Colby Lewis, Retired

Date of Birth: 8/2/1979
Birthplace: Bakersfield, California
College: Bakersfield College
Nickname: Cobra

Colby Lewis, retired starting pitcher, was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 1999. He pitched in the Rangers' minor league system from 1999 through part of 2002. He pitched 34.1 innings in 15 games with the Rangers in 2002, finishing with a 1-3 record and a 6.29 ERA.

In 2003, his first full season in the major leagues, Lewis pitched 127.0 innings in 26 games. He finished the season with a 10-9 record and a 7.30 ERA. The following season, injuries and surgery limited his playing time to three games.

The Detroit Tigers claimed Lewis off waivers in October, 2004. He didn't play at all in 2005 and he pitched in just two games with the Tigers in 2006.

Lewis signed with the Washington Nationals in November, 2006. However, he didn't last long with the Nationals - they released him on March 19, 2007. Five days later, he signed with the Oakland Athletics. In 2007, he pitched 37.2 innings in 26 games with the Athletics and he finished the season with a 6.45 ERA.

In November, 2007, Lewis was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals. After just a month with the team, he was released. He next spent two seasons (2008, 2009) playing in Japan.

Lewis returned to the Rangers in January, 2010. He had good seasons in 2010 and 2011. He pitched a career high 201.0 innings in 32 games in 2010. He finished the season with a career high 196 strikeouts (to 65 walks), a 12-13 record, and a 3.72 ERA. The next year, he pitched 200.1 innings in 32 games with a career high 14 wins to 10 losses and a 4.40 ERA.

Lewis suffered from injuries in 2012 and 2013. His playing time in 2012 was limited to 16 games. He finished the season with a 6-6 record and a 3.43 ERA. In 2013, he had hip surgery and he played in just seven games in the minor leagues. He played a full season in 2014, pitching 170.1 innings in 29 games. He finished the season with a 10-14 record, 133 strikeouts to 48 walks, and a 5.18 ERA.

Lewis pitched a complete game shutout on September 11, 2015. He finished the season with a career high 17 wins (to 9 losses), 142 strikeouts to 42 walks, and a 4.66 ERA in a career high 204.2 innings in 33 games. He pitched 3.0 innings in one postseason game and he gave up 3 hits and 1 run.

Lewis pitched in 19 games with the Rangers in 2016. He finished the season with a 3.71 ERA, 6 wins to 5 losses, and 73 strikeouts to 28 walks in 116.1 innings. In the postseason, he pitched just 2.0 innings in 1 game and he gave up 5 hits and 5 runs.

Lewis became a free agent on November 3, 2016. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2016.

Lewis retired in January, 2018.

Career pitching statistics for Lewis through 2016 include:

• 233 games played
• 1,215.0 innings pitched
• 77-72 win-loss record
• 961 strikeouts to 377 walks
• 4.70 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Colby Lewis
ESPN - Colby Lewis