Jeff Karstens, baseball player, 2006-2012

Jeff Karstens

Born: 9/24/1982 in San Diego, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 2006-08-22 | Final Game: 2012-10-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Jeffrey Wayne Karstens

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Biography

Jeff Karstens was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 2006 to 2012. Born in 1982, Karstens made his Major League Baseball debut with the New York Yankees, showcasing his skills in a league that was defined by a mix of emerging young talent and established superstars. Over his career, he played for several teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he became known for his ability to keep games competitive despite his modest win-loss record of 26-40. Karstens finished his career with a 4.44 earned run average (ERA) and recorded 330 strikeouts. Although he did not achieve any saves during his time in the majors, he was recognized for his durability and ability to pitch deep into games, often relying on finesse rather than overpowering speed. His playing style was emblematic of a transitional era in baseball, where traditional pitching strategies were being complemented by advanced analytics and an emphasis on strikeout rates. After his retirement, Karstens left a mark as a reliable arm in a competitive landscape, contributing to the teams he played for with his consistent performance on the mound.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
26 40 138 91 2 2 0 592.3 636 292 80 153 330 4.44 0

Career ERA 4.44 vs. league average 4.24 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
2006 NYY AL 2 1 8 6 0 0 0 42.7 40 18 11 16 3.80 4.53 (+16%) -
2007 NYY AL 1 4 7 3 0 0 0 14.7 27 18 9 5 11.05 4.47 (-147%) -
2008 PIT NL 2 6 9 9 1 1 0 51.3 56 23 13 23 4.03 4.32 (+7%) -576.6
2009 PIT NL 4 6 39 13 0 0 0 108.0 115 65 45 52 5.42 4.32 (-25%) -1552.1
2010 PIT NL 3 10 26 19 0 0 0 122.7 146 67 27 72 4.92 4.08 (-21%) -2313.0
2011 PIT NL 9 9 30 26 1 1 0 162.3 163 61 33 96 3.38 3.94 (+14%) -1450.2
2012 PIT NL 5 4 19 15 0 0 0 90.7 89 40 15 66 3.97 4.01 (+1%) 1614.7

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 0.090 0.143 0.097 0.239 -486.7

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 0.239 vs. league average 0.743 across their career seasons — 67.8% 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
2006 NYY AL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 NYY 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 0.143 — — — — 0.0
2009 PIT NL 39 22 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 12 0.045 — — — — 0.0
2010 PIT NL 26 33 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 16 0.061 — — — — 0.0
2011 PIT NL 30 48 2 5 1 0 0 2 0 3 28 0.104 — — — — -486.7
2012 PIT NL 19 28 3 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 15 0.107 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 138 91 42 67 6 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2006 NYA P 8 6 4 6 1 1
2007 NYA P 7 3 0 1 0 0
2008 PIT P 9 9 3 6 2 1
2009 PIT P 39 13 4 12 0 0
2010 PIT P 26 19 12 15 0 1
2011 PIT P 30 26 15 19 2 2
2012 PIT P 19 15 4 8 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 138

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2011 Player of the Week Week of 2011-07-17

Salary History

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 Career Earnings $5,384,295

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Grossmont College El Cajon CA 2001, 2002
Texas Tech University Lubbock TX 2003