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.

2019 Projections for Mike Soroka

As pitchers and catchers report for spring training duty in Florida, Calgarian Mike Soroka finds himself on the cusp. On the cusp of what exactly remains unclear, but suffice to say, it’s a big season for the 21-year-old Atlanta Braves right-hander.

Last year at this time, Soroka was chasing the dream of his first start in Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved that on May 1, 2018 during an impressive victory over Noah Syndergaard and the Mets at New York’s Citi Field.

The 2015 first-round pick of the Braves followed that up with four more starts – posting a 3.51 earned run average (ERA), a 2-1 record and 21 strikeouts over 25.2 innings pitched in the majors – before injuries sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

What will a healthy Soroka do for an encore? If 2018 proved anything to the PBF Redbirds alumni it’s that getting there is only half the battle – staying up with the big club is the other half.

Soroka picks up win in MLB debut

Calgary pitching prospect Mike Soroka made his Major League Baseball debut last night, taking the mound for the Atlanta Braves during a start against Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets at Citi Field.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound righty ended up picking up the win after putting in six innings of work. He gave up six hits and one earned run – a solo home run off the bat of Yoenis Cespedes – while issuing no walks and striking out five, en route to a 3-2 Braves victory.

Here’s a look at Soroka’s special day and the reactions to it …

Brave’s New World

Rising star Mike Soroka doesn’t ask much. He just expects to take the mound and dominate every single pitch.

If that sounds cocky, it shouldn’t. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Calgarian pretty much did that last season.