Garrett Richards, Pitcher
Date of Birth: 5/27/1988
Birthplace: Riverside, California
College: University of Oklahoma
Garrett Richards, pitcher, was a top player in high school and college before being drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2009. He played in the Angels' minor league system from 2009 through most of 2012, finishing with a 34-11 record and a 3.34 ERA.
Richards pitched in seven games with the Angels in 2011. The next year, he pitched both as a starting pitcher and as a relief pitcher, playing in 30 games with the Angels. In 2012, he pitched 71.0 innings and he finished with a 4-3 record, 1 save, and a 4.69 ERA. In 2013, he was again both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher, pitching 145.0 innings in 47 games. He finished the 2013 season with a 7-8 record, 1 save, 101 strikeouts to 44 walks, and a 4.16 ERA. In 2014, as a starting pitcher, he pitched 168.2 innings in 26 games and he finished the season with a 13-4 record, 164 strikeouts to 51 walks, and a 2.61 ERA.
Richards pitched in 32 games with the Angels in 2015. He finished the season with a 15-12 record, 176 strikeouts to 76 walks, and a 3.65 ERA in 207.1 innings.
Richards had Tommy John surgery after just 6 games with the Angels in 2016. He spent most of the 2017 season on the DL, playing in just 6 games as a starter with the Angels. He had a 2.28 ERA in 27.2 innings pitched.
Richards had a second Tommy John surgery in 2018, cutting his season short after 16 games. Prior to his time on the DL, he had 5 wins and 4 losses, 87 strikeouts to 34 walks, and a 3.66 ERA in 76.1 innings.
Richards became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He signed with the San Diego Padres on December 7th. He spent most of the 2019 season on the DL recovering from Tommy John surgery. He pitched just 8.2 innings in 3 games with the Padres.
Richards pitched in 14 games in 2020. He finished the season with 2 wins and 2 losses, 46 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a 4.03 ERA in 51.1 innings. In the postseason, he had no wins and 1 loss and a 6.75 ERA in 2.2 innings in 4 games. He gave up 1 hit and 2 runs and he struck out 4 batters and walked 2.
Richards elected free agency on October 28, 2020. He signed with the Boston Red Sox on February 3, 2021. He finished the 2021 season with 7 wins and 8 losses, 3 saves, 115 strikeouts to 60 walks, and a 4.87 ERA in 136.2 innings in 40 games. In the postseason, he gave up no hits in 0.1 innings in 1 game.
Richards became a free agent on November 7, 2021. He signed with the Texas Rangers on March 20, 2022. He was released on August 23, 2022.
Career pitching statistics for Richards through 2021 include:
- 227 games played
- 941.1 innings pitched
- 54-49 win-loss record
- 817 strikeouts to 351 walks
- 3.81 ERA
Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Garrett Richards
ESPN - Garrett Richards