Craig Bjornson

Craig M. Bjornson

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
• School Arizona Western Junior College, Nicholls State University
• High School Tucson High School

• Born February 14, 1969 in Tucson, AZ USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Craig Bjornson spent three seasons in the minors as a pitcher then coached for over a decade.

Undrafted out of college, Bjornson signed with the Houston Astros. He was 3-4 with a 3.71 ERA between three stops in 1991. In 1992, Craig was 4-8 with a 3.70 ERA for the Asheville Tourists and 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA for the Auburn Astros. He ended his playing career with the 1993 Quad Cities River Bandits, going 0-6 with three saves and a 5.08 ERA.

His coaching stops have been:

• 1999 Pitching coach Vermont Expos
• 2002 Pitching coach Spokane Indians
• 2003 Pitching coach Vermont Expos
• 2004 Pitching coach Brevard County Manatees
• 2005 Pitching coach Vermont Expos
• 2006-2008 Pitching coach Ogden Raptors
• 2009-2011 Pitching coach Casper Ghosts

In 2012, Craig was named bullpen coach of the Houston Astros, replacing Jamie Quirk. Dennis Martinez took over the position in 2013, but Craig returned in 2014, staying until the end of the 2017 season, when the Astros won their first World Series title. In 2018, he accompanied Astros bench coach Alex Cora who was named manager of the Boston Red Sox, serving as the bullpen coach again and adding another World Series ring that year. He was let go after the 2020 season. In 2022, he was hired by the New York Mets to be their bullpen coach, but stayed for just one season.

Bjornson returned to the minors as pitching coach of the Gwinnett Stripers in 2023.