Tampa Bay Rays starter Shane McClanahan is perhaps the strongest candidate to win the AL Cy Young award if the season ended today.
He has been the most consistently dominant force from the mound in the junior circuit.
However, he is apparently not on Dusty Baker‘s radar.
“American League manager Dusty Baker on American League starter Shane McClanahan: ‘I’ve never seen him pitch,’” ESPN reporter Jeff Passan tweeted, quoting the current Houston Astros skipper.
Baker will lead the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, and it’s a bit odd he doesn’t remember McClanahan, who will be his starter.
However, according to Passan, Baker has seen McClanahan pitch: “For the record, Dusty Baker has seen Shane McClanahan pitch … in a 2021 ALCS game. He came in relief and allowed three runs in 1.2 innings. I suppose it was not a particularly memorable outing,” Passan wrote.
(For the record, Dusty Baker has seen Shane McClanahan pitch … in a 2021 ALCS game. He came in relief and allowed three runs in 1.2 innings. I suppose it was not a particularly memorable outing.)
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 18, 2022
As Passan says, it must not have been a stellar relief appearance for Baker not to remember him.
A Top Pitcher In The American League
In any case, Baker doesn’t need to see him pitch to know he has been outstanding on the mound for the Rays, one of the best teams in the American League.
Playing in Tampa, perhaps McClanahan hasn’t had the kind of national exposure needed for him to be widely recognizable among non-hardcore fans.
But that may change on Tuesday.
McClanahan, a young left-hander who broke through last year, is 10-3 with a 1.71 ERA in 110.2 innings so far.
Perhaps more impressively, his BB/K ratio so far is 19/147, an absolutely elite number that proves his dominance is legit.
It’s time for the entire baseball universe to become acquainted with this talented southpaw, who may very well win multiple Cy Young awards when his career is over.
That includes Baker.
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