The Texas League announced on Monday that Springfield Cardinals RHP Corey Baker has been named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for April 25 – May 1. Baker becomes the first Cardinal to capture a league weekly award early this season.
Baker, 26, was fantastic in his lone start during the week, shutting out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals through 5.2 innings in a no-decision on April 28. Baker allowed only two hits and two walks, while striking out seven.
With the shutout performance, the New City, New York native extended his current scoreless innings streak to 18.0 straight frames without allowing a single run. The last run he allowed was in his first start of the season on April 11, when rehabbing Houston Astros OF Evan Gattis hit a solo home run in the third inning for Corpus Christi.
Since that first outing, Baker blanked the Hooks through 5.0 innings on April 17 and shut out the Travelers in Arkansas through 6.1 innings on April 23, before dominating the Naturals last Thursday. On the year, Baker is 1-0 with a miniscule 1.29 ERA through four starts, allowing just three runs on 15 hits with six walks and 19 strikeouts through 21.0 innings. He currently ranks 3rd in the league in ERA, 5th in WHIP (1.00) and 4th in fewest baserunners per 9.0 innings (9.00).
A 49th round pick of the Cardinals in the 2011 June Draft, Baker led all Springfield pitchers with 88 strikeouts last year, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. He owns a career record of 24-18 with a 3.18 ERA in 154 appearances and 30 starts, including a nine-inning, complete-game shutout for Springfield on 8/31/15 in Tulsa.
