Trevor Bauer: The Unconventional Pitcher
By Oliver Wiener June 11, 2024 08:35
As one of the most famous professional players with a career spanning over a decade in Major League Baseball (MLB), Trevor Bauer has established himself in the field with some impressive accolades.
Bauer is known for his unorthodox pitching style, something that has caused him to be a lightning rod for debates within the baseball world.
In this feature, you are going to learn lots of interesting things about the career and controversies of this MLB star beyond what the typical baseball fan might know.
Primary profession and popularity
Trevor Andrew Bauer was born on January 17, 1991 and worked up to become one of the renowned pitchers during his days at William S. Hart High School.
After graduating a year early, his great successful career would continue at UCLA, where he was a key player when the UCLA Bruins made it to the College World Series in 2010.
During his time at UCLA, he received Golden Spikes Award and College National Pitcher of the Year.
Bauer was the third overall pick yet first among who from that draft stayed in the U.S. in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, leading to his start as a professional baseball player.
He debuted in the majors the next season, making him the first player from his draft class to reach the major leagues.
Bauer's first years in the major leagues saw him switch up his pitching repertoire and tweak his mechanics after getting hurt, showcasing his commitment to learn and improve his craft.
Pitching Style and Repertoire
Bauer is famous for his deep and unorthodox pitch mix, a combination he deploys to throw batters off balance.
He has been seen throwing multiple pitches during games, such as a four seam fastball, two seam fastball, slider, curveball, split finger fastball, and a cut fastball. He has gone as far to create his own pitches, the "reverse slider" and "the bird," possibly indicating his ingenuity when it comes to pitching.
Also, Bauer's durability on the mound has been a point of praise, with his fastball velocity sitting at an average of 93.
He has credited his success in the later innings to his "tunneling approach, by which every pitch starts down the middle and then moves from there the pitch tunnel in one direction or another, a method that has sometimes made it more difficult for opposing hitters to figure out what's coming.
Awards and Accolades
Bauer has had a standout career, highlighted by winning the Cy Young Award in 2020.
Well, this was a crowning achievement that placed him among the best hurlers in the game, and proof indeed of his commitment to the sentiment of the sport.
His story of how he went from being a hotshot at UCLA to becoming a Cy Young winner serves as an inspiration to aspiring players and fans alike.
Differences and Pitch Doctoring
Bauer has not been shy in stirring the pot, mostly in relation to the handling of foreign substances to doctor baseballs and improve spin rates on pitches.
A longtime subject of PED discipline he has been among the league's most vocal about their use in recent years- is also at the center of a pitch doctoring scandal in the MLB.
Bauer has been as divisive as they come on this issue in the baseball community, turning him in to a polarizing figure.
After being accused by the Giants of using a foreign substance, Bauer had his game balls removed for inspection and his fastball spin rate dropped significantly following an MLB warning to stop doctoring his pitches.
While Bauer has been at the center of some speculation, at this time there is no definitive proof of him using foreign substances to get a better grip on the ball.
On the whole
It has been a remarkable journey for an unconventional Major League Baseball pitcher, Trevor Bauer on one hand having built an impressive list of accomplishments through many controversies and off field ventures on the other hand.
Ultimately, he dramatically rose through the ranks to become one of the more recognizable players in baseball today, thanks to his oddball way of pitching, his love for the game and his voice against systemic issues in the sport.
Trevor Bauer's MLB career has not been short of controversy but his unyielding passion for the game and innovative approach to pitching has earned him a place as one of the sport's visionaries.
His influence is felt both on and off the field a reflection of his passion for the game, and his desire to inspire social change.
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