Chris Young, Retired
Date of Birth: 5/25/1979
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
College: Princeton University
Chris Young, retired starting pitcher, was a top baseball and basketball player at Princeton University. In 2000, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and after playing in their minor league system for two years, they traded him to the Montreal Expos. He lasted through just one minor league season with the Expos before they traded him to the Texas Rangers in April, 2004. He pitched in just 7 games with the Rangers in 2004, spending the rest of the season with their minor league teams.
In 2005, Young pitched in 31 games with the Rangers. He finished the season with a career high 12 wins (to 7 losses), 137 strikeouts to 45 walks, and a 4.26 ERA.
The Rangers traded Young to the San Diego Padres in January, 2006. In his first season with the Padres, he had an 11-5 record with a 3.46 ERA in 31 games. In 2006, he pitched a career high 179.1 innings. The following season, he had a 9-8 record with a career high 167 strikeouts (to 72 walks), and a 3.12 ERA in 30 games.
Young was plagued by injuries from 2008 through 2010, pitching in just 36 games over those three seasons. In January, 2011, he signed a contract with the New York Mets, but he again suffered from injuries in 2011 and 2010, pitching in only 4 games in 2011 and in 20 games in 2012.
In February, 2013, Young signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. He spent all of 2013 on the DL and in the minor leagues. In March, 2014, he signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners. He finished the 2014 season with a 12-9 record with 108 strikeouts and 60 walks and a 3.65 ERA in 30 games. His strong numbers earned him the American League Comeback Player of the Year award.
Young signed with the Kansas City Royals on March 7, 2015. He pitched from both the Royals' starting rotation and from their bullpen in 2015. He finished the season with an 11-6 record, 83 strikeouts to 43 walks, and a 3.06 ERA in 123.1 innings in 34 games. In the postseason, he again pitched as both a starter and a reliever. He finished with a 2.87 ERA in 15.2 innings in 4 games and he gave up 8 hits, including 2 home runs, and 5 runs.
Young and the Royals agreed on a two-year, $11.75 million contract on December 7, 2015. The contract includes a third year mutual option. He pitched 13 games as a starter in 2016 and 21 games from the Royals' bullpen. He finished with a 6.19 ERA, 3 wins to 9 losses, and 94 strikeouts to 43 walks in 88.2 innings.
Young pitched in 14 games with the Royals in 2017 before they released him on June 24th. He had a 7.50 ERA in 30.0 innings.
Young signed with the San Diego Padres on December 22, 2017. He was released on March 31, 2018. He retired after being released.
Career pitching statistics for Young through 2017 include:
- 271 games played
- 1,297.2 innings pitched
- 79-67 win-loss record
- 1,062 strikeouts to 502 walks
- 3.95 ERA
Personal Life
Young and his wife Elizabeth Patrick have two sons and one daughter.
Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Chris Young
ESPN - Chris Young