Kevin Lowell Kramer (born October 3, 1993) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018 and 2019.
| Kevin Kramer | |
|---|---|
 Kramer with the Indianapolis Indians in 2021 | |
| Second baseman / Third baseman / Outfielder | |
| Born: October 3, 1993 Turlock, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 5, 2018, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 2019, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .152 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 9 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Amateur career
edit
Kramer attended Turlock High School in Turlock, California.[1] He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 25th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played college baseball for the Bruins.[2][3] In 2013, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4]
Professional career
editPittsburgh Pirates
editAfter his junior year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.[5]
Kramer made his professional debut with the Low-A West Virginia Black Bears and was promoted to the Single-A West Virginia Power during the season. In 58 total games between the two teams, he batted .291 with 20 RBIs. He played 2016 with the High-A Bradenton Marauders where he posted a .277 batting average with four home runs and 57 RBIs in 118 games.[6][7] In 2017, Kramer played with the Double-A Altoona Curve, batting .297 with six home runs and 27 RBIs[8] in 53 games before a fractured right hand ended his season in June.[9]
Kramer began the 2018 season with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians of the International League and was called up to the majors for the first time on September 4.[10] He made his MLB debut the next day as a pinch hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. In 21 games with Pittsburgh, Kramer slashed .135/.175/.135 with 4 RBI. Kramer spent the majority of the 2019 season with Indianapolis, playing in only 22 games with the Pirates, with whom he batted .167/.260/.190 with 5 RBI.[11]
On May 20, 2020, Kramer underwent surgery on his right hip, and missed the entire 2020 season.[12] On October 30, Kramer was outrighted off of the 40-man roster.[13] He began the 2021 season with Indianapolis, where he batted .196/.318/.296 with 3 home runs and 22 RBI in 51 games.
Milwaukee Brewers
editOn July 4, 2021, Kramer was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Nathan Kirby.[14] He played in 23 games for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, slashing .245/.379/.321 with no home runs and 4 RBI. On August 17, Kramer was released by the Brewers organization.[15]
On June 1, 2022, Kramer affirmed that he had retired from professional baseball and has since started his own solar power firm after his release from the Brewers organization.[16]
Personal
editKramer and his wife, Riley, welcomed their first child, a daughter, in November 2019.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Turlock's Kramer goes solar in post-baseball endeavors". www.turlockjournal.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ "Kramer likely to stick with UCLA". Turlockjournal.com. June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ "UCLA's Kevin Kramer returns from injury with new perspective on baseball". May 7, 2015.
- ^ "Kevin Kramer - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ "Turlock High Grad Kevin Kramer Drafted by Pittsburgh Pirates". Turlockcitynews.com. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ Andrew Erickson (July 16, 2016). "Minor league report: Bradenton's Kramer adjusting to switch to 2nd base". TribLIVE. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ [1] Archived September 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Kevin Kramer Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ^ "Kramer rounds out Top 10 on 2B prospect list". MLB.com. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ^ "Pirates promote infield prospect Kevin Kramer".
- ^ "Kevin Kramer College, Amateur, Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Kevin Kramer Undergoes Hip Surgery". MLB Trade Rumors. May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Minor MLB Transactions: 10/30/20". MLB Trade Rumors. October 30, 2020.
- ^ "Brewers Acquire Kevin Kramer From Pirates". MLB Trade Rumors. July 4, 2021.
- ^ "Brewers Sign David Dahl to Minor League Deal". August 17, 2021.
- ^ "Kevin Kramer: Ends playing days". cbssports.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ "/ccpa/". TribLIVE.com.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Kevin Kramer on Twitter