Jimmy Key, baseball player, 1984-1998

Jimmy Key

Born: 4/22/1961 in Huntsville, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1984-04-06 | Final Game: 1998-09-20

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: James Edward Key

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Biography

Jimmy Key, born in 1961, was a prominent left-handed pitcher whose career spanned from 1984 to 1998. Known for his exceptional command and ability to change speeds, Key became a mainstay in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by a transition from the low-scoring games of the 1980s to the more offensive-minded approach of the 1990s. He finished his career with a record of 186-117 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.51, showcasing his effectiveness on the mound over a 15-season career. Key was selected to the All-Star Game four times, a testament to his skill and consistency as a pitcher. He accumulated 1,538 strikeouts throughout his career and recorded 10 saves, highlighting his versatility as both a starter and a reliever. His ability to perform in high-pressure situations made him a valuable asset to his teams, particularly during postseason play. As a key contributor to the Toronto Blue Jays during their early success, Key played a significant role in shaping the franchise's history and is remembered as one of the more accomplished pitchers of his era.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
186 117 470 389 34 13 10 2591.7 2518 1010 254 668 1538 3.51 0

Career ERA 3.51 vs. league average 4.10 across their career seasons — 14.5% 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
1984 TOR AL 4 5 63 0 0 0 10 62.0 70 32 32 44 4.65 3.81 (-22%) -1274.7
1985 TOR AL 14 6 35 32 3 0 0 212.7 188 71 50 85 3.00 3.89 (+23%) -387.6
1986 TOR AL 14 11 36 35 4 2 0 232.0 222 92 74 141 3.57 3.97 (+10%) 464.8
1987 TOR AL 17 8 36 36 8 1 0 261.0 210 80 66 161 2.76 4.29 (+36%) 4669.6
1988 TOR AL 12 5 21 21 2 2 0 131.3 127 48 30 65 3.29 3.73 (+12%) -444.4
1989 TOR AL 13 14 33 33 5 1 0 216.0 226 93 27 118 3.88 3.71 (-4%) 3046.0
1990 TOR AL 13 7 27 27 0 0 0 154.7 169 73 22 88 4.25 3.86 (-10%) 254.4
1991 TOR AL 16 12 33 33 2 2 0 209.3 207 71 44 125 3.05 3.91 (+22%) 4536.1
1992 TOR AL 13 13 33 33 4 2 0 216.7 205 85 59 117 3.53 3.75 (+6%) -1527.7
1993 NYY AL 18 6 34 34 4 2 0 236.7 219 79 43 173 3.00 4.19 (+28%) -
1994 NYY AL 17 4 25 25 1 0 0 168.0 177 61 52 97 3.27 4.51 (+28%) -
1995 NYY AL 1 2 5 5 0 0 0 30.3 40 19 6 14 5.64 4.45 (-27%) -
1996 NYY AL 12 11 30 30 0 0 0 169.3 171 88 58 116 4.68 4.61 (-1%) -
1997 BAL AL 16 10 34 34 1 1 0 212.3 210 81 82 141 3.43 4.39 (+22%) -500.0
1998 BAL AL 6 3 25 11 0 0 0 79.3 77 37 23 53 4.20 4.43 (+5%) 1665.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
471 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .400 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.729 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
1984 TOR AL 63 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1985 TOR AL 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 TOR AL 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1987 TOR AL 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1988 TOR AL 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1989 TOR AL 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1990 TOR AL 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1991 TOR AL 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1992 TOR AL 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1993 NYY AL 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1994 NYY AL 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1995 NYY AL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1996 NYY AL 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1997 BAL AL 34 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1998 BAL AL 25 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
14 1 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
1997 ALCS BAL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1997 ALDS2 BAL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1996 ALCS NYA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1996 ALDS2 NYA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1996 WS NYA 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1992 ALCS TOR 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1992 WS TOR 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1991 ALCS TOR 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1989 ALCS TOR 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1985 ALCS TOR 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
5 3 14 11 0 68.7 71 24 17 35 3.15

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1997 ALCS BAL 0 0 2 1 0 7.0 5 2 3 7 2.57
1997 ALDS2 BAL 0 1 1 1 0 4.7 8 2 0 4 3.86
1996 ALCS NYA 1 0 1 1 0 8.0 3 2 1 5 2.25
1996 ALDS2 NYA 0 0 1 1 0 5.0 5 2 1 3 3.60
1996 WS NYA 1 1 2 2 0 11.3 15 5 5 1 3.97
1992 ALCS TOR 0 0 1 0 0 3.0 2 0 2 1 0.00
1992 WS TOR 2 0 2 1 0 9.0 6 1 0 6 1.00
1991 ALCS TOR 0 0 1 1 0 6.0 5 2 1 1 3.00
1989 ALCS TOR 1 0 1 1 0 6.0 7 3 2 2 4.50
1985 ALCS TOR 0 1 2 2 0 8.7 15 5 2 5 5.19

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 470 389 172 452 22 35

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1984 TOR P 63 0 9 11 1 0
1985 TOR P 35 32 15 52 3 3
1986 TOR P 36 35 18 42 0 4
1987 TOR P 36 36 17 44 3 5
1988 TOR P 21 21 5 19 0 1
1989 TOR P 33 33 11 44 2 2
1990 TOR P 27 27 8 22 1 3
1991 TOR P 33 33 22 37 2 3
1992 TOR P 33 33 18 27 1 2
1993 NYA P 34 34 14 33 4 1
1994 NYA P 25 25 6 40 2 3
1995 NYA P 5 5 4 3 0 2
1996 NYA P 30 30 9 30 1 1
1997 BAL P 34 34 12 37 2 2
1998 BAL P 25 11 4 11 0 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 470
Designated Hitter 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1994 MLB Players Choice Outstanding Pitcher
1994 TSN All-Star LHP
1994 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1993 Pitcher of the Month April
1993 TSN All-Star LHP
1987 TSN All-Star LHP
1987 TSN Pitcher of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1998 BAL AL $5,390,825
1997 BAL AL $2,340,000
1996 NYA AL $1,750,000
1995 NYA AL $4,873,700
1994 NYA AL $5,350,000
1993 NYA AL $4,900,000
1992 TOR AL $2,275,000
1990 TOR AL $1,466,667
1989 TOR AL $1,766,666
1988 TOR AL $440,225
1987 TOR AL $554,391
1986 TOR AL $552,500
1985 TOR AL $131,250
Total Career Earnings $31,791,224

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Clemson University Clemson SC 1980, 1981, 1982

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1994 Cy Young Award AL 2nd 96.0 140 10
1994 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 102.0 392 0
1993 Cy Young Award AL 4th 14.0 140 0
1993 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 29.0 392 0
1987 Cy Young Award AL 2nd 64.0 140 4