Jeff Karstens
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2006-2012)
Jeff Karstens was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2006 to 2012 for the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 7 seasons. Across 138 career appearances, he went 26-40 with a 4.44 ERA and 330 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 2006-08-22
- Last Game
- 2012-10-01
Full name: Jeffrey Wayne Karstens
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NYA | AL | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42.2 | 40 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 3.80 | 4.53 (+16%) | -577.9 |
| 2007 | NYA | AL | 1 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 11.05 | 4.47 (-147%) | -1272.7 |
| 2008 | PIT | NL | 2 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 51.1 | 56 | 23 | 13 | 23 | 4.03 | 4.32 (+7%) | -570.5 |
| 2009 | PIT | NL | 4 | 6 | 39 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108.0 | 115 | 65 | 45 | 52 | 5.42 | 4.32 (-25%) | -1518.4 |
| 2010 | PIT | NL | 3 | 10 | 26 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 122.2 | 146 | 67 | 27 | 72 | 4.92 | 4.08 (-21%) | -2256.0 |
| 2011 | PIT | NL | 9 | 9 | 30 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 162.1 | 163 | 61 | 33 | 96 | 3.38 | 3.94 (+14%) | -1403.4 |
| 2012 | PIT | NL | 5 | 4 | 19 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90.2 | 89 | 40 | 15 | 66 | 3.97 | 4.01 (+1%) | 1614.7 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 26 | 40 | 138 | 91 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 592.1 | 636 | 292 | 153 | 330 | 4.44 | — | -5,984 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 138 | 145 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 79 | .090 | .143 | .097 | .239 | -461 |
Career AVG .090 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 65.7% below league average.
Career OBP .143 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 56.6% below league average.
Career SLG .097 vs. league average .414 across their career seasons — 76.7% below league average.
Career OPS .239 vs. league average .743 across their career seasons — 67.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NYA | AL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2007 | NYA | AL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2008 | PIT | NL | 9 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2009 | PIT | NL | 39 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | .045 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2010 | PIT | NL | 26 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .061 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2011 | PIT | NL | 30 | 48 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 28 | .104 | — | — | — | — | -461.1 |
| 2012 | PIT | NL | 19 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | .107 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 138 | 145 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 79 | .090 | — | — | — | — | -461 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (276 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 66 | 67 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | .075 |
| Away | 72 | 78 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | .103 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 66 | 282.1 | 299 | 135 | 67 | 143 | 4.30 |
| Away | 72 | 310.0 | 337 | 157 | 86 | 187 | 4.56 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-01 | PIT | ATL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012-09-26 | PIT | NYN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012-09-24 | PIT | NYN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012-09-19 | PIT | MIL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012-08-31 | PIT | MIL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012-08-25 | PIT | MIL | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012-08-19 | PIT | STL | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012-08-13 | PIT | LAD | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012-08-07 | PIT | AZ | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012-08-01 | PIT | CHC | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-01 | PIT | ATL | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012-09-26 | PIT | NYN | — | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012-09-24 | PIT | NYN | — | 1.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2012-09-19 | PIT | MIL | — | 3.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012-08-31 | PIT | MIL | L | 0.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012-08-25 | PIT | MIL | W | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012-08-19 | PIT | STL | — | 7.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012-08-13 | PIT | LAD | L | 7.0 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2012-08-07 | PIT | AZ | — | 6.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2012-08-01 | PIT | CHC | W | 5.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 138 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Player of the Week | Week of 2011-07-17 |
Salary History
Jeff Karstens's recorded salaries total $5,384,295 over 5 seasons, 2007 to 2012. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Karstens's career ran from 2006 to 2012. No salary is recorded for 2006 and 2010.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | PIT | NL | $3,100,000 |
| 2011 | PIT | NL | $1,100,000 |
| 2009 | PIT | NL | $401,500 |
| 2008 | NYA | AL | $393,300 |
| 2007 | NYA | AL | $389,495 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $5,384,295 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grossmont College | El Cajon | CA | 2001, 2002 |
| Texas Tech University | Lubbock | TX | 2003 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jeff Karstens (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jeff Karstens: the record in brief
August 22, 2006 and October 1, 2012 bracket Jeff Karstens's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the New York Yankees (2006 to 2007) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2008 through 2012). At 6'3" and 185 pounds, Karstens is listed as a pitcher. Karstens threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. Karstens was born on September 24, 1982, in San Diego, CA, USA. The given name on file is Jeffrey Wayne Karstens.
Across 138 games (91 starts), Karstens recorded 26 wins against 40 losses with a 4.44 ERA. Karstens had 330 strikeouts. Karstens's 4.44 ERA was close to the 4.24 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 9 wins of 2011. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 3.38 in 2011, when the league's was 3.94.
The position breakdown shows 138 games, all at pitcher. The fielding table credits Karstens with 42 putouts, 67 assists and 6 errors on the mound.
Karstens's awards table lists Player of the Week (2011).
Frequently Asked Questions about Jeff Karstens
- What years did Jeff Karstens play?
- Jeff Karstens played in Major League Baseball from 2006 to 2012.
- Was Jeff Karstens a pitcher?
- Yes. Jeff Karstens pitched in the major leagues, recording 26 wins and 330 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Jeff Karstens hit?
- Jeff Karstens hit 0 career home runs with 13 hits.
- What teams did Jeff Karstens play for?
- Jeff Karstens played for 2 teams: the New York Yankees (2006–2007) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2008–2012).
- What were Jeff Karstens's career stats?
- In 138 games, Jeff Karstens went 26-40 with a 4.44 ERA, 330 strikeouts, and 592.1 innings pitched.
- How much did Jeff Karstens earn in his career?
- Jeff Karstens's recorded salaries total $5,384,295 over 5 seasons, 2007 to 2012. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Karstens's career ran from 2006 to 2012. No salary is recorded for 2006 and 2010.
- What was Jeff Karstens's salary?
- Jeff Karstens's last recorded salary was $3,100,000, in 2012. His highest recorded salary was $3,100,000, in 2012, and his lowest was $389,495, in 2007. The Salary History table lists each season from 2007 to 2012.
- What position did Jeff Karstens play?
- Jeff Karstens played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jeff Karstens and how much did he weigh?
- Jeff Karstens was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 185 pounds.
- What was Jeff Karstens's career ERA?
- Jeff Karstens finished with a 4.44 career ERA, going 26-40 with 330 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Jeff Karstens have?
- Jeff Karstens recorded 330 career strikeouts.
- Is Jeff Karstens in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jeff Karstens has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.