Carlos Zambrano
Born: 6/1/1981 in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, Venezuela
MLB Debut: 2001-08-20 | Final Game: 2012-09-21
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 275 lbs
Full name: Carlos Alberto Zambrano
Biography
Carlos Zambrano, born in 1981, was a prominent Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 2001 to 2012. Primarily known for his powerful right arm and intense competitive spirit, Zambrano made a significant impact during his tenure, particularly with the Chicago Cubs. He finished his career with a record of 132 wins and 91 losses, complemented by a 3.66 earned run average (ERA) and an impressive 1,637 strikeouts. Despite his effectiveness on the mound, Zambrano never recorded a save, as he typically served as a starting pitcher, where he thrived for much of his career.
Zambrano was selected to the All-Star Game three times, showcasing his status as one of the premier pitchers in the league during the 2000s. His ability to dominate games was often marked by his fierce demeanor and passion, making him a fan favorite and a key figure in Cubs history. Playing through an era that emphasized power hitting, Zambrano's contributions as a strikeout pitcher and his durability helped solidify his legacy in the game. His career, which concluded in 2012, left an indelible mark on baseball, particularly for those who followed the Cubs and witnessed his electrifying performances on the mound.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 | 91 | 354 | 302 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1959.0 | 1709 | 797 | 161 | 898 | 1637 | 3.66 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | CHC | NL | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.7 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 15.26 | - |
| 2002 | CHC | NL | 4 | 8 | 32 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108.3 | 94 | 44 | 63 | 93 | 3.66 | - |
| 2003 | CHC | NL | 13 | 11 | 32 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 214.0 | 188 | 74 | 94 | 168 | 3.11 | - |
| 2004 | CHC | NL | 16 | 8 | 31 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 209.7 | 174 | 64 | 81 | 188 | 2.75 | - |
| 2005 | CHC | NL | 14 | 6 | 33 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 223.3 | 170 | 81 | 86 | 202 | 3.26 | - |
| 2006 | CHC | NL | 16 | 7 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 214.0 | 162 | 81 | 115 | 210 | 3.41 | - |
| 2007 | CHC | NL | 18 | 13 | 34 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 216.3 | 187 | 95 | 101 | 177 | 3.95 | - |
| 2008 | CHC | NL | 14 | 6 | 30 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 188.7 | 172 | 82 | 72 | 130 | 3.91 | - |
| 2009 | CHC | NL | 9 | 7 | 28 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 169.3 | 155 | 71 | 78 | 152 | 3.77 | - |
| 2010 | CHC | NL | 11 | 6 | 36 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129.7 | 119 | 48 | 69 | 117 | 3.33 | - |
| 2011 | CHC | NL | 9 | 7 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 145.7 | 154 | 78 | 56 | 101 | 4.82 | - |
| 2012 | MIA | NL | 7 | 10 | 35 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 132.3 | 123 | 66 | 75 | 95 | 4.49 | -1547.7 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 384 | 693 | 75 | 165 | 26 | 3 | 24 | 71 | 1 | 10 | 240 | 0.238 | 0.248 | 0.388 | 0.636 | -1477.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | CHC | NL | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 2002 | CHC | NL | 32 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0.033 | 0.0 |
| 2003 | CHC | NL | 32 | 75 | 9 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 0.240 | -226.2 |
| 2004 | CHC | NL | 31 | 70 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 0.229 | -363.7 |
| 2005 | CHC | NL | 34 | 80 | 8 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0.300 | -15.4 |
| 2006 | CHC | NL | 37 | 73 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 0.151 | -400.7 |
| 2007 | CHC | NL | 37 | 81 | 9 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0.247 | -323.5 |
| 2008 | CHC | NL | 38 | 83 | 9 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0.337 | 236.0 |
| 2009 | CHC | NL | 35 | 69 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 0.217 | -147.7 |
| 2010 | CHC | NL | 42 | 52 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0.231 | -236.4 |
| 2011 | CHC | NL | 25 | 44 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0.318 | 0.0 |
| 2012 | MIA | NL | 35 | 34 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.176 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.100 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | NLDS1 | CHN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 2007 | NLDS1 | CHN | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.333 |
| 2003 | NLDS2 | CHN | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
| 2003 | NLCS | CHN | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 29.0 | 35 | 14 | 8 | 27 | 4.34 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | NLDS1 | CHN | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4.26 |
| 2007 | NLDS1 | CHN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1.50 |
| 2003 | NLCS | CHN | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11.0 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 5.73 |
| 2003 | NLDS2 | CHN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.7 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4.76 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 354 | 302 | 168 | 290 | 25 | 29 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | CHN | P | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002 | CHN | P | 32 | 16 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 2003 | CHN | P | 32 | 32 | 19 | 46 | 4 | 2 |
| 2004 | CHN | P | 31 | 31 | 18 | 29 | 2 | 2 |
| 2005 | CHN | P | 33 | 33 | 21 | 34 | 2 | 4 |
| 2006 | CHN | P | 33 | 33 | 12 | 33 | 4 | 4 |
| 2007 | CHN | P | 34 | 34 | 20 | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | CHN | P | 30 | 30 | 21 | 20 | 3 | 1 |
| 2009 | CHN | P | 28 | 28 | 19 | 23 | 3 | 2 |
| 2010 | CHN | P | 36 | 20 | 10 | 19 | 3 | 1 |
| 2011 | CHN | P | 24 | 24 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 5 |
| 2012 | MIA | P | 35 | 20 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 354 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Silver Slugger | P |
| 2008 | Player of the Week | Week of 2008-09-13 |
| 2008 | Silver Slugger | P |
| 2007 | Pitcher of the Month | July |
| 2006 | Pitcher of the Month | July |
| 2006 | Silver Slugger | P |
| 2004 | Pitcher of the Month | September |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | MIA | NL | $19,000,000 |
| 2011 | CHN | NL | $18,875,000 |
| 2010 | CHN | NL | $18,875,000 |
| 2009 | CHN | NL | $18,750,000 |
| 2008 | CHN | NL | $16,000,000 |
| 2007 | CHN | NL | $12,400,000 |
| 2006 | CHN | NL | $6,500,000 |
| 2005 | CHN | NL | $3,760,000 |
| 2004 | CHN | NL | $450,000 |
| 2003 | CHN | NL | $340,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $114,950,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Cy Young Award | NL | 5th | 3.0 | 160 | 0 |
| 2006 | Cy Young Award | NL | 5th | 6.0 | 160 | 0 |
| 2004 | Cy Young Award | NL | 5th | 8.0 | 160 | 0 |
| 2004 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 28th | 2.0 | 448 | 0 |