(12 starts). US Olympic Team In July 2021 while pitching in the Giants' minor league system, Kazmir was selected to play on the United States national baseball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in 2021 in Tokyo. Kazmir appeared in one game at the Olympics, starting against the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals and pitching five scoreless innings to earn the win. Team USA team went on to win the silver medal, falling to Japan in the gold-medal game. Scouting report When Kazmir was enjoying success during his first several seasons, his best pitches were a four-seam fastball and a slider. His fastball was regularly clocked in the mid to high 90s with excellent command, and his preferred strike-out pitch was his slider, which many scouts and other observers compared to that of Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. On the advice of Devil Rays teammate James Shields, he added a change-up, which also became an out pitch. Repeated injuries followed by repeated attempts to tweak his mechanics and throwing motion saw Kazmir's entire repertoire dwindle in effectiveness. His fastball velocity dropped until topping out in the mid-80s in 2011, and he "lost his feel" for the slider, using it only sporadically and with poor results after his early 2008 stint on the disabled list. In 2013, Kazmir returned to the major leagues with a modified slider that was thrown with less velocity than his pre-injury pitch, registering in the mid-80s. As the season progressed, his fastball velocity improved to the low 90s with a mix of four-seam and two-seam fastballs. Kazmir continued to throw a change-up in the low 80s and an occasional curve ball. By late in the 2016 season, his fastball velocity had slipped back down to the low 80s, decreasing the difference between the speed of his pitches and reducing his effectiveness. Personal life Kazmir and his wife Kim have two sons together. Awards and accomplishments 3× Major League Baseball All-Star (2006, 2008, 2014) American League Pitcher of the Month (May 2008) 2× American League Player of the Week (May 21, 2006, September 16, 2007) American League strikeout leader (2007) Baseball America High School Player of the Year (2002) Member of the United States Junior Olympic baseball team (2001) Set a single-season record for strikeouts by high school pitchers in Texas with 175 for Cypress Falls High School (breaking the previous record of 172,