New York- The phone continues to buzz every other hour with MLB free agent signings or a big-time trade every other hour. There are a few star power talents out on the market who are still unsigned. 2021 NL All-Star, Nick Castellanos as well as 2017 Houston Astros World Series Champion, Carlos Correa remain two of the top free agents on the market. Castellanos is a finalist for the 32nd Annual Latino Sports National League MVP Award. Correa is from Ponce, Puerto Rico, and has had countless amounts of clutch postseason moments in the past. Both ballplayers will immediately improve the team they decide to sign with.
With the NFL new season starting (free agent period) + the beginning of March Madness, MLB news remains one of the most trending topics across sports. Each fanbase is waiting for their team to make a move to improve the roster into a legit championship contender. With the current state of the game, I’d say there are 8-10 rosters who can make that deep-run in October baseball. Some rosters that come to mind, in no particular order, are the LA Dodgers, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, NY Mets, NY Yankees, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays.
There is no doubt, various teams will make additional signings along with trade acquisitions throughout the season to bolster any needs. So as of today, baseball fans must wait and see for what’s next to come.
Latino Sports continues with our Meet The Player thread. Today, we will learn more about an upcoming right-handed pitcher, Shane Baz. He is only 22 years old and league scouts have already deemed him a potential gunslinger who contains the “whole pitching package”. Baz looks to be an Ace-caliber starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays for their perennial future.
Baz was born and raised in Texas. His father moved to the United States from Beirut, Lebanon, at just 15 years old. Baz attended Concordia Lutheran High School where he displayed his pitching dynamics to the fullest degree. At the time, he received countless offers from colleges across the country. Ultimately, he committed to play for Texas Christian University (TCU). In 2016, he earned himself a roster spot for the United States National Team.
In the 2017 MLB Draft, Baz was selected in the first round with the 12th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He developed his pitching skills in their minor league system until 2018, when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. He has consistently been listed as one of the top pitching prospects across MLB.
Baz was brought up to the professionals as a late-call-up in September of 2021. Baz made his professional MLB debut on September 20, 2021, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. On the day, Baz totaled 5 innings pitched with 5 strikeouts.
📸Image Credit: Major League Baseball
Shane Baz 2021 Regular Season Stats (3 games):
2-0 record, 2.03 earned run average, 13.1 innings pitched, 18 strikeouts
He displayed an elite pitching package in three late regular season starts. Tampa Bay fully believes in Baz. Within one month of being promoted to the majors, Baz was named the ALDS Game 2 starter against the Boston Red Sox.
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