John Axford, baseball player, 2009-2021

John Axford

Born: 4/1/1983 in Simcoe, ON, CAN

MLB Debut: 2009-09-15 | Final Game: 2021-08-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 234 lbs

Full name: John Berton Axford

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Biography

John Axford, born in 1983, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who made his mark from 2009 to 2021. Known for his powerful fastball and effective slider, Axford carved out a reputation as a reliable closer during his career. He played a pivotal role in the bullpens of several teams, most notably the Milwaukee Brewers, where he became a fan favorite for his fiery demeanor and competitive spirit. Axford finished his career with a record of 38-34, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.9, and a remarkable total of 144 saves, reflecting his ability to perform in high-pressure situations. Axford's career was notable not only for his on-field achievements but also for his journey to the major leagues. He was an undrafted free agent, having spent time in the minor leagues before breaking into the majors. His success in the MLB came during an era that emphasized the importance of strong bullpens, where he thrived, particularly in the 2011 season when he led the league in saves. Over his career, Axford accumulated 589 strikeouts, showcasing his capacity to dominate hitters with his strikeout ability. After retiring, he left behind a legacy of resilience and determination, inspiring future generations of pitchers.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
38 34 544 1 0 0 144 525.7 485 228 50 261 589 3.90 0

Career ERA 3.90 vs. league average 4.08 across their career seasons — near 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
2009 MIL NL 0 0 7 0 0 0 1 7.7 5 3 6 9 3.52 — 0.0
2010 MIL NL 8 2 50 0 0 0 24 58.0 42 16 27 76 2.48 4.08 (+39%) 2859.8
2011 MIL NL 2 2 74 0 0 0 46 73.7 59 16 25 86 1.95 3.94 (+50%) 2856.5
2012 MIL NL 5 8 75 0 0 0 35 69.3 61 36 39 93 4.67 4.01 (-16%) -81.6
2013 MIL NL 6 7 62 0 0 0 0 54.7 62 27 23 54 4.45 3.87 (-15%) -1246.5
2013 STL NL 1 0 13 0 0 0 0 10.3 11 2 3 11 1.74 3.87 (+55%) -
2014 CLE AL 2 3 49 0 0 0 10 43.7 34 19 30 51 3.92 3.74 (-5%) -1070.4
2014 PIT NL 0 1 13 0 0 0 0 11.0 9 5 6 12 4.09 3.74 (-9%) 242.8
2015 COL NL 4 5 60 0 0 0 25 55.7 56 26 32 62 4.20 3.96 (-6%) 558.5
2016 OAK AL 6 4 68 0 0 0 3 65.7 65 29 30 60 3.97 4.19 (+5%) 291.7
2017 OAK AL 0 1 22 0 0 0 0 21.0 27 15 17 21 6.43 4.36 (-48%) -722.9
2018 TOR AL 4 1 45 1 0 0 0 51.0 44 25 20 50 4.41 4.15 (-6%) 161.7
2018 LAD NL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 3.7 8 7 2 4 17.18 — -
2021 MIL NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.3 2 2 1 0 54.00 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
544 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .407 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.728 across their career seasons — 100.0% below 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
2009 MIL NL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2010 MIL NL 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2011 MIL NL 74 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2012 MIL NL 75 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2013 MIL NL 62 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2013 STL NL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2014 CLE AL 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2014 PIT NL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2015 COL NL 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2016 OAK AL 68 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2017 OAK AL 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2018 TOR AL 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2018 LAD NL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2021 MIL NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2013 NLCS SLN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2013 NLDS1 SLN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2013 WS SLN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2011 NLCS MIL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2011 NLDS2 MIL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 12 0 3 12.7 7 2 6 18 1.42

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2013 NLCS SLN 0 0 2 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 4 4.50
2013 NLDS1 SLN 0 0 2 0 0 1.3 0 0 2 0 0.00
2013 WS SLN 0 0 2 0 0 2.3 0 0 1 5 0.00
2011 NLCS MIL 0 0 3 0 2 3.0 2 0 0 4 0.00
2011 NLDS2 MIL 1 0 3 0 1 4.0 3 1 2 5 2.25

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 544 1 20 57 6 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2009 MIL P 7 0 1 0 0 0
2010 MIL P 50 0 4 5 0 2
2011 MIL P 74 0 1 7 2 1
2012 MIL P 75 0 2 4 1 0
2013 MIL P 62 0 1 3 0 0
2013 SLN P 13 0 0 0 0 0
2014 CLE P 49 0 0 4 0 0
2014 PIT P 13 0 2 2 0 0
2015 COL P 60 0 6 8 1 1
2016 OAK P 68 0 2 11 0 0
2017 OAK P 22 0 1 4 0 0
2018 TOR P 45 1 0 7 2 0
2018 LAN P 5 0 0 2 0 0
2021 MIL P 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 544

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2011 Reliever of the Month July
2011 Reliever of the Year Award

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2016 OAK AL $4,500,000
2015 COL NL $2,600,000
2014 CLE AL $4,500,000
2013 MIL NL $5,000,000
2012 MIL NL $525,000
2011 MIL NL $442,500
Total Career Earnings $17,567,500

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Canisius College Buffalo NY 2006
University of Notre Dame South Bend IN 2003, 2005

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2011 Cy Young Award NL 9th 2.0 224 0
2011 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 7.0 448 0