Eddie Guardado

Birth Date: 10/02/1970

Member of Twins Hall of Fame

Eddie Guardado Autograph

Eddie Guardado Bio

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Edward Adrain Guardado was born on October 2, 1970 in Stockton, California.

The Minnesota Twins selected him in round 21 of the 1990 MLB Draft. He reached the Majors in 1993. Guardado made 16 starts and three relief appearances as a rookie, going 3-8 with a 6.18 ERA. His struggles as a starter continued the following summer, and Minnesota converted him to a full time bullpen role midway through the 1995 season.

Guardado made 565 relief appearances for the Twins between 1996 and 2003. This was the third most in the Majors over that span, helping him earn the nickname "Everyday Eddie." Rookie manager Ron Gardenhire named him the closer in 2002, and the southpaw responded by posting a 2.93 ERA with an American League leading 45 saves. Guardado was an All-Star that July, and finished 15th in American League MVP voting that fall. He was an All-Star again in 2003, recording 41 saves with a 2.89 ERA.

The Seattle Mariners signed Guardado to a three year deal in free agency ahead of the 2004 campaign. He continued to pitch well in the first two years of that deal, earning 54 saves with a 2.74 ERA. Seattle removed him from the closer role due to some early season struggles in 2006. Guardado was eventually traded to the Cincinnati Reds in July. Shortly after the trade, it was revealed that he needed Tommy John surgery.

Guardado was slowed down by injuries and ineffectiveness for the rest of his career. This included a nine game stint back with Minnesota in 2008, where he allowed six earned runs over 7.0 innings. His final professional appearance came in a spring training game with the Washington Nationals in 2010. As of Opening Day in 2026, Guardado is the Twins all-time leader with 648 pitching appearances. His 116 saves are the fourth most in club history.

He was elected to the Twins Hall of Fame in 2013. Guardado was hired to be the bullpen coach for new manager Paul Molitor entering the 2015 season. He was fired, along with Molitor and several other assistant coaches, following the 2018 season.

Notable Events & Trivia

Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame
- Class of 2013
2002 Joseph W. Haynes Award
- Twins most outstanding pitcher
2x All-Star
1996 AL pitching appearances leader
2002 AL saves leader

Baseball-Reference

Eddie Guardado Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Eddie Guardado. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com
FanGraphs

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Sabr.org

Eddie Guardado – Society for American Baseball Research

Check out stories, photos, and highlights from the 2026 conference.
Baseball Almanac

Eddie Guardado Stats, Height, Weight, Research & History | Baseball Almanac

Eddie Guardado stats, height, weight, history, research, and more on Baseball Almanac.
Wikipedia

Eddie Guardado - Wikipedia

Edward Adrian Guardado (born October 2, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher and current bullpen coach. Guardado played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins (1993–2003, 2008), Seattle Mariners (2004–2006), Cincinnati Reds (2006–2007), and the Texas Rangers (Two separate stints in 2008 and 2009). He was named as a bullpen coach for the Twins in 2014.

See all » Eddie Guardado Articles

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Eddie Guardado: One Proud Papa

As I’m writing this, it's a Wednesday night which means I am watching an all-new episode of the Party of Five reboot on Freeform. At Twins Fest last month, I had a chance to sit down and chat with Twins Hall of Famer Eddie Guardado on a couple of occasions and talk about a number of topics including his family, Party of Five, and also The Eddie Guardado Foundation.

Get To Know: Niko Guardado (Actor and Son of Eddie)

To listen to the full interview with Niko Guardado, click here.

In 1996, “Everyday” Eddie Guardado pitched in an American League-leading 83 games. Following that season, Guardado and his wife, Lisa, welcomed their first child, a son named Niko. While Eddie Guardado had struggles early in his career, he became a two-time All Star and a member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame.

Niko, now 22, recently learned that he will have one of the lead roles in the upcoming reboot of Party of Five. Recently, I caught up with the talented young actor to discuss his memories from his dad’s career, and his transition into acting. Oh, and he frequents Twins Daily because he remains a huge Twins fan. (Full audio podcast available at the end.)