Chicago Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel knew he was on the verge of a personal milestone toward the end of last season.
But it wasn’t until teammate Anthony Rizzo mentioned the significance of his save after the final out of Thursday’s 4-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates that Kimbrel realized he had achieved a tremendous milestone — he recorded his 350th career save.
Kimbrel, 32, is the Major League Baseball active leader in saves; only one other current pitcher has more than 280 saves — the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen, who has 313. Kimbrel could move into the top 10 all time by the end of the season.
For most of his career, Kimbrel has dealt with his name being connected to, one day, earning a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Earning 186 saves by the time he was 27 years old will do that.
“It’s a self-accomplishment in a team game,” Kimbrel said Thursday. “It’s something that’s given once you’re done playing and you’re not part of the team anymore. It’s not something that I can say I haven’t thought about. Obviously I’ve had success, I’ve seen what other guys have done, but it’s not something that consumes me. I still have to do my job, I’ve still got a lot more years to play, I’ve still got a lot more saves to get and a lot more winning to be a part of for that to actually be a conversation.
“Am I happy that I’ve put myself in this situation? Absolutely. Am I going to keep on working to try to get to that point where someone can make that decision? Absolutely. But coming in each and every day, it’s not something that is really even on the radar.”
Kimbrel’s 350th save fittingly came under challenging circ*mstances. He entered with the bases loaded in the eighth inning Thursday as the Cubs tried to maintain a two-run lead. Kimbrel promptly struck out the next two Pirates hitters on eight pitches. He wasn’t fazed by attempting the first five-out save of his career, returning in the ninth for a perfect frame, featuring another strikeout.
Cubs shortstop Javier Baez gets an up-close view of how Kimbrel works on the mound. His perspective on Kimbrel’s success comes with an added layer: Baserunners have told Baez that the closer’s stuff is on point this season.
“Seeing the way he’s pitching to guys and seeing the ball moving the way he wants, he’s obviously great,” Baez said Thursday. “You see something special. He’s not just doing this now. He’s been doing it for a long time.”
Kimbrel is picking up from where he ended the 2020 season and a dominant final month. Since Sept. 3, a stretch of 12 scoreless appearances, Kimbrel has zero walks and 22 strikeouts. It’s a drastic turnaround following his 2019 struggles and a challenging month to open last season.
On the heels of a disappointing first season with the Cubs in 2019 — a 6.53 ERA and 1.597 WHIP in 23 games — Kimbrel walked a startling 12 batters while striking out 15 while posting a 10.13 ERA through his first 10 appearances in 2020.
Manager David Ross can rely on Kimbrel in the game’s biggest moments. When that is in place, the rest of the bullpen comes together. Ross doesn’t need to figure out whom to turn to in high-leverage spots in the ninth inning, aside from days Kimbrel is unavailable because of his usage.
A great closer still possesses value, even as teams have changed how they employ relievers in the latter innings.
“Let’s not forget, let’s take a moment to appreciate just the greatness of Craig Kimbrel and what he’s been able to do over the course of his career,” right-hander Jake Arrieta said Thursday.
Kimbrel used only two words to explain the difference between the beginning of last season and this season: throwing strikes. It’s simple in concept but tough to execute when things aren’t going right for a pitcher, especially mechanically. It can be difficult to appreciate the journey when enduring struggles. Looking back, Kimbrel said he learned a lot about himself, and when the tendencies that lead to poor results, what he can do to change them.
Kimbrel throws only two pitches — a four-seam fastball and curveball — so if he’s struggling to command one of them in any given outing, it can be difficult to work around. He has found a reliable way to utilize them so far, however.
Kimbrel has been predominately throwing his fastball up in the zone to all hitters while also using it inside to left-handed hitters and outside as well as low and in to right-handed hitters. And while it’s still early, his pitch mix has been the most balanced of his career. Kimbrel’s fastball typically accounts for around 64% of his pitches thrown. Through four appearances, it’s nearly an even split — 53% fastball, 47% curveball.
Some of his awareness stems from better understanding what his best options are each time he’s on the mound. Maybe it means his curveball is the more effective weapon or running his fastball up and in is what will set him up for success. Working through his struggles and learning which tendencies to rely on have helped get back on track.
This version of Kimbrel potentially can turn the bullpen into a strength for the Cubs.
“I’ve definitely got back on a good streak,” Kimbrel said. “It’s just focused on doing what I need to do to stay here. I still have a lot of goals and things I came to Chicago to do and that was not just to go out there performing my job. It was to do that to help this team go through the playoffs and win World Series, and at the end of the day, that’s what I came to Chicago to do.
“I plan on going out there each and every time and working to get one step closer to that goal.”
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