Adam Kolarek

Adam John Kolarek

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 215 lb.
• School University of Maryland
• High School Catonsville High School
• Debut June 29, 2017

• Born January 14, 1989 in Baltimore, MD USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Relief pitcher Adam Kolarek began playing in the New York Mets minor league system in 2010 . He was drafted in the 11th round of the 2010 amateur draft.

He pitched for the Kingsport Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones in 2010 and went a combined 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 22 appearances. In 37 1/3 innings, he allowed only 19 hits and struck out 45 batters. He pitched for the Savannah Sand Gnats and St. Lucie Mets in 2011 and went 7-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 26 games (one start). In 2012, he was 1-3 with 18 saves, 70 strikeouts and a 2.37 ERA in 44 games (57 IP) for St. Lucie, earning a spot on the Florida State League All-Star team. He also tossed 6 games for the Binghamton Mets and posted a 2-0 record with a 5.68 ERA. In 2013, he was 3-3 with a 1.71 ERA in 44 games for Binghamton. In his first taste of Triple-A action, he had an 11.25 ERA in 2 appearances for the Las Vegas 51s as well.

He has been used a few times as a position player, playing three games at first base with the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, and one in right field with the Dodgers in 2020. All of these appearances were brief, however. Notwithstanding these brief appearances as a position player, he has been used largely as a LOOGY. For example, during the 2019 season which he split between the Rays and the Dodgers, he made 80 pitching appearances, but logged just 55 innings. However, contrary to most pitchers of his ilk, he had his share of decisions that season, going a combined 6-3, with 1 save. He was particularly effective after being traded to the Dodgers on July 31st, putting up an ERA of 0.77 in 26 games. He made his postseason debut that year, with three appearances against the Washington Nationals in the Division Series. He retired all three batters he faced, including 2 by strikeout.

Kolarek was one the pitchers impacted by the adoption of the rule before the 2020 season imposing that a relief pitcher must face a minimum of three batters when entering a game, but he managed to adapt. That season, he went 3-0, 0.95 in 20 games for Los Angeles, with another save, and 19 innings pitched. He allowed just 11 hits and 4 walks, for an outstanding WHIP of 0.789. He returned to the postseason and contributed to the Dodgers' conquest of a World Series title with 4 appearances. He was hit hard in the first three, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits in just 2 2/3 innings, but in his lone outing of the Series against his former team, the Rays, in Game 4 on October 24th, he only gave up a walk in two-thirds of an inning. It came at a key moment of the game, as the Dodgers were ahead, 7-6, to start the bottom of the 8th, and after he allowed a lead-off walk to Ji-Man Choi, he got Austin Meadows to fly out and struck out Brandon Lowe before giving way to Brusdar Graterol, having faced the minimum of three batters. Graterol ended the inning, but the Rays made a fabulous comeback in the bottom of the 9th to squeeze out an improbable 8-7 win.

On February 12, 2021, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics along with Cody Thomas in return for IF Sheldon Neuse and P Gus Varland.

His father, Frank Kolarek, played in the minor leagues in the 1970s.

Notable Achievements

• Won one World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020

Related Sites

• Adam Kolarek on mlb.com
• BR Minors page