Major League Baseball Draft 2011: Top Five Players – Part 3
The class of 2011 in general and University of California in particular have shown no shortage of talent in the Major League Baseball Draft of 2011. This is evident from Trevor Andrew Bauer’s instillation at Number three and being drafted in by the Arizona
Diamondbacks behind his pace-fellow and college-mate Gerrit Cole chipping in at Number one taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Born on January 17, 1991, Trevor Bauer standing at 6ft 2in and weighing a healthy 185 lbs is tipped to be the quickest to make it to the Majors. Although Cole had more fame and following among the two, Bauer possesses what Cole among many other right-handed
pitchers don’t.
The Diamondbacks have certainly not settled for anything less. They have got hold of a pitcher who has his own way of approaching things. His self-made theories, workouts and regular practice have immensely helped him to perfect his skill. His highest nation-wide
strikes last season, totalling a massive 165 are an explanation of his ability in itself.
He has developed a fastball which reads in the region of 97 mph on the clock with his curve ticking in at 90 mph. Given his speed and style, batters will get less than four seconds to hit at his pitching. To add to his credentials, in his 15 outings last
year, he pitched nine complete games including three complete shut-out games.
Bauer has produced flattering results with his right-hand. He threw at an impressive ERA of 1.27 with an average of 13.3 strike-outs per nine innings. His win-loss record stood at 12-2 and he gained recognition by being named Pac-10 Pitcher of the year.
The Diamondbacks, looking at his career statistics, can relax given his numbers improving each year. His ERA has improved dramatically from 2.99 as a freshman in 2009 to a mere 1.25 in 2011. His win-loss record was also on the rise, recording 13-2 in 2011
in comparison to 9-3 in 2009. Having already led the nation with 165 strike-outs in 2010, he repeated the feat in 2011, only this time breaking the 200-mark barrier and finishing at 203 strike-outs. The last 14 of his 16 starts yielded at least ten strike-outs
each. He became the first player from UCLA to earn National Player of the Year Award from Collegiate Baseball.
His 460 career strike-outs have come against 279 hits and 125 runs in the 373.1 innings that he has pitched in. His improvement can be gauged from the fact that his 20 appearances as a freshman earned him 92 strike-outs but his 16 appearances in 2011 have
yielded 201 strike-outs.
The Diamondbacks will have to use Bauer very carefully. His ability, of course, cannot be doubted given his stats. His workload does catch the eye from a tactical point of view. In 2011, he has never pitched less than six innings. His last eight outings
have been complete games but this does not necessarily have to be a good thing. The stress on his arm and a subsequent injury, given this routine, cannot be termed far from reality.
The Diamondbacks can very well rely on the saying that “high risk yields high returns.” Arizona’s side, now have the services of an exceptional talent which may, given the slightest chances, be victim of arm and shoulder stress and become yet another injury-riddled
pitcher.
Tags: