A look back on Mike Soroka’s historic rookie season

Mike Soroka started the 2019 season in AAA and was considered, by many, to be the third-best rookie pitcher on the Atlanta Braves, behind Kyle Wright and Touki Toussaint. However, Soroka’s time in AAA did not last long and he quickly reminded everybody of how special he looked in 2018, before his shoulder injury.

Soroka put together one of the best seasons in the National League, finishing with the fifth-best bWAR for Pitchers (5.7). Soroka finished the season with the third-best ERA (2.68) in the NL, while striking out 142 batters through 174.2 innings pitched.

Soroka became the third rookie in Braves franchise history to have 140+ strikeouts and a sub-2.70 ERA, with at least 150 innings pitched. Soroka joins Jim Whitney (1881) and Kid Nichols (1890) as the only three rookie pitchers in franchise history to accomplish this feat.

Soroka’s 2019 stats, according to Baseball Reference:

• 5.7 bWAR for Pitchers
• 174.2 IP
• 13-4 W-L
• 2.68 ERA
• 1.111 WHIP
• 169 ERA+
• 3.45 FIP
• 41 BB
• 142 K

Soroka is just the seventh qualified rookie pitcher in MLB history to have at least a 160 ERA+, under the age of 23. He joins:

• 1889 Jack Stivetts 186
• 1890 Billy Rhines 186
• 1890 Kid Nichols 170
• 1905 Ed Reulbach 209
• 1909 Harry Krause 174
• 2013 Jose Fernandez 176
• 2019 Mike Soroka 169

Soroka was the best pitcher in the MLB this season, in away starts. He finished the season with the lowest away ERA (1.55), for pitchers with at least 10 away starts. Soroka, Jacob deGrom (2.34 era) and Gerrit Cole (2.36 era) were the only pitchers, with at least 15 away starts, to have an away ERA of 2.50 or below this season.

Soroka is the third pitcher, with at least 15 away starts, to have an away ERA of 1.55 or below, since 1969. He joins Greg Maddux, who posted a 1.12 away ERA in 1995, and Roger Clemens, who posted a 1.32 away ERA in 2005.

How Soroka’s away totals compare to Maddux’s and Clemens’