The Brewers, historically, have not been a team that possess a true pitching ace. There are exceptions, of course. Pete Vuckovick, Yovani Gallardo, Ben Sheets, and CC Sabathia were Brewers who could have been aces on other teams as well. In this edition of Brewers Past and Present, we take a look at the career of another such pitcher: current Houston Astros starter, Zack Greinke.
Zack Greinke in Kansas City
Zack Greinke was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2002 with the sixth overall pick in the amateur draft. Greinke enjoyed many successes in Kansas City, but he also went through a number of tough stretches. After making his Major League debut in 2004, Greinke finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He went 8-11 with a 3.97 ERA that year. The next season, though, saw Greinke lead the American League with 17 losses and a dismal 5.80 ERA.
Greinke lost his spot in the rotation, and nearly his career, as he battled anxiety and depression. He only pitched in three games in 2006 as he took time away from the game. When he returned in 2007, he was used out of the bullpen. However, in 2008, he returned to the starting rotation and posted a 13-10 record with a 3.47 ERA and 183 strikeouts.
The next year (2008), Greinke exploded into superstardom. He went 16-8 and with an ERA of 2.16 and 242 strikeouts, which is still his career-high. He won the AL Cy Young Award that year and was named to his first All-Star team. In 2009, however, he regressed and went just 10-14 with a 4.17 ERA. This regression, as well as the Royals belief they could not retain Greinke much longer, led them to a trade.
Zack Greinke as a Milwaukee Brewer
The Kansas City Royals traded Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers in a blockbuster trade. In exchange for Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt, the Royal received Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odorizzi, Alcides Escobar, and Jeremy Jeffress. This trade would be a rare case in which both teams immediately benefited.
For the Royals, they enjoyed seven good years of Lorenzo Cain. While the Brewers did not enjoy the same length of service from Greinke, his impact on the team was immediate.
2011 was Zack Greinke’s only full season in Milwaukee, but what a season it was! Greinke went 16-6 with a 3.83 ERA and 201 strikeouts. The Brewers won the NL Central Division for the first time and made it to National League Championship Series. Greinke, of course, was expected to be a key factor in the Brewers’ postseason run. Unfortunately, he had his struggles. He received a no decision in the divisional series against the Diamondbacks. He went five innings and allowed four runs in his lone start. In the NLCS, he went 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA, allowed eight earned runs in 11.2 innings.
In 2012, Greinke again had a good season. With the Brewers, he went 9-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 122 strikeouts. Knowing that Greinke would be too expensive for them to offer a contract, the Brewers traded him to Los Angeles Angels for prospects, including Jean Segura. Greinke left Milwaukee with a perfect 15-0 record at Miller Park.
Zack Greinke’s Post-Milwaukee Career
Zack Greinke finished 2012 with the Angels, posting a 6-2 record and 3.53 ERA to go along with an addition 78 strikeouts. That brought his 2012 totals to a 15-5 record, 3.48 ERA, and 200 strikeouts. In the off-season, he signed a huge deal to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With the Dodgers, Zack Greinke enjoyed one of the best stretches of his career. In 2013, he won 15 games, led the NL in winning percentage, and won his first Silver Slugger Award. In 2014, he won 17 games, made his second All-Star team, and won his first Gold Glove. Finally, in 2015, he won 19 games, posted a 1.66 ERA, made another All-Star team, and won another Gold Glove. In three seasons with the Dodgers, Greinke went 51-15 with a 2.30 ERA, and finished in the top eight of the Cy Young vote three times.
Many were surprised that, in 2016, Greinke decided to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had a rough first season, going 13-7 with a 4.37 ERA, but still won a Gold Glove. In 2017, though, he returned to form going 17-7 with a 3.20 ERA and 215 strikeouts. He also made the All-Star team, finished fourth in Cy Young voting, and won his fourth straight Gold Glove. Greinke would post another solid season in 2018, making the All-Star team and winning yet another Gold Glove, his fifth.
Last season, Greinke started the season 10-4 with a 2.90 ERA, making yet another All-Star team. However, the Diamondbacks decided to trade Greinke to the Astros, where he finished 8-1 with a 3.02 ERA. His totals last season: 18-5 with a 2.93 ERA, another Gold Glove and another Silver Slugger.
Conclusion
While his time in Milwaukee was short-lived, Greinke was a fan favorite and gave the city many long-lasting memories. It is rare for a team like the Brewers to have such a high-profile name from outside the organization come in for any period of time. The 2011 team started the expectations of a winning culture in Milwaukee, and Greinke had a lot to do with that.
MORE BREWERS PAST AND PRESENT
- Prince Fielder
- JJ Hardy
- Rickie Weeks
- Orlando Arcia
- Jeff Cirillo
- Cecil Cooper
- Paul Molitor
- Justin Smoak
- Ben Sheets
- Bob Uecker
- Keston Hiura
- Josh Hader
- Ted Simmons
- Gorman Thomas
- Pete Vuckovich
- Rollie Fingers
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