Craig Breslow, American baseball player
Craig Andrew Breslow (pronounced BREHZ-loh; born August 8, 1980) is an American baseball executive serving as the Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Pitching for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball (MLB), and a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Miami Marlins.
As a senior at Yale University, where he majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, he led the Ivy League with a 2.56 ERA. He was drafted in the 26th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002, and debuted in the Major Leagues with the San Diego Padres in 2005.
Through 2013, he held major league batters to a .217 batting average with runners in scoring position (and .204 with two outs and runners in scoring position). While he was long considered a lefty specialist, he was successful against right-handed hitters as well. Through 2013, lefties hit only .230 against him (while righties hit .222), with a .354 slugging percentage (.331 for righties). He was second in the American League in appearances by a pitcher in both 2009 (77 games) and 2010 (75 games).
Breslow was given the nickname "smartest man in baseball" by Minneapolis Star Tribune Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal III. The Wall Street Journal reporter Jason Turbow wrote: "Judging by his résumé, Craig Breslow is the smartest man in baseball, if not the entire world." The Sporting News named him the smartest athlete on their top-20 list, in 2010. After the 2018 season, he ranked 4th of all active left-handed MLB pitchers in career appearances. He stands 6' 1," and weighs 185 lbs.