Madison Bumgarner, Starting Pitcher
Date of Birth: 8/1/1989
Birthplace: Hickory, North Carolina
Nickname: Mad Bum
Madison Bumgarner, starting pitcher, started playing baseball at the age of four and by the time he was in high school, he was a top player. The San Francisco Giants drafted him in 2007. He played in the Giants' minor league system from 2008 through part of 2010, finishing his minor league career with a 34-6 win-loss record and a 2.00 ERA.
Bumgarner first joined the Giants in 2009, pitching in 4 games. The following season, he pitched 111.0 innings in 18 games, finishing the season with a 3.00 ERA. In 2011, he played in 33 games and had a 13-13 record with a 3.21 ERA.
In April, 2012, Bumgarner signed a six-year, $35.56 million contract with the Giants. That season, he pitched 208.1 innings in 32 games and he had a 3.37 ERA with 16 wins to 11 losses. In 2013, he had a career low 2.77 ERA with a 13-9 record.
Bumgarner had another outstanding year in 2014, finishing with a 2.98 ERA and career highs in games played (33), innings pitched (217.1), wins (18 to 10 losses), and strikeouts (219 to 43 walks). In addition to his great pitching statistics, he hit two grand slams in 2014 (April 11th and July 13th). He won his first Silver Slugger award for batting .258 with 17 hits and 15 RBIs.
Bumgarner truly shined in the 2014 postseason, with a 0.43 World Series ERA, the lowest since Sandy Koufax in 1965. He won both the National League Championship series MVP award and the World Series MVP award. He finished the postseason with a 4-1 record and a 1.03 ERA in 52.2 innings in 7 games. He gave up 28 hits and 7 runs, including 3 home runs, and he had 45 strikeouts to 6 walks. His best game was Game 5 of the World Series when he had a 4-hit complete game shutout of the Kansas City Royals.
On August 16, 2015, Bumgarner pitched a complete game shutout. He finished the season with career highs in wins (18 to 9 losses), strikeouts (234 to 39 walks), and innings pitched (218.1). He had a 2.93 ERA in 32 games.
Bumgarner won his second Silver Slugger award in 2015.
Bumgarner had another strong season in 2016, finishing with a 2.74 ERA in a career high 34 games. He had 15 wins to 9 losses and a career high 251 strikeouts to 54 walks in 226.2 innings. In the postseason, he pitched 14.0 innings in 2 games and he gave up 11 hits and 3 runs.
Bumgarner spent time on the DL in 2017, pitching in just 17 games with the Giants. He finished the season with 4 wins and 9 losses, 101 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a 3.32 ERA in 111.0 innings.
Bumgarner was again on the DL in 2018. He finished the season with 6 wins and 7 losses, 109 strikeouts to 43 walks, and a 3.26 ERA in 129.2 innings in 21 games.
Bumgarner finished the 2019 season with a 9-9 record, 203 strikeouts to 43 walks, and a 3.90 ERA in 207.2 innings in 34 games.
Bumgarner became a free agent on October 31, 2019. He signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on December 17th. He pitched in nine games in 2020, and he finished the season with 1 win and 4 losses, 30 strikeouts to 13 walks, and a 6.48 ERA in 41.2 innings.
Bumgarner spent time on the IL in 2021 with left shoulder inflammation. He finished the season with 7 wins and 10 losses, 124 strikeouts to 39 walks, and a 4.67 ERA in 146.1 innings in 26 games.
The Diamondbacks released Bumgarner on April 26, 2023.
Statistics for Bumgarner in ten full seasons (2010-2019, 2021) in the major leagues include:
- 7 seasons with over 30 games, with a high of 34 in 2016 and 2019
- 7 seasons with over 200 innings pitched, with a high of 226.2 in 2016
- 7 seasons with over 150 strikeouts, with a high of 251 in 2016
- 4 seasons with an ERA of 3.00 or lower, with a low of 2.74 in 2016
Career pitching statistics for Bumgarner through 2021 include:
- 324 games played
- 2,034.0 innings pitched
- 127-106 win-loss record
- 1,948 strikeouts to 480 walks
- 3.31 ERA
Personal Life
Bumgarner married his wife Ali on February 14, 2010.
Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Madison Bumgarner
ESPN - Madison Bumgarner