James Paxton, a former Kentucky baseball pitcher, has won the honors of American League Player of the Week. Over his first three starts, he has maintained a 0.00 ERA.
Former Kentucky Baseball player, James Paxton has battled injury and worked his through the minor league circuit to get to this point. Over multiple stints in the MLB with the Seattle Mariners, Paxton seems to have finally found himself a spot in the rotation.
The former Kentucky pitcher has always been hard to hit, as batters have hit .242 over his career on the bump. Paxton changed his pitching form to emulate that of Clayton Kershaw’s delivery, and his performance has been improving since.
This season, Paxton is pitching lights out. Over 21 innings pitched, Paxton has allowed O ER with 22 strikeouts and 4 walks. Not to mention, batters are only hitting a remarkable .113 against Paxton. He’s the league leader in ERA, posting two wins and zero losses along the way. Continue to watch out for Paxton as he looks to build upon this hot start and continues to represent Big Blue Nation.
J.T. Riddle’s Walk-off Against the Mets
Another former Cat that has made the headlines is rookie J.T. Riddle, a shortstop for the Miami Marlins. On Sunday, in the 9th inning with a 2-2 lead, Riddle blasted a 2-run walk off homerun against the New York Mets. While Riddle was just called up last week after a shortstop went to the DL, so this big hit may have earned him a roster spot.
Riddle played at Kentucky from 2011-2013. The Frankfort, Kentucky native was a 2010 graduate of Western Hills High School. Riddle made his debut on April 11 after being drafted in the thirteenth round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Marlins.
Next: Kentucky Baseball Sits atop the SEC East Standings
Kentucky Baseball players are starting to make a name for themselves in the MLB. It’s nice to see some of these guys get some air time for their performances.