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Christopher Ryan Young (born May 25, 1979) is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
player and current
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the Texas Rangers. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
as a right-handed
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
from to for the Texas Rangers,
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
,
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
and the Kansas City Royals. Young was a 2007 National League (NL) All-Star player as a member of the Padres, and was a member of the
2015 World Series The 2015 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 season. The 111th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion New York Mets and the American Leag ...
winning Kansas City Royals team. After his playing career, he worked for the Major League Baseball front office before becoming the General Manager of the Rangers in 2020. At the age of 25, Young made his MLB debut on August 24, 2004 with the Rangers. He had previously excelled in basketball and baseball at Highland Park High School in
University Park, Texas University Park is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States of America, in suburban Dallas. The population was 23,068 at the 2010 census. The city is home to Southern Methodist University. University Park is bordered on the north, east and we ...
, and
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
. Young helped Highland Park reach the Class 4A Region II basketball final in 1997 and the Class 4A
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
state basketball final in 1998. He tossed a no-hitter in 1997 while compiling a 6–0 record, helping Highland Park reach the Class 4A Texas state baseball final. During his senior year, he was District Most Valuable Player in basketball, and led his baseball team to the state championship, while pitching in two no-hitters. That year, he was a first-team All-State selection in basketball and baseball. After a high school career as an athlete and scholar, Young excelled in both baseball and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
for Princeton University and became the
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...
's first male two-sport Rookie of the Year. Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the June 2000 draft, he had brief professional experiences in the Pirates,
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
, and Texas Rangers minor league systems before debuting with the Rangers in August 2004. Young's professional baseball career took off in the 2006 season, when he was the major league leader in
opponent batting average In baseball statistics, batting average against (denoted by BAA or AVG), also known as opponents' batting average (denoted by OBA), is a statistic that measures a pitcher's ability to prevent hits during official at bats. It can alternatively b ...
,
hits per nine innings In baseball statistics, hits per nine innings (denoted by H/9) is the average number of hits allowed by a pitcher in a nine inning period; calculated as: (hits allowed x 9) / innings pitched. This is a measure of a pitcher's success based on the n ...
and
road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) and was named the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
Pitcher of the Month for June. Additionally, he extended his streak of consecutive undefeated
games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opposing batter. If a player is li ...
as a visiting pitcher to 24, and secured the only Padres win in the team's 3–1 series loss to the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
in the
2006 National League Division Series The 2006 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Sunday, October 8, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a " wild card" team— ...
. In 2007, he defended his opponent batting average and hits per nine innings titles, but instead of winning the road ERA title he won the home ERA title. He is , which makes him, along with former pitchers Eric Hillman,
Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
,
Andrew Brackman Andrew Warren Brackman (born December 4, 1985) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the New York Yankees in 2011. High school career Brackman attended Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. College career 1 ...
and
Andrew Sisco Andrew Frank Sisco (born January 13, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox, in the Korean Professional Baseball League for the KT Wiz, ...
, the second tallest player in
baseball history The question of the origins of baseball has been the subject of debate and controversy for more than a century. Baseball and the other modern bat, ball, and running games — stoolball, cricket and rounders — were developed from folk games i ...
, next to
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...
Jon Rauch Jon Erich Rauch (born September 27, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. At , he is tied with Sean Hjelle as the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist in baseball. Early year ...
(who is and Young's teammate on the 2012 New York Mets). He was elected to the
2007 MLB All-Star Game The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007 ...
as a first-time All-Star via the
All-Star Final Vote The All-Star Final Vote was an annual Internet and text message ballot by Major League Baseball (MLB) fans to elect the final player for each team that participates in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, after all other selections were m ...
.


High school

Young attended Highland Park High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He
lettered Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
three times in basketball, in a career in which he scored over 1,000 points, and accumulated 500
rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
and 200 blocks. He was a two-year letterman in baseball, compiling a 14–3 record with 180 strikeouts. In basketball, he averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots a game, and in baseball he had an 8–3 record with a 1.70 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 80  innings pitched. As a sophomore in the fall of 1995, he was moved up to the varsity basketball team from the junior varsity due to injuries. As a junior, his presence was significant enough that one opposing team practiced with a coach holding a broom in the air to simulate playing against him. He helped his team reach the Class 4A-state Region II final. As a junior in baseball, Young threw a no-hitter against
McKinney High School McKinney High School (MHS) is located at 1400 Wilson Creek Parkway in McKinney, Texas, and is within the McKinney Independent School District. MHS is the oldest high school in McKinney and the current building opened in 1986, after moving from what ...
in Spring 1997. However, he missed a large part of the season after getting off to a 6–0 start because of a
stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...
in his foot. Nonetheless, he was already considered a top professional prospect, and he was named as one of seven Highland Park players on the all-district team. By the summer of 1997, he was able to play for the Dallas Mustangs who were the defending national champions in the Connie Mack World Series, and he earned the win in the fifth place game of the World Series. By January of Young's senior season, he had led his basketball team to a district-leading 23–1 (4–0 in district) record and first place in both ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the '' Galvest ...
Class 4A area poll and the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' state poll. Young developed a reputation as a finesse post player, and that season he led his team to the UIL State Tournament championship game. Highland Park lost to Houston's
Waltrip High School Stephen Pool Waltrip High School is a public high school located at 1900 West 34th Street in Houston, Texas, United States, 77018. Waltrip, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Waltrip has Hou ...
and Young was credited with a tournament-high 18 rebounds by the ''
Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Carter ...
'', although ''The Dallas Morning News'' only credited him with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Young finished his senior season as a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' first-team All-State selection and the District 9-4A Most Valuable Player. He was later chosen to play in the mid-summer Texas High School Coaches Association's Southwestern All-Star basketball game at the
Hofheinz Pavilion The Fertitta Center, formerly known as Hofheinz Pavilion, is a 7,100-seat multi-purpose arena on the University of Houston campus in Houston. Located at 3875 Holman Street, it is home to the Houston Cougars men's and women's basketball teams and ...
. Young announced he planned to attend Princeton in May 1998. He chose Princeton over Boston College,
University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...
,
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
,
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
,
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
, and
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
. Young's decision was based on Princeton's rising national profile in basketball and the opportunity to work with baseball coach Scott Bradley, who had played
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
for the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
while 6–10 pitcher Randy Johnson was with the team. On May 9, 1998, Young was involved in a combined no-hitter when he pitched into the fifth inning against Moisés E. Molina High School and was relieved by Mike Matthews. Highland Park won this game, which was the clinching Region II best-of-3 bi-district series game, by the 10-run rule. Young displayed
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
power as a senior, and in some games, he played
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
. Later that month, Young pitched another no-hitter in another 10-run rule victory, this time against Carthage High School. Young was the starting pitcher at
UFCU Disch-Falk Field UFCU may refer to: * UFCU Disch-Falk Field, the baseball field of the University of Texas at Austin * United Federal Credit Union, a credit union in Michigan * University Federal Credit Union, a credit union in Utah * University Federal Credit Unio ...
during the Texas state 4A championship game victory against
Calallen High School Calallen High School is a public high school serving grades 9–12. The school is located in the Calallen Independent School District in northwest Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. Background Calallen's name comes from Calvin Joseph (Cal) ...
, and he clinched the game with a successful pickoff move. He was selected to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association 1998 All-State baseball team as well as The Texas Sports Writers Association third-team Class 4A all-state baseball.


College career

In his freshman season at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
, Young was the first male athlete to be named
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...
Rookie of the Year in two sports—basketball and baseball—and was a unanimous selection for both awards. In addition, Young was named second-team All-Ivy in basketball and was basketball Rookie of the Week each of the final six weeks and seven weeks overall. His season was capped with Ivy League Player of the Year and freshman
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
honors from ''Basketball Weekly''. Statistically, Young set
Princeton Tigers men's basketball The Princeton Tigers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Princeton University. The school competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Tigers ...
freshman records for points (387) and rebounds (160) by averaging 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds a game with the 1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team. He also had 39 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists in three games at the Rainbow Classic basketball tournament, hosted by the
University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
. He posted a season-high 24 points in a National Invitation Tournament win against the NC State Wolfpack. In baseball, Young led Princeton and the Ivy League with a 2.38 ERA. During this performance he allowed only one
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
over the course of 150 batters faced, and was twice named Ivy League Rookie of the Week. Young concluded his college basketball career by starting every game with the 1999–2000 team. Among his accomplishments that season were 22 double-digit scoring games, breaking his own single-season school record for blocked shots with 87, and leading the team with 13.8 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, 87 blocked shots and 40 steals. He was also second on the team with 105 assists. Young had the highest rebounding average of any Princeton player since 1978 and was also the thirteenth player in school history to record 100 assists in a season. For his college basketball career, Young accumulated 801 points, 350 rebounds, and 142 blocks. His best game performances included a 20-point game on the road against the 11th-
ranked A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second. In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
Kansas Jayhawks, a career-high 30 points against Harvard, and a school record of nine blocked shots against the
Ohio Bobcats The Ohio Bobcats are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio University, located in Athens, Ohio, United States. Ohio University is a charter member (1946) of the Mid-Ame ...
. During his sophomore baseball season in 2000, Young was the Ivy League's leading pitcher with a 1.82 ERA overall and a 1.05 figure in conference games. He compiled a perfect record of 5–0 in eight appearances, with 52 strikeouts in innings. Young was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League baseball selection, and he led the Tigers to their first Ivy League title since 1996. Young pitched a complete game and struck out seven batters in the 5–2 win in the championship series opener against Dartmouth. In 2000, he played collegiate summer baseball for the
Chatham A's The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...
of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Young was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2000 amateur draft and signed a US$1.65 million contract with Pittsburgh on September 6 after holding out until he gained assurances that he would be able to complete his collegiate education. His athletic career was not entirely on hold as an upperclassman, and he was able to get some low minor league experience before completing his degree at Princeton in politics in June 2002 and becoming a full-time professional athlete. He played in the class A minor leagues after his junior year. Young then completed his senior thesis, entitled "The Impact of Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball on Racial Stereotypes in America: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Stories about Race in the New York Times" while commuting on minor league buses as a player for the
Hickory Crawdads The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League (SAL) and the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Hickory, North Carolina, and play their home games at L. P. Frans Stadium, which opened i ...
. Young was also offered a two-year guaranteed contract to play basketball for the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
in 2002 by fellow Princeton alum and Kings president
Geoff Petrie Geoffrey Michael Petrie (born April 17, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player. A native of Pennsylvania, he played professional basketball in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers where he ...
.


Professional career

Young was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2000 MLB draft. He was signed to a deal on September 6. After a few years of minor league service, he was traded to the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
' organization. The Expos traded him to the Texas Rangers, for whom he eventually made his major league debut. After less than two seasons with the Rangers, he was traded to the San Diego Padres.


Minor leagues

In 2001, Young went 5–3 with a 4.12 ERA in 12 starts for the
Hickory Crawdads The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League (SAL) and the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Hickory, North Carolina, and play their home games at L. P. Frans Stadium, which opened i ...
in the Class-A
South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
, including two complete games. In 2002, Young helped the Crawdads to the league title with an 11–9 record and 3.11 ERA in 26 starts. Young earned decisions in fifteen straight starts from April 16 and July 4. He allowed more than three
earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...
s in just two of 26 starts. Opposing batters batted .234. He was traded to the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
with Jon Searles for pitcher
Matt Herges Matthew Tyler Herges (born April 1, 1970) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 to 2009, and is the former pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Herges played in ML ...
in a postseason trade. Young began the 2003 season on the disabled list before joining the
Brevard County Manatees The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brevard County af ...
of the Florida State League towards the end of April. He posted a 5–2 record with a 1.62 ERA, and held opposing batters to a .150 batting average in eight starts. His season was highlighted by an eight-inning, one-hit, no-
walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...
, eight-strikeout performance against the
Fort Myers Miracle The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Fort Myers, Florida, and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex at H ...
on May 11. This capped a 3–0, 0.47 ERA start to the season. In June 2003, Young was promoted to the
Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League, and the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who play their home games at FNB Field on City Island, which opened in 1987 a ...
of the Double-A Eastern League. He went 4–4 with a 4.01 ERA in 15 starts. In July, he went 3–0 and finished with an ERA of 3.03 over five starts. His season was highlighted by an eight-strikeout final outing on August 30 against the
Norwich Navigators Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
and a win on July 27 against the
Reading Phillies Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
in which he threw seven
shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...
innings. He was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers organization on April 3, 2004, in a preseason deal along with Josh McKinley for Einar Díaz and Justin Echols. He started the 2004 season with the
Frisco RoughRiders The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Frisco, Texas, and are named for the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regime ...
of the
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
where he went 6–5 with a 4.48 ERA in 18 starts. The only two home runs he allowed in his final 12 starts and 61 innings with the RoughRiders occurred on July 3, against Round Rock. He struck out a season-high eight batters on May 9 against El Paso. Young was promoted to the Triple-A
Oklahoma RedHawks Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...
of the Pacific Coast League in late July and went a perfect 3–0 with a 1.48 ERA in five starts. During this brief stint he allowed only nine walks while compiling 34 strikeouts, and held opposition batters to a .189 average. He posted four
quality start In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start has effectively replaced the 'complete game' a ...
s, and in his fifth start he only allowed two runs. The club was 4–1 in his PCL starts. The only loss was due to a blown save with a 4–2 ninth-inning lead on August 7 against the
Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...
in a game in which Young allowed no earned runs. He was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for August 16 to 22 after his last start on August 18 against the
Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...
. Young took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his second Triple-A start on August 2 against the
Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 ...
.


Texas Rangers


2004

Young debuted with the Rangers on August 24, 2004, against the Minnesota Twins. He pitched innings, giving up four hits and three earned runs, while striking out four and walking three batters. Young exited the game trailing 3–0, but was rescued by a comeback walk-off 5–4 win. This debut made Young the first Princeton baseball player to start a major league game at any position since
Dave Sisler David Michael Sisler (October 16, 1931 – January 9, 2011) was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from through . Early in his career, Sisler was a starter, then later was used as a middle relie ...
(son of
Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis B ...
and brother of
Dick Sisler Richard Alan Sisler (November 2, 1920 – November 20, 1998) was an American player, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball. The son of Hall of Fame first baseman and two-time .400 hitter George Sisler, Dick Sisler's younger brother Dave was ...
) gave up six earned runs in just over four innings on August 27, 1961, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. The game also marked the first appearance in a major league game by a Princeton baseball player since
Bob Tufts Robert Malcolm Tufts (November 2, 1955 – October 4, 2019) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals between 1981 and 1983. Early life Tufts was born in Medford, Massac ...
played his final game for the Kansas City Royals on May 6, 1983. Other Princeton baseball players who have recorded either 50 innings pitched or 130 at bats (the requirements to qualify for Rookie of the Year) in the major leagues are
Moe Berg Morris Berg (March 2, 1902 – May 29, 1972) was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball, who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Although he played 15 seasons in the major leagues, ...
, Homer Hillebrand,
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...
, Dutch Meier, Dutch Sterrett, and
Bobby Vaughn Robert Vaughn (June 4, 1885, in Stamford, New York – April 11, 1965) was a professional baseball player who played a season for the New York Highlanders of the American League and a season for the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League. ...
. Young has been joined in the major leagues by Princetonian
Ross Ohlendorf Curtis Ross Ohlendorf (born August 8, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, and Ci ...
who debuted for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
on September 11, 2007. Another Princetonian, Tim Lahey, was on the Philadelphia Phillies roster from the team's Opening Day on March 31, 2008, until April 5, 2008, without making an appearance. The debut, which occurred in a home game at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, served as a homecoming for Young who grew up in nearby
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
and went to Highland Park High School. With his debut, Young became the second-tallest player in Major League Baseball, only an inch shorter than the
Jon Rauch Jon Erich Rauch (born September 27, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. At , he is tied with Sean Hjelle as the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist in baseball. Early year ...
. Three other current and previous pitchers—
Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
,
Andrew Sisco Andrew Frank Sisco (born January 13, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox, in the Korean Professional Baseball League for the KT Wiz, ...
and Eric Hillman—are also . He became the tallest pitcher in Rangers history, surpassing the right-handed pitcher
Mike Smithson Mike Smithson may refer to: * Mike Smithson (British journalist) (born 1946), British journalist, Liberal Democrat politician, and political betting expert *Mike Smithson (Australian journalist), Australian news reporter *Mike Smithson (baseball) ...
. After becoming part of the starting rotation, he made seven starts and compiled a 3–2 record with a 4.71 ERA. Young signed a three-year contract through 2007 on November 19. Young's first major league decision came during his second start in an August 29 loss to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
. His first win came in his third start on September 4 against the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
. His fifth start was a six-inning performance in a 1–0 win against the
Anaheim Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
on September 19. This was the first Ranger 1–0 victory since August 25, 2000 against the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
, a stretch of 669 games. The club went 5–2 during his starts in his brief 2004 stint with the club.


2005

Young was one of three rookies on the Opening Day roster. He made 31 starts in 2005 with the Rangers, compiling a 12–7 record with a 4.26 ERA. His twelve victories tied
Kevin Brown Kevin Brown may refer to: Entertainment * Kevin Brown (blues musician) (born 1950), English blues guitarist * Kevin Brown (author) (born 1960), American journalist and translator * Kevin Brown (poet) (born 1970), American poet and teacher * Kevin ...
's record for most wins by a Rangers rookie. His season started slowly, with seven earned runs allowed in innings pitched (8.59 ERA) over his first two starts. However, over the course of 11 starts from April 17 – June 13, he lowered his ERA to a season-low 2.78 by going 6–2, 2.18 in innings pitched over that stretch. This included the month of May when he went 3–0 in five starts with a 1.42 ERA that was third-best among all qualifying major leaguers for the month. This included his season-high scoreless innings recorded from May 3–9. He had subsequent hot and cold streaks, with a record of 2–4 and a 9.07 ERA in nine starts from June 20 – August 2, followed by a 2.53 ERA over his final nine starts. He closed out the season by winning his final four decisions, which was a personal best. May 9 was one of two times Young came within an inning of a shutout by pitching eight scoreless innings; August 17 against the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
was the other. Young recorded a personal-best eight strikeouts in a seven-inning no-decision on June 2 at Detroit. The closest Young came to a no-hitter was innings of hitless pitching in a road game against the Houston Astros on June 25 before allowing a
Craig Biggio Craig Alan Biggio (; born December 14, 1965) is an American former second baseman, outfielder and catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career from 1988 through 2007 for the Houston Astros. A seven-time National League (NL) All ...
single in the sixth inning. Over the course of the season, Young was the beneficiary of the second-highest
run support Run support is a baseball statistic Baseball statistics play an important role in evaluating the progress of a player or team. Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performi ...
in the majors, trailing only
David Wells David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Boomer", Wells was considered on ...
of the Boston Red Sox. However, he surrendered three runs or less in 22 of 31 starts. After a 2005 season when he went 5–0 with a 3.47 ERA in 11 games during the day and 7–7 with a 4.71 ERA in 20 games at night, he had a career 8–1 record with a 3.31 ERA in 15 day games and 7–8 with a 5.05 mark in 23 games at night. In his rookie season, Young ranked in the top five among qualifying major league rookies in several statistical categories: strikeouts (second, 137), wins (tied for third, 12), ERA (fourth, 4.26), starts (fifth, 31) and innings pitched (fifth, ). He also tied Rangers rookie club records: wins (12, Edwin Correa in 1986 and
Kevin Brown Kevin Brown may refer to: Entertainment * Kevin Brown (blues musician) (born 1950), English blues guitarist * Kevin Brown (author) (born 1960), American journalist and translator * Kevin Brown (poet) (born 1970), American poet and teacher * Kevin ...
in 1989) and pre All-Star break wins (8,
Jeff Zimmerman Jeffrey Ross Zimmerman (born August 9, 1972) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1999 to 2001 for the Texas Rangers. Baseball career Independent baseball Zimmerman played baseball in the ...
in 1999 and
José Guzmán José Alberto Guzmán Mirabal (born April 9, 1963) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from to . Career Guzmán was signed by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent on February 10, . He made his maj ...
in 1986). Young ranked fifth among all
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
pitchers with 7.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. Despite this success, however, he was a key part of an offseason trade that also sent
Terrmel Sledge Terrmel Sledge (born March 18, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and the former assistant hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals and San D ...
and Adrián González to the San Diego Padres for starting pitcher Adam Eaton, middle reliever
Akinori Otsuka (born January 13, 1972) is a retired Japanese baseball pitcher who coaches for the Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers. He was also the closer for Jap ...
and minor-league catcher Billy Killian.


San Diego Padres


2006

2006 marked Young's breakout season. His ERA continued its downward trend, falling to 3.46 over 31 starts, good enough for sixth best in the National League, and he recorded a career-high 169 strikeouts. He finished with an 11–5 record, led all major league pitchers with a 2.41 road ERA, allowed a league-leading 6.72 hits per 9 innings pitched, and a .206 opponent batting average. He had 15
no decision A no decision (sometimes written no-decision) is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports. Baseball and softball A starting pitcher who leaves a game with ...
s, the most among MLB starting pitchers in 2006. During 2006 he led the majors in stolen bases allowed, with 41. During the season, Young won a National League Pitcher of the Month award, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning or beyond three times, and extended his undefeated road start streak to 24 games. This streak made Young one of only three pitchers in major league history to have gone at least 23 straight road starts without a loss;
Allie Reynolds Allie Pierce Reynolds (February 10, 1917 – December 26, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Reynolds pitched 13 years for the Cleveland Indians (1942–1946) and New York Yankees (1947–1954). Reynolds was nicknam ...
set the record at 25 straight road starts spanning the 1948 and 1949 seasons, with
Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that fea ...
falling one short, going undefeated in 24 straight road contests spanning the 1953 and 1954 seasons. In his first six starts after
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
, he improved from a 3–3 with a 4.32 ERA to 7–3 with a 2.97 ERA, by allowing only four earned runs over innings. He was named one of five candidates from the National League for Major League Baseball's "All-Star Final Vote" to determine the final official selection for the
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game w ...
; however,
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra (; born July 23, 1973) is an American retired Major League Baseball player and current SportsNet LA analyst. After playing parts of nine seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played shortstop, third ...
was elected. Nonetheless, his strong June performance – during which he allowed 16 hits and 13 walks over innings, maintained a 1.17 ERA and struck out 34 – earned him the National League Pitcher of the Month award. His five starts in June were highlighted by a career-best 12-strikeout performance on June 9 against the
Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...
and a June 21 win over his former team, the Texas Rangers. On September 22, Young had a no-hitter through innings of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates before pinch hitter
Joe Randa Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
hit a two-run home run. This would have been the first no-hitter in Padres history. It was the first time a Padre had taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning since
Andy Ashby Andrew Jason Ashby (born July 11, 1967) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. ...
on September 5, 1997, vs. the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
. Young had been on pace for a
perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...
through innings. Young also took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on May 30 against the Colorado Rockies as a prelude to his June performance. In that game, which marked the first time a pitcher took a no-hitter into the eighth inning during the 2006 season, he surrendered a double to
Brad Hawpe Bradley Bonte Hawpe (born June 22, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Hawpe played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Before he b ...
, who had been a teammate in the 1997 Connie Mack World Series, on his first pitch of the eighth inning and 99th of the game. During Young's next start on June 4 at Pittsburgh, he did not allow a hit for the first innings, making him one of only two pitchers (
Steve Trachsel Stephen Christopher Trachsel (born October 31, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles between 1993 and 2008. He batted and t ...
– June 20–25, 2002) to have consecutive starts with at least five hitless innings since the 2000 season. He ended the season by winning his first career postseason start; on October 7, he earned a 3–1 victory in Game 3 of the
2006 National League Division Series The 2006 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Sunday, October 8, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a " wild card" team— ...
against the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. He pitched shutout innings, struck out nine, walked two and allowed four hits. The Padres lost the series three games to one. Young's 6–0 road performance in 2006 was one of 49 undefeated road seasons with at least five victories by a pitcher since post-season play began in 1903. However, it was the first to be followed by a postseason road victory. In November, he traveled to Japan to take part in the
Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series The MLB Japan All-Star Series is an irregular end-of-the-season tour of Japan made by an All-Star team from Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1986, contested in a best-of format against the All-Stars from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) o ...
. Young was the starter in an exhibition game against the
Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...
, which was memorable for the major leaguers' three-run ninth-inning rally to earn a tie. This game was the prelude to the five-game series which began with three games at the
Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
and was followed by games in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
and
Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...
. Young pitched the fourth game of the series. Young also blogged on behalf of mlb.com about daily life during the trip. He detailed visits with
United States Ambassador to Japan The is the ambassador from the United States of America to Japan. History Since the opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. has maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period between the ...
Tom Schieffer John Thomas Schieffer (born October 4, 1947) is an American diplomat and entrepreneur who served as U.S. Ambassador to Australia from 2001 to 2005 and as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2005 to 2009. Schieffer is the founder and President of Envo ...
, time in the
Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular refere ...
, and travels on the
Bullet Train Bullet train may refer to: Rail * Shinkansen high-speed trains of Japan, nicknamed for their appearance and speed * Other high-speed trains of a similar appearance to Japanese trains * An ongoing project to build high-speed rail in India. Rail to ...
.


2007

In his season debut on April 4 against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
, Young became the 435th different pitcher to surrender a home run to Barry Bonds when he surrendered Bonds' first of the season and 735th of his career. The game marked Young's 25th consecutive road start without a loss. Young was 9–0 during the streak, which ended in his subsequent road start on April 15 at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
in a 9–3 loss to the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. The last of the nine other pitchers to go 20 consecutive road starts without a loss was Greg Maddux who went 22 starts without a loss during 1997 and 1998. Young's streak began on June 25, 2005. On April 10, Young signed a four-year extension with the Padres through the 2010 season, reportedly worth US$14.5 million with a club option for 2011. On June 16, Young threw a pitch that
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
Chicago Cubs All-Star
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Derrek Lee Derrek Leon Lee (born September 6, 1975), nicknamed "D-Lee", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Lee played with the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates ...
on the back of the upper left arm. The day before the fracas,
Alfonso Soriano Alfonso Guilleard Soriano (born January 7, 1976) is a Dominican former professional baseball left fielder and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, and Chicago C ...
homered off
David Wells David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Boomer", Wells was considered on ...
, and the Padres believed Soriano showed poor sportsmanship by admiring and celebrating his home run. The pitch nicked Lee's left hand near his surgically repaired wrist. When the Lee began walking towards first base, both he and Young, , exchanged words, and a bench-clearing altercation ensued. Both Young and Lee were ejected from the game, along with
Jake Peavy Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants. He batted and threw right- ...
and Cubs bench coach
Gerald Perry Gerald June Perry (born October 30, 1960) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played from 1983 to 1995 for the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career In 1988, ...
. On June 18, Young and Lee were suspended five games each for their roles in the brawl, and Perry was suspended three games. All suspended parties were fined, as were Peavy and
Brian Giles Brian Stephen Giles (; born January 20, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The left-handed Giles was a two-time All-Star and had a ...
. Young and Lee appealed their suspensions, which were to begin the following day. At the time of the scuffle in the fourth inning, both pitchers were working on no-hitters. Young was ejected in the game, and he earned a no-decision in the game which the Padres ultimately won 1–0. On June 24, Jake Peavy surrendered three earned runs in five innings, which caused his ERA to rise from 1.98 to 2.14. This gave Young, who had a 2.08 ERA, the National League-leading average for one day. The next day,
Brad Penny Bradley Wayne Penny (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Penny played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardi ...
allowed only one earned run over eight innings to take the lead with a 2.04 ERA. On July 1, Young was nominated as a candidate for the All-Star Final Vote, contending against
Tom Gorzelanny Thomas Stephen Gorzelanny (born July 12, 1982) is a former American professional baseball pitcher who is currently the pitching coach for the minor league Amarillo Sod Poodles. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, ...
,
Roy Oswalt Roy Edward Oswalt (; born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Oswalt played for the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Houston Astros. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texa ...
,
Brandon Webb Brandon Tyler Webb (born May 9, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Webb pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2003 through 2009, and, after multiple shoulder surgeries, signed with but ...
and
Carlos Zambrano Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...
. In a bid for the final spot on July 4, Young posted seven scoreless innings in a 1–0 victory over the
Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...
to not only retake the National League ERA lead, but also assume the major league lead over Brad Penny by a slim margin (1.9968 to 1.9970). The voting ended on July 5, with Young defeating the four opposing pitchers to earn his first career All-Star Game selection. The selection made Young the sixth Ivy League athlete named to the All-Star team (joining
Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...
,
Red Rolfe Robert Abial "Red" Rolfe (October 17, 1908 – July 8, 1969) was an American third baseman, manager and front-office executive in Major League Baseball. A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, Rolfe also was an Ivy Leaguer: a graduate, then long-t ...
,
Ron Darling Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. (born August 19, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a m ...
,
Brad Ausmus Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...
and
Mike Remlinger Michael John Remlinger (born March 23, 1966) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. Remlinger has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the San Francisco Giants (1991), New York Mets (1994–95), Cincinnati Reds (1995– ...
). Young entered the All-Star break with the major league lead in ERA and opponent batting average as well as an undefeated streak extending back to a May 12 loss to the Cardinals. Prior to the announcement of his election, Young dropped his appeal of the five-game suspension. Young served his suspension during the final four games before the All-Star break and the first game afterwards, yet was allowed to play in the All-Star Game at
AT&T Park Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curren ...
in
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. In the fifth inning of the 5–4
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
victory for which Young was the losing pitcher, he surrendered the first
inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer". Discussion To score ...
in All-Star game history to Ichiro Suzuki. He was placed on the disabled list after he incurred a strained oblique muscle during the third inning of his July 24 start. On August 9, he was activated off the disabled list to make a scheduled start. He took a 12-start (five-decision) undefeated streak, dating back to a May 12 loss to the Cardinals, into his first start off the disabled list, but he took the loss in a 5–0 defeat, which was again against the Cardinals. Young ended the 2007 season as the major league leader in
opponent batting average In baseball statistics, batting average against (denoted by BAA or AVG), also known as opponents' batting average (denoted by OBA), is a statistic that measures a pitcher's ability to prevent hits during official at bats. It can alternatively b ...
and
hits per nine innings In baseball statistics, hits per nine innings (denoted by H/9) is the average number of hits allowed by a pitcher in a nine inning period; calculated as: (hits allowed x 9) / innings pitched. This is a measure of a pitcher's success based on the n ...
, but also in stolen bases allowed (with 44). He battled injuries late in the season and surrendered the ERA leadership to Jake Peavy in his August 30 start.


2008

Young started the season in the second spot in the Padres rotation between
ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
Peavy and Maddux. He pitched his first three turns from the second spot in the rotation. On April 18, he missed his turn and Maddux moved into the second spot in the rotation. Young has since been pitching in the third spot in the rotation. The number three spot in the rotation is the only one that was not scheduled to start during the Padres visit to
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
May 12–15, 2008. Young, thus, did not make a start against the Cubs with whom he had an altercation in 2007. On May 21, 2008, in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Young was hit in the face by a line drive from Albert Pujols. Young was sitting on the ground for several minutes but was able to leave the field under his own power as he only sustained a nasal fracture and a laceration on his nose. Later in the same inning, Pujols would also sprain the ankle of Padres catcher
Josh Bard Joshua David Bard (born March 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He is the bullpen coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red ...
while sliding into home plate. Young returned to the mound on July 29 with five shutout innings against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
. Young then did not pitch between August 10 and September 1 due to another disabled list stint and returned to the lineup to take the loss in a game where Greg Maddux, who had become a Los Angeles Dodger, earned his 354th victory to tie
Roger Clemens William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...
for eighth on the all-time list. Then, on September 7 he came within four outs of
perfection Perfection is a state, variously, of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The term is used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These have historically been addressed in a number of discrete disciplines, ...
when Milwaukee Brewers'
Gabe Kapler Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder, and current manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Kapler was a 57th-round draft pick (1,487th ove ...
hit a one-out home run in the eighth inning. He allowed two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five, en route to 10–1 victory at Milwaukee's
Miller Park American Family Field is a retractable roof stadium used primarily for baseball. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just southwest of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Brewers Boulevard. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Milwauk ...
. Young did not get his first perfect game or first no-hitter, but he did end up with the first complete game of his career after 114 starts. Two starts later he hit his first home run as a major league batter.


2009

After starting the season with a 4–2 record, Young lost his last four starts before spending the remainder of the season on the disabled list. His final start occurred on June 14. He was initially placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 19, but on July 31 he was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. In August, he had season ending
arthroscopic surgery Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the ...
to repair partial tears in his labrum. He had been disabled with shoulder inflammation. For the 2009 season, he was 4–6 with a 5.21 ERA.Chris Young Stats , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref>


2010

Young pitched six shutout innings in the second game of the season before being pulled with a right shoulder strain. He missed almost the entire season except for three starts near the end of the season, finishing the season 2–0 with a 0.90 ERA. In November, the Padres declined to pick up the option for 2011. In 2010, he was chosen as the eighth-smartest athlete in sports by '' Sporting News''.


New York Mets


2011

On January 17, 2011, Young signed a contract with the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
worth $1.1 million with the ability to reach up to $4.5 million through incentives. In his first career start with the Mets on April 5, 2011, Young went five and a third innings while striking out seven batters, recording the victory in a 7–1 Mets win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He also went three for three at the plate with two runs batted in against Phillies starter
Cole Hamels Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983), nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2015), Texas Rangers ( ...
. In that game, Young became the first Mets pitcher in team history to record two hits in a single inning. Shortly after the start of the season, Young sustained an arm injury which forced him to miss the remainder of the 2011 season on the disabled list. Following the season, he was a free agent.


2012

On March 26, 2012, Young signed on a minor league deal with the Mets. He had recently undergone surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder. He spent the first 33 days of the season on the triple A
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...
' disabled list before being activated on May 10. Young subsequently made three starts with the single A St. Lucie Mets on May 11, May 16 and 25 before being promoted back to Buffalo on May 27. He compiled a 1–0 record with 3.18 ERA in 17.0 innings during the three starts. On May 31, he pitched 6 scoreless innings for the Bisons against the Columbus Clippers. The Mets announced on June 4 that they would call Young up to the major league roster on June 5. On June 5, 2012, Young made his return against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
at
Nationals Park Nationals Park is a baseball stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Home to Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals since its completion in 2008, it was the first LEED-certified green major profe ...
with the Mets, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) over 5 innings in a game that was eventually decided in 12 innings. On June 6 his wife gave birth and he was placed on a
paternity leave Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" and "paternity l ...
, which was not intended to interfere with his June 10 scheduled start. The move was for the purpose of freeing up a roster spot during Young's off days under a Major League Baseball rule that allows for a three-day leave. Young made his next start on June 12 against the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
, earning his first win in over a year.


Washington Nationals


2013

On February 21, 2013, Young signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals and an invitation to training camp. On March 26, 2013, he was granted his unconditional release by the Nationals after opting out of his contract. He was re-signed by the Nationals on April 4, 2013. He was then assigned to Triple-A Syracuse. He made his season debut on April 23 against Rochester, giving up 6 runs in 4.2 innings. He made 6 additional starts before going on the disabled list with a neck injury on May 28, 2 days after leaving a start against Columbus after the first inning. He made 2 starts at the end of the year in the
Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the l ...
and with Short-Season Auburn before the end of the injury-marred season. In 9 total starts, he went 1–2 with a 6.81 ERA, striking out 21 in 37 innings. After experiencing pain in his shoulder and neck, he had surgery to repair what was diagnosed as thoracic outlet syndrome. This condition is a nerve problem that puts pressure on a pitcher's shoulder. On November 19, 2013, Young re-signed with the Nationals on a minor league deal. He was released on March 25, 2014.


Seattle Mariners


2014

Young signed a highly incentivized one-year deal with the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
on March 27, 2014. Young was scheduled to debut as a starter for the Mariners on April 4. However, the
Oakland Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home b ...
had its first rainout since 1998. As a result, after 159 Major League starts and 102 Minor League starts, Young made his first appearance as a
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...
(other than the 2007 All-Star Game) and he pitched two shutout innings on April 6 against the
Oakland A's The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
later in that series. He made his first Major League start since September 9, 2012 on April 13 against Oakland. He posted six scoreless innings, while scattering 4 hits and 3 walks. By early June, Young was in the conversation for
Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball (MLB) to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sp ...
, with a 5–2 start and 3.27 ERA, according to
MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
's Adam Lewis. In helping to stabilize a rotation battered by injuries and ineffectual fifth starters, Mariners manager
Lloyd McClendon Lloyd Glenn McClendon (born January 11, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1987 to 1994 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and the ...
was unabashed in his praise of the right-hander at the time, calling him a "godsend." Young finished the season with a 12–9 record and a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts. His 7.8 hits per nine innings was the sixth in the AL. Following the season, Young was recognized with the
Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball (MLB) to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sp ...
, ''The Sporting News'' American League Comeback Player of the Year Award, and Players Choice Comeback Player of the Year Award. At the conclusion of the season, Young became a free agent.


Kansas City Royals


2015

On March 7, 2015, Young signed with the Kansas City Royals. Young entered the season in the long reliever role with the Royals. He appeared in the Royals' sixth game on April 12 against the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
with two scoreless innings as the Royals started the season 6–0. Young made his first start with the Royals on May 1. He tossed five no-hit innings against the Detroit Tigers. On June 16, Young posted 7 shutout innings and 3
runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
against the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the first Royals pitcher to tally 3 RBI in a game since 1972. After achieving a record of 8–6 with a 3.25 ERA through the end of July, Young was returned to the bullpen on July 31 after posting a 5.11 ERA over a 5-game stretch. On September 27 (one day after his father died), Young made his first start since July 28 and pitched 5 no-hit innings against the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
. On October 20, Young started and pitched 4 2/3 innings in a game 4 victory in the
2015 American League Championship Series The 2015 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a best-of-seven playoff contested between the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals for the American League (AL) pennant and the right to play in the 2015 World Series. The series is the ...
against the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. It was Young's first postseason start since the
2006 National League Division Series The 2006 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Sunday, October 8, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a " wild card" team— ...
. He earned the win in the October 27 game 1 of the
2015 World Series The 2015 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 season. The 111th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion New York Mets and the American Leag ...
when he shut down the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, giving up a walk and no hits while striking out 4 over the final three innings, to help the Royals win 5–4 in 14 innings.


2016

On December 7, 2015, the Royals announced that they had signed Young to a two-year $11.75 million contract with mutual third-year option. After beginning the 2016 season with a record of 1–5 in 7 starts, Young was placed on the disabled list with a strained right forearm from May 12 to 28. After his DL stint, Young continued to serve the Royals as a swingman out of the bullpen, finishing the season appearing in 34 games, 13 starts. He was 3–9 and registered a 6.19 ERA, his highest ERA over a full season to that point in his career. He also tied a career high by allowing 28 home runs, and gave up a career-high 10.6 hits per 9 innings.


2017

Young began the season in the bullpen after failing to win a spot in the Kansas City rotation. On June 23, 2017, Young was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
by the Royals. He was immediately released. For the 2017 season, he was 0–0 with a 7.50 ERA in 14 games.


Return to the Padres

Young signed a minor league contract with the Padres on December 29, 2017. He was released on March 27, 2018.


Retirement

Young moved into administration effective May 14, 2018 as the Vice President, On-Field Operations, Initiatives & Strategy under MLB Chief Baseball Officer
Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball executive, serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball since 2020. He previously served in the capacity of Major League Baseball's (MLB) chief baseb ...
, reporting directly to Senior Vice President, On-Field Operations Peter Woodfork.


Head of MLB Operations

In May 2018, Young became an MLB executive when he was promoted to serve as vice president of on-field operations, initiatives and strategy. In February 2020, Young was promoted to Senior Vice President to replace Joe Torre as the MLB's enforcer of discipline action, such as deciding fines and suspensions.https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28649530/former-pitcher-chris-young-replacing-joe-torre-mlb-disciplinarian With this promotion, Young's position was also named Senior Vice President He also oversaw the On-Field Operations and Umpiring Departments.


General Manager

On December 4, 2020, Young was named General Manager of the Texas Rangers, succeeding Jon Daniels.


Player profile


Pitching style

Young was not a traditional
power pitcher Power pitcher is a term in baseball for a pitcher who relies on pitch velocity at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts, and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of ...
. He was said to be a
control pitcher In baseball, a control pitcher, also known as a finesse pitcher, is a pitcher who succeeds mostly by using accurate pitches, as opposed to a power pitcher who relies on velocity. By issuing a below average number of bases on balls he exhibits go ...
in a power pitcher's body—his pitching style was more like Greg Maddux's than that of five-time Cy Young Award winner
Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
, who is the same height as Young. Young was traded three times partly because of the low velocity of his fastball, which was in the 83–87 miles per hour (133.6–140 km/h) range. Young learned how to use precise location to make his fastball effective. He had also been compared to another control pitcher,
Jim Palmer James Alvin Palmer (born October 15, 1945) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1965–1967, 1969–1984). Palmer was the winningest MLB pitcher in the ...
, because Young similarly induced popups and fly ball outs with deceptive late movement on his high fastballs. Over 50% of the balls put in play against him were fly balls. Of the flyballs hit off Young in 2007, 3.8% were home runs. while the average was about 11%. From 2003 to 2006 the best single-season percentage was 6.2% by
Dontrelle Willis Dontrelle Wayne Willis (born January 12, 1982), nicknamed "The D-Train", is an American former left-handed professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinn ...
in 2005. Young's mid-2000s repertoire included
fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...
s, curveballs,
slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...
s and
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
s. His curveball was a slow curveball and his fastball was described by former teammate and
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball te ...
as having late life and late movement that seemed to jump. His curveball was used to keep the hitters off balance so that they did not jump on his low-velocity fastball. Former Ranger pitching coach
Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV (born September 16, 1958) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000. He later became a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and a bro ...
said Young had the ability to throw his fastball to all locations effectively which gave him a chance at success. Hershiser described Young's pitches as sneaky fast because his methodical delivery and size gave him deception. This delivery also left him susceptible to stolen bases due to the relatively long time it took for him to deliver a pitch from the stretch. By 2012, nearly all of his pitches were fastballs or sliders.


Batting

Throughout his career, Young had a career .150
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, including 31 hits, eight of which were
extra base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...
s (six doubles, one triple, and one home run). He never recorded a stolen base. Only a handful of former Princeton players have hit a major league home run. Before Young's home run in 2008,
Moe Berg Morris Berg (March 2, 1902 – May 29, 1972) was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball, who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Although he played 15 seasons in the major leagues, ...
had been the last Princeton alumnus to hit one (1939).


Personal life

Young's wife, Elizabeth Patrick, is the great-granddaughter of
Lester Patrick Curtis Lester Patrick (December 31, 1883 – June 1, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (Western Hockey League after 1924), and ...
, who was the namesake of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's
Patrick Division The Patrick Division is a former division of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons un ...
and the
Lester Patrick Trophy The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, c ...
. Her father is
Dick Patrick Richard Patrick (born 1946) is a Canadian-born sports executive. He is the part-owner, president and alternate governor of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the son of Muzz Patrick, the grandson of Lester Patrick ...
, the President of the
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
and a minority owner. She was also a member of the Princeton University class of 2002, and she attended law school in Washington, D.C. The couple have three children together.


See also

*
List of people from Dallas The following is a list of notable people who were born, or who have lived a significant portion of their lives in Dallas, Texas. A * Vinnie Paul Abbott, musician * Amy Acker, actress *Jensen Ackles, actor * Mike Agnew, soccer player * Jeff Ag ...
*
List of Princeton University people This list of Princeton University people include notable alumni (graduates and attendees) or faculty members (professors of various ranks, researchers, and visiting lecturers or professors) affiliated with Princeton University. People who have g ...
*
List of World Series starting pitchers The following is a chronological list of the starting pitchers for each World Series game contested in Major League Baseball. Each pitcher's win–loss record for World Series starts, cumulative through the game in question, is listed when the s ...
*
San Diego Padres award winners and league leaders This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the San Diego Padres professional baseball team. Award winners NL Most Valuable Player * – Ken Caminiti NL Cy Young * – Randy Jones * – Gaylord Perry * – Mark Davi ...


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Chris 1979 births Living people American men's basketball players Auburn Doubledays players Baseball players from Dallas Basketball players from Dallas Brevard County Manatees players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Chatham Anglers players Frisco RoughRiders players Gulf Coast Nationals players Harrisburg Senators players Hickory Crawdads players Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas) alumni Kansas City Royals players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball general managers Major League Baseball pitchers National League All-Stars New York Mets players Oklahoma RedHawks players Peoria Javelinas players Portland Beavers players Princeton Tigers baseball players Princeton Tigers men's basketball players San Diego Padres players San Antonio Missions players Seattle Mariners players St. Lucie Mets players Syracuse Chiefs players Texas Rangers executives Texas Rangers players