Nasty Mike Soroka's First 12 Career Starts Have Been Legitimately Historic
By Michael Luciano
Atlanta Braves starter Mike Soroka showed promise during a five-start run as a 20-year-old in the 2018 season, going 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA. When he was announced as the Braves' fifth starter this season, fans likely expected a similar stat line over the course of 34 starts. Instead, they've been privy to one of the best starts to a young pitcher's career in baseball history.
Soroka has a 1.92 ERA after 12 starts, the lowest for a pitcher 21-years-old or under, breaking the old record held by Dontrelle Willis.
Since 1913, among pitchers who started their first 12 career MLB games and were 21 or under for all 12, none posted a better ERA than Mike Soroka's current career mark of 1.92 pic.twitter.com/9PX2Qh0g43
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) May 21, 2019
The key to Soroka's success is his almost-unrivaled offspeed pitches. While he can command his 93 MPH fastball fairly well, it's his tailing changeup that moves live a screwball and slider that just falls off the table that have jump-started his career
While Pete Alonso and Chris Paddack have dominated the NL Rookie of the Year conversation so far, the numbers say that it's Soroka's award to lose.
Mike Soroka wants that Rookie of the Year award. pic.twitter.com/M6dinAYDBM
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) May 21, 2019
With Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Freddie Freeman in the lineup, as well as Soroka on the mound, the future of the Braves is looking brighter by the day.