In 2013, he hit .328 (19 for 58), the seventh highest batting average for a pitcher in the DH era. He entered Game 5 of the 2021 World Series as a pinch-hitter and recorded a hit, the first pitcher to do so in a World Series game since Jack Bentley. As of 2025, he is the last pitcher to have a hit in a postseason game. In his fourth MLB at-bat, he hit his first home run; he later showed the clip to teammate Alex Gordon during a slump, saying, "Do more of that."