Rick Ankiel, baseball player, 1999-2013

Rick Ankiel

Born: 7/19/1979 in Fort Pierce, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1999-08-23 | Final Game: 2013-06-08

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: Richard Alexander Ankiel

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Biography

Rick Ankiel was a talented baseball player whose career spanned from 1999 to 2013, primarily as a pitcher. Born in 1979, Ankiel made his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he quickly gained recognition for his impressive fastball and striking ability on the mound. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 13-10 with a 3.9 ERA and struck out 269 batters. Ankiel also recorded one save, showcasing his versatility in relief situations. Ankiel's career was notable not only for his performance but also for his remarkable journey through the game. He was initially heralded as a top prospect and a future ace for the Cardinals, but his trajectory changed dramatically due to control issues that plagued him during the 2000s. After transitioning to an outfield position, he successfully reinvented himself as a hitter, further embedding his legacy in the sport. Ankiel's story exemplified resilience and adaptability, making him a memorable figure in baseball history and a symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
13 10 51 41 0 0 1 242.0 198 105 32 130 269 3.90 0

Career ERA 3.90 vs. league average 4.59 across their career seasons — 14.9% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1999 STL NL 0 1 9 5 0 0 1 33.0 26 12 14 39 3.27 4.71 (+30%) -
2000 STL NL 11 7 31 30 0 0 0 175.0 137 68 90 194 3.50 4.77 (+27%) -
2001 STL NL 1 2 6 6 0 0 0 24.0 25 19 25 27 7.12 4.42 (-61%) -
2004 STL NL 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 10.0 10 6 1 9 5.40 4.46 (-21%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
653 1921 260 462 101 10 76 251 21 162 555 0.240 0.302 0.422 0.724 -826.8

Career AVG .240 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 8.4% below league average.

Career OBP .302 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.

Career SLG .422 vs. league average .417 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.724 vs. league average 0.748 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1999 STL NL 9 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.100 — — — — 0.0
2000 STL NL 35 68 8 17 1 1 2 9 0 4 20 0.250 .270 (-8%) .344 (-15%) .437 (-13%) .782 (-14%) -178.5
2001 STL NL 6 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2004 STL NL 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2007 STL NL 47 172 31 49 8 1 11 39 1 13 41 0.285 .268 (+6%) .335 (-2%) .422 (+27%) .758 (+14%) 346.4
2008 STL NL 120 413 65 109 21 2 25 71 2 42 100 0.264 .263 (avg) .333 (+1%) .416 (+22%) .749 (+13%) 975.6
2009 STL NL 122 372 50 86 21 2 11 38 4 26 99 0.231 .262 (-12%) .332 (-15%) .417 (-7%) .750 (-11%) -887.0
2010 KCR AL 27 92 14 24 7 0 4 15 1 7 29 0.261 .257 (+1%) .325 (-3%) .402 (+16%) .728 (+8%) 94.7
2010 ATL NL 47 119 17 25 6 1 2 9 2 19 42 0.210 .257 (-18%) .325 (-1%) .402 (-19%) .728 (-11%) 94.7
2011 WAS NL 122 380 46 91 20 0 9 37 10 29 96 0.239 .255 (-6%) .320 (-8%) .399 (-9%) .719 (-8%) -622.0
2012 WAS NL 68 158 15 36 10 2 5 15 1 12 59 0.228 .254 (-10%) .318 (-11%) .405 (+1%) .724 (-4%) -159.7
2013 HOU AL 25 62 6 12 3 0 5 11 0 3 35 0.194 .253 (-24%) .317 (-27%) .396 (+22%) .714 (avg) -31.4
2013 NYN NL 20 66 7 12 4 1 2 7 0 5 25 0.182 .253 (-28%) .317 (-25%) .396 (-8%) .714 (-16%) -31.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
9 15 1 2 0 0 1 1 2 6 0.133

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2010 NLDS2 ATL 4 12 1 2 0 0 1 1 2 4 0.167
2009 NLDS1 SLN 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000
2000 NLCS SLN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2000 NLDS1 SLN 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 3 2 0 4.0 5 7 11 5 15.75

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2000 NLCS SLN 0 0 2 1 0 1.3 1 3 5 2 20.25
2000 NLDS1 SLN 0 0 1 1 0 2.7 4 4 6 3 13.50

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 536 447 1108 32 24 5
P 51 41 11 20 7 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1999 SLN P 9 5 2 0 0 0
2000 SLN P 31 30 8 14 7 2
2001 SLN P 6 6 0 3 0 0
2004 SLN P 5 0 1 3 0 0
2007 SLN OF 44 40 91 3 2 0
2008 SLN OF 106 100 236 4 8 1
2009 SLN OF 101 90 203 5 5 2
2010 KCA OF 25 23 68 1 2 1
2010 ATL OF 45 34 73 4 2 1
2011 WAS OF 113 90 245 9 1 0
2012 WAS OF 62 37 115 2 2 0
2013 HOU OF 22 16 42 3 2 0
2013 NYN OF 18 17 35 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 51
Left Field 44
Center Field 431
Right Field 90

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2000 TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2012 WAS NL $1,250,000
2011 WAS NL $1,500,000
2010 KCA AL $2,750,000
2009 SLN NL $2,825,000
2008 SLN NL $900,000
2006 SLN NL $335,000
2005 SLN NL $400,000
2004 SLN NL $320,000
2002 SLN NL $400,000
2001 SLN NL $400,000
2000 SLN NL $202,500
1999 SLN NL $200,000
Total Career Earnings $11,482,500

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2000 Rookie of the Year NL 2nd 87.0 160 6