Corey Kluber

Amateur career

Kluber attended Coppell High School in Coppell, Texas. While pitching for the school's baseball team and amid overuse by his high school coach, Don English, Kluber developed a stress fracture in his elbow, requiring surgery and the insertion of two screws. He went unselected in the 2004 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.

Coaches at Stetson University became aware of Kluber when he pitched at the World Wood Bat Championships in Jupiter, Florida, where his parents owned a condominium. He enrolled at Stetson, where he played college baseball for the Stetson Hatters baseball team in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

As a freshman in 2005, Kluber was used as a relief pitcher. He compiled a 2–2 win–loss record with a 7.82 earned run average (ERA) in 25 innings pitched. As a sophomore, he had a 6–5 win–loss record and a 3.61 ERA in 17 games, 14 of which he started. In 2007, Kluber had a 12–2 win–loss record and a 2.05 ERA with 117 strikeouts. That year, he was named the Atlantic Sun Conference's Pitcher of the Year, a second team member of the 2007 Ping! Baseball All-American Team and a member the American Baseball Coaches Association All-Atlantic Region Second Team in 2007.

San Diego Padres

Kluber was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the fourth round of the 2007 MLB Draft. The Padres signed Kluber, giving him a $200,000 signing bonus. Kluber played for the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Class A Midwest League in 2008. On August 25, 2008, he was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week.

Kluber played for the Lake Elsinore Storm of the Class A-Advanced California League in 2009. On June 1, 2009, he was named the California League Pitcher of the Week. He received a promotion to the San Antonio Missions of the Class AA Texas League in 2009, finishing the year with an 11–13 win–loss record and a 4.55 ERA. On July 26, 2010, Kluber was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week. He pitched to a 6–6 win–loss record with a 3.45 ERA with the Missions, while leading the Texas League in strikeouts.

Cleveland Indians

The Padres traded Kluber to the Cleveland Indians on July 31, 2010, in the three-team trade between the Padres, Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals that sent Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals and Ryan Ludwick to the Padres. The Padres also sent Nick Greenwood to the Cardinals, and the Indians paid $2.7 million of Westbrook's remaining salary. At the time of the trade, Kluber's minor league record was 18–24, and he was not ranked among the top thirty prospects in the Padres' farm system. The Indians assigned Kluber to the Akron Aeros of the Class AA Eastern League. After the 2010 season, he took part in the Indians' Winter Development Program. In 2011, he was added to the Indians' 40-man roster.

Kluber played for the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League in 2011, pitching to a 7–11 win–loss record and a 5.56 ERA. He was called up to the Indians on September 1, 2011, and made his major league debut that day. Kluber was brought up from Columbus in August 2012 to replace starting pitcher Josh Tomlin in the Indians' rotation. Tomlin was moved to the bullpen.

Kluber began the 2013 season with Columbus, but received a promotion when Brett Myers suffered an elbow injury. On June 16, 2013, Kluber threw eight shutout innings in a 2–0 victory over the Washington Nationals. He won the American League Player of the Week Award for the week ending June 16, 2013. On September 22, 2013, he became the first pitcher to strike out 14 batters in consecutive starts since Randy Johnson in 2004. He finished the season with an 11–5 record and a 3.85 ERA.

2014 season

Kluber was named the American League Player of the Week for the week ending September 21, 2014, and the Pitcher of the Month for September 2014. He finished the 2014 season with an 18–9 win–loss record and a 2.44 ERA. His 18 wins were tied with Max Scherzer and Jered Weaver for the most in the American League (AL), and his ERA was the third best in the league. Additionally, Kluber led the AL in fielding-independent pitching. He also struck out 269 batters in  235 ²⁄₃ innings, good for second-best in the major leagues behind David Price's 271.

Though the Indians missed the playoffs, the 2014 season culminated with Kluber – in just his second full season – winning the AL Cy Young Award, beating Félix Hernández in a close vote. Kluber earned 17 of 30 first-place votes, with Hernandez getting the remaining 13. Kluber became the fourth Indians player to win the award, following in the footsteps of Gaylord Perry, C.C. Sabathia, and Cliff Lee.

2015 season

On May 13, 2015, Kluber struck out a career-high 18 batters over eight shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, earning his first win of the 2015 season. Kluber tied Bob Feller's 77-year franchise record for strikeouts in one game, Feller having done so on October 2, 1938. Despite posting a 3.49 ERA and striking out 245 batters in 222 innings, Kluber suffered from poor run support for much of the 2015 season, finishing with a 9–16 record.

2016 season

Kluber was named a member of the 2016 American League All-Star team on July 7, 2016 as a replacement for an injured Marco Estrada. Kluber finished the 2016 regular season with an 18–9 record, 3.14 ERA, an AL-leading 149 ERA+, and 227 strikeouts in 215 innings.

Kluber won his first two starts of the 2016 postseason, beating the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALDS and the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the ALCS. In Game 1 of the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Kluber struck out nine batters in six-plus shutout innings.

On November 7, Kluber was announced by the BBWAA as a finalist for the 2016 American League Cy Young Award, along with Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello. With 98 points, Kluber finished third in the voting that was announced on November 16, behind Porcello (137) and Verlander (132).

2017 season

On May 3, 2017, after six subpar starts, Kluber was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a lower back strain. Upon returning from injury, Kluber's performances improved significantly. On July 3, 2017 Kluber was named the AL Pitcher of the month for the month of June after he posted a 4–0 record, 1.26 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 13.4 K/9 in six starts. He won the award for the third time in his career. On August 3, 2017, Kluber struck out 11 batters and gave up 3 hits in a 5−1 complete game win against the New York Yankees, making him the fourth pitcher ever to get eight or more strikeouts in 12 consecutive starts. The preceding three were Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martínez and Randy Johnson.

Kluber hurled his third shuout of the season on September 12, 2017, versus the Detroit Tigers, giving the Indians their 20th consecutive win. That tied the 2002 Oakland Athletics for the American League record. Kluber scattered five hits while allowing no walks and struck out eight.

Awards and achievements

Notes: Through 2016 season. Per Baseball-Reference.com.

Pitching style

Kluber throws five pitches: a four-seam fastball, a sinker with a two-seam fastball grip, a cutter, a breaking ball, and a changeup. His most dominating pitch is his two-seam sinker, which he first learned in 2011 as a member of the Columbus Clippers. He has also received praise for his breaking ball, which variously resembles a slider and a curveball.

Kluber is well known for his stoicism while on the mound. His listed height is 6 feet 4 inches.

Personal life

Kluber is an avid golfer.

In November 2014, Kluber was inducted into the Stetson Athletics Hall of Fame.