What to Expect from Soroka in 2020

The 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) campaign was a revelation for Calgary pitcher Mike Soroka.

A quick look at his accomplishments from last year shows that. He was a National League (NL) Rookie of the Year runner-up; he finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting; he won the Tip O’Neill Award, which honours Canada’s best baseball player; he pitched a three-up, three-down inning in the MLB All-Star Game; and he was a finalist for the Lou Marsh Award, given annually to the nation’s top athlete. Those are just the Coles Notes on a season filled with impressive firsts for the young man.

So, what can we expect from the 22-year-old during his sophomore season?

Soroka Just Getting Started

It’s a frightening scenario for opposing batters next season: an improved Mike Soroka on the mound in 2020.

In some ways, that hardly seems possible.

The towering right-handed pitcher from Calgary is coming off a storybook rookie season for the Atlanta Braves that saw him post a 13-4 record, 2.68 earned run average (ERA) and 142 strikeouts over 174.2 innings.

Historic Performance

We are still buzzing from Calgarian Mike Soroka’s historic outing for the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The former Calgary PBF Redbirds pupil pitched seven innings of one-run baseball, allowing just two hits and no walks. The 22-year-old also struck out seven batters and, while he didn’t personally get the win, Soroka set the table for a dramatic ninth-inning comeback that earned the Braves a 3-1 victory.

During the Busch Stadium performance, the righthander put himself in the record books for several reasons.

Mike Soroka’s Winning Ways

Calgarian Mike Soroka established himself as the ace of the Atlanta Braves starting rotation this year, and in so doing, inserted himself into the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year race AND the Cy Young Award discussion.

The 6-foot-5 righthander had a remarkable regular season, going 13-4, with a 2.68 earned run average (ERA) and 142 strikeouts over 174.2 innings pitched. The PBF Redbirds graduate also helped lead the Braves to the NL East Division title.

Since his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut against the New York Mets on May 1, 2018, Soroka has shown he has what it takes to win ball games.

To celebrate his successful 2019 campaign, we’ve assembled the video highlights of each one of his 15 career MLB victories. Enjoy!

Parental Guidance

Standing 6-foot-5, Gary Soroka was always someone that his son could look up to.

As a child, Mike Soroka didn’t have much of a choice.

But the imposing figure that his father was on a physical level – Gary was urged to become an enforcer in his hockey-playing days – clashed with his gentle parenting style. He preferred a guiding hand to a clenched fist.