Clay Buchholz was born on Tuesday, August 14, 1984, in Nederland, Texas. Buchholz was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on August 17, 2007, with the Boston Red Sox. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Clay Buchholz baseball stats page.
"It may have looked like Clay Buchholz, the kid from East Texas who became the first Red Sox rookie to throw a no-hitter, was crying in the midst of the red-and-white scrum that engulfed him after he struck out Baltimore's Nick Markakis looking to make history last night. But those weren't tears of joy, he said. 'David Ortiz was jumping up and down and hit me in the nose with his shoulder and my eyes started watering,' he said. 'I thought I had a bloody nose.' Fifteen days after making his major league debut against the Angels in the first game of a day-night doubleheader, a day that began with manager Terry Francona telling a sleepy morning assemblage of reporters that 'it doesn't matter if he throws a no-hitter, he's going back down,' 23-year-old Clay D. Buchholz made Francona an accidental prophet of sorts with the 17th no-hitter in franchise history and 20th by a rookie in major league history in a 10–0 win over the Orioles." - Edens, Gordon. Boston Globe Staff Writer. Sox' Buchholz No-Hits Orioles in Second Start. 2 September 2007.
Clay Buchholz![]() Clay Buchholz Autograph on a 2005 Bowman Baseball Card (#BDP81) |
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Clay BuchholzClay Buchholz Pitching Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
| 2007 | 23 | Red Sox | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 1.59 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22.2 | 88 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 24 | Red Sox | 16 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .182 | 6.75 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 76.0 | 357 | 93 | 57 | 63 | 11 | 41 | 1 | 72 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 25 | Red Sox | 16 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 4 | .636 | 4.21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92.0 | 399 | 91 | 43 | 44 | 13 | 36 | 1 | 68 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 26 | Red Sox | 28 | 28 | 0 | 17 | 7 | .708 | 2.33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 173.2 | 711 | 142 | 45 | 55 | 9 | 67 | 1 | 120 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 27 | Red Sox | 14 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 3 | .667 | 3.48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82.2 | 353 | 76 | 32 | 34 | 10 | 31 | 1 | 60 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 28 | Red Sox | 29 | 29 | 0 | 11 | 8 | .579 | 4.56 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 189.1 | 802 | 187 | 96 | 104 | 25 | 64 | 2 | 129 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 29 | Red Sox | 16 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 1 | .923 | 1.74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108.1 | 416 | 75 | 21 | 23 | 4 | 36 | 0 | 96 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 30 | Red Sox | 28 | 28 | 0 | 8 | 11 | .421 | 5.34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 170.1 | 737 | 182 | 101 | 108 | 17 | 54 | 2 | 132 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 31 | Red Sox | 18 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 7 | .500 | 3.26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 113.1 | 469 | 114 | 41 | 48 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 107 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 32 | Red Sox | 37 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 10 | .444 | 4.78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 139.1 | 588 | 130 | 74 | 80 | 21 | 55 | 1 | 93 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 33 | Phillies | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 12.27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 | 40 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 34 | Diamondbacks | 16 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 2 | .778 | 2.01 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 98.1 | 393 | 80 | 22 | 25 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 81 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 35 | Blue Jays | 12 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .286 | 6.56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59.0 | 254 | 72 | 43 | 44 | 13 | 16 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
| 13 Years | 236 | 218 | 7 | 90 | 69 | .566 | 3.98 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1,332.1 | 5,607 | 1,272 | 589 | 644 | 139 | 458 | 11 | 1,024 | 30 | 49 | 4 | 2 | ||
Clay BuchholzClay Buchholz Hitting Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 2007 | 23 | Red Sox | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2008 | 24 | Red Sox | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2009 | 25 | Red Sox | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2010 | 26 | Red Sox | 28 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| 2011 | 27 | Red Sox | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2012 | 28 | Red Sox | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2013 | 29 | Red Sox | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2014 | 30 | Red Sox | 28 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .500 |
| 2015 | 31 | Red Sox | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2016 | 32 | Red Sox | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 |
| 2017 | 33 | Phillies | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2018 | 34 | Diamondbacks | 16 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .065 | .094 | .097 |
| 2019 | 35 | Blue Jays | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
| 13 Years | 237 | 46 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .087 | .125 | .109 | ||
Clay BuchholzClay Buchholz Fielding Stats |
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| Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 2007 Red Sox | P | 4 | 3 | 69 | 5 | 1.3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .800 | 1.57 |
| 2008 Red Sox | P | 16 | 15 | 228 | 9 | 0.6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.07 |
| 2009 Red Sox | P | 16 | 16 | 276 | 17 | 1.1 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .941 | 1.57 |
| 2010 Red Sox | P | 28 | 28 | 522 | 47 | 1.7 | 45 | 21 | 24 | 2 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .957 | 2.33 |
| 2011 Red Sox | P | 14 | 14 | 246 | 30 | 2.1 | 29 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .967 | 3.18 |
| 2012 Red Sox | P | 29 | 29 | 568 | 46 | 1.6 | 43 | 29 | 14 | 3 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .935 | 2.04 |
| 2013 Red Sox | P | 16 | 16 | 325 | 32 | 2.0 | 30 | 17 | 13 | 2 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .938 | 2.49 |
| 2014 Red Sox | P | 28 | 28 | 511 | 37 | 1.3 | 36 | 20 | 16 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .973 | 1.90 |
| 2015 Red Sox | P | 18 | 18 | 340 | 17 | 0.9 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .882 | 1.19 |
| 2016 Red Sox | P | 37 | 21 | 418 | 16 | 0.4 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .938 | 0.97 |
| 2017 Phillies | P | 2 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 2018 Diamondbacks | P | 16 | 16 | 295 | 13 | 0.8 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .846 | 1.01 |
| 2019 Blue Jays | P | 12 | 12 | 177 | 23 | 1.9 | 23 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.51 |
| Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| P Totals | 236 | 218 | 3,997 | 292 | 1.2 | 276 | 141 | 135 | 16 | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .945 | 1.86 | |
| 13 Years | 236 | 218 | 3,997 | 292 | 1.2 | 276 | 141 | 135 | 16 | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .945 | 1.86 | |
Clay BuchholzClay Buchholz Miscellaneous Stats |
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| Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
| Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 2007 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.20 | 8.74 | 3.97 |
| 2008 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.76 | 8.53 | 4.86 |
| 2009 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.89 | 6.65 | 3.52 |
| 2010 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.79 | 6.22 | 3.47 |
| 2011 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.94 | 6.53 | 3.38 |
| 2012 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.02 | 6.13 | 3.04 |
| 2013 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.67 | 7.98 | 2.99 |
| 2014 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.44 | 6.97 | 2.85 |
| 2015 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 4.65 | 8.50 | 1.83 |
| 2016 Red Sox | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.69 | 6.01 | 3.55 |
| 2017 Phillies | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.67 | 6.14 | 3.68 |
| 2018 Diamondbacks | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 31.0 | 3.68 | 7.41 | 2.01 |
| 2019 Blue Jays | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.44 | 5.95 | 2.44 |
| Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 13 Years | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 46.0 | 2.24 | 6.92 | 3.09 |
Clay BuchholzClay Buchholz Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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| Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
| 2007 Boston Red Sox | 61 | $384,000.00 | - | - |
| 2008 Boston Red Sox | 61 | $396,000.00 | - | - |
| 2009 Boston Red Sox | 61 | $413,500.00 | - | - |
| 2010 Boston Red Sox | 11 | $443,000.00 | Stats | - |
| 2011 Boston Red Sox | 11 | $555,000.00 | - | - |
| 2012 Boston Red Sox | 11 | $3,500,000.00 | - | - |
| 2013 Boston Red Sox | 11 | $5,500,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
| 2014 Boston Red Sox | 11 | $7,700,000.00 | - | - |
| 2015 Boston Red Sox | 11 | $12,000,000.00 | - | - |
| 2016 Boston Red Sox | 11 | $13,000,000.00 | - | - |
| 2017 Philadelphia Phillies | 21 | $13,500,000.00 | - | - |
| 2018 Arizona Diamondbacks | 32 | $6,000,000.00 | - | - |
| 2019 Toronto Blue Jays | 36 | $3,000,000.00 | - | - |
| Clay Buchholz Stats by Baseball Almanac | ||||

Clay Daniel Buchholz was a Major League Baseball player with the Boston Red Sox (2007-2016), Philadelphia Phillies (2017), Arizona Diamondbacks (2018), and Toronto Blue Jays (2019). When Clay, his nickname, made his big league debut on August 17, 2007 (6 IP, 5 Ks, 3 ER), he became the first former Lumberton High School (Lumberton, TX) student to play in the majors.
On September 1, 2007, Clay Buchholz threw a no-hitter, becoming the eleventh rookie in American League history to record a no-no. Those who preceded Buck; Charlie Robertson (1922), Vern Kennedy (1935), Bill McCahan (1947), Bobo Holloman (1953), Bo Belinsky (1962), Vida Blue (1970), Steve Busby (1973), Jim Bibby (1973), Mike Warren (!983), and Wilson Alvarez (1991). The day after Clay's gem, the Associated Press wrote:
BOSTON -- For 23-year-old right-hander Clay Buchholz, whose understated Beaumont, Texas, drawl bespeaks a grasp of higher powers, the moment came around the seventh inning of his second Major League start. "You know when everybody knows what's going on," said Buchholz on Saturday night, still wearing his Red Sox jersey, "and then you look at the scoreboard, and then say, 'Oh, Lord.'"
And so the 6-foot-3 rookie, whose Major League focus matched a singularly dominant repertoire on one historic night, finally noticed a lack of Red Sox sitting near him in the dugout. Then he went out and became only the third pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second Major League start.
By completing the 17th no-hitter in Red Sox history, Buchholz accomplished at such an early stage in his career what Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling never did in a Red Sox uniform.
Buchholz struck out nine, walked three and hit a batter as Boston won, 10-0, before 36,819 thrilled fans. And he threw 115 pitches before a workload-leery Red Sox front office, which gleefully celebrated with hugs and fist pumps on the last offering, a 1-2 curveball that froze Nick Markakis.
Buchholz joined Mark Buehrle of the White Sox (April 18) and Justin Verlander of the Tigers (June 12) among the pitchers to throw a no-hitter this season -- all of whom are American Leaguers. He also became the 21st rookie to throw a no-hitter, the first since Florida's Anibal Sanchez on Sept. 6, 2006.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Buchholz is the third pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second Major League start. Bobo Hollomon threw a no-hitter in his debut on May 6, 1953, for the St. Louis Browns at home against the Philadelphia A's, and Wilson Alvarez did it in his second start on Aug. 11, 1991, for the White Sox at Baltimore.
Considered one of the franchise's top pitching prospects since his arrival as a sandwich pick -- 42nd overall -- out of Angelina College in 2005, compensation for Martinez leaving as a free agent, Buchholz didn't take long to establish himself in the Majors.
For nine innings, Buchholz sparkled among thousands of flashbulbs. He commanded his fastball early, working in a devastating array of offspeed pitches.
After each out, typically the result of a gravity-defying curveball or an immaculately released changeup, the nervous Red Sox rookie nibbled on his glove, enjoying the scene. No later than the seventh inning, the crowd had reached a fever pitch.
Miguel Tejada led off the seventh with a hot shot up the middle. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia dove to his right, stabbing the bounding ball. He turned and threw. Tejada, hurtling headfirst into first, was late.
"To me," Tejada said, "that was the best play they made the whole night."
Buchholz's defensive reputation lags behind the Gold Glove candidate Pedroia's. Nevertheless, he came up with his own top play in the eighth, snaring a Jay Payton rocket on the mound and throwing him out.
Still, Jason Varitek took special care to note the impressive ground that center fielder Coco Crisp covered on a pair of Corey Patterson drives to the outfield gap -- one in the sixth, one in the ninth. That was the most "overlooked" performance, the Sox catcher said.
Answered Crisp, "All the credit goes to [Buchholz]."
"We're back there just trying to make plays for him," Crisp said. "We're his pawns ... and you know, we've got to come up with the plays. That's our job."
The night belonged to Buchholz. When he rang up the final out, a delayed punchout that sent the crowd and the home dugout into a frenzy, the Red Sox spilled onto the field, forming a bounding huddle around the rookie pitcher.
Crisp and third baseman Mike Lowell expressed disappointment that David Ortiz -- "camera hog," Lowell called Big Papi -- beat them to the punch.
"You're rooting for him," Lowell said. "You're absolutely rooting for him."
After the game, Crisp ticked off the many ways in which Buchholz took control.
"He was able to stay focused," he said, "and not allow too many hard-hit balls. And the ones that were hit stayed up in the air."
Perhaps most importantly, Crisp said, on a night when he began the fifth and sixth by walking leadoff men -- "a couple of big innings that can throw a pitcher off" -- Buchholz "was able to relax, go back out there, take a couple of deep breaths at times and stay in his rhythm."
Before the game, Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke of a letdown in Buchholz's Triple-A performance after he made his Major League debut on Aug. 17. For two weeks, the prospect shuttled across upstate New York, losing his next two starts as a member of the Pawtucket Red Sox.
But, Francona added, "I think we still love this kid to death. And we're excited for a chance to run him out there and see how he does."
Kevin Youkilis added a three-run home run to the cause. Still, the Red Sox's 10-run outburst and the circumstances of the effort -- the Yankees won in the afternoon, staying five games back in the AL East -- remained secondary to Buchholz's singular brilliance.
"I don't even have a word for it," Buchholz said.
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