Kirk Saarloos, baseball player, 2002-2008

Kirk Saarloos

Born: 5/23/1979 in Long Beach, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 2002-06-18 | Final Game: 2008-09-20

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Kirk Craig Saarloos

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Kirk Saarloos was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2002 to 2008. Born in 1979, Saarloos made his debut with the Oakland Athletics, where he showcased his talents on the mound during the early 2000s, a period characterized by the rise of advanced analytics in baseball. Over the course of his career, he accumulated a win-loss record of 29-30 and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 5.02. Saarloos struck out a total of 251 batters, further establishing his presence in the league, and recorded 2 saves throughout his time in the majors. Saarloos was recognized for his performance early in his career, earning the accolade of Rookie of the Month during his debut season. His playing style emphasized control and adaptability, traits that allowed him to navigate the challenges of hitting during an era where offensive statistics were on the rise. Throughout his tenure, he played for several teams, including the Athletics, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Houston Astros, contributing to each organization with his pitching skills and experience. After retiring from professional baseball in 2008, Kirk Saarloos left behind a legacy as a reliable pitcher who embraced the evolving game of baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
29 30 165 73 3 2 2 509.0 592 284 60 186 251 5.02 0

Career ERA 5.02 vs. league average 4.39 across their career seasons — 14.3% worse 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
2002 HOU NL 6 7 17 17 1 1 0 85.3 100 57 27 54 6.01 4.28 (-41%) -882.8
2003 HOU NL 2 1 36 4 0 0 0 49.3 55 27 17 43 4.93 4.40 (-12%) 1048.0
2004 OAK AL 2 1 6 5 0 0 0 24.3 27 12 12 10 4.44 4.46 (+1%) -993.9
2005 OAK AL 10 9 29 27 2 1 0 159.7 170 74 54 53 4.17 4.29 (+3%) -750.8
2006 OAK AL 7 7 35 16 0 0 2 121.3 149 64 53 52 4.75 4.53 (-5%) -3678.3
2007 CIN NL 1 5 34 3 0 0 0 42.7 54 34 19 27 7.17 4.47 (-60%) -1598.2
2008 OAK AL 1 0 8 1 0 0 0 26.3 37 16 4 12 5.47 4.32 (-26%) 436.9

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
165 41 1 3 2 0 0 5 0 1 12 0.073 0.095 0.122 0.217 0.0

Career AVG .073 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 72.4% below league average.

Career OBP .095 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 71.4% below league average.

Career SLG .122 vs. league average .422 across their career seasons — 71.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.217 vs. league average 0.756 across their career seasons — 71.3% 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
2002 HOU NL 17 30 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 11 0.067 — — — — 0.0
2003 HOU NL 36 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2004 OAK AL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2005 OAK AL 29 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2006 OAK AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 CIN NL 34 5 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0.200 — — — — 0.0
2008 OAK AL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 165 73 46 104 6 10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2002 HOU P 17 17 8 14 1 3
2003 HOU P 36 4 2 6 2 1
2004 OAK P 6 5 2 9 0 1
2005 OAK P 29 27 22 33 2 3
2006 OAK P 35 16 9 27 0 1
2007 CIN P 34 3 2 11 1 1
2008 OAK P 8 1 1 4 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 165

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2002 Rookie of the Month July

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2007 CIN NL $1,200,000
2006 OAK AL $354,000
Total Career Earnings $1,554,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
California State University Fullerton Fullerton CA 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001