Mike Soroka

After being drafted and signed by the Braves, he reported to the GCL Braves, where he posted a 1.80 ERA in ten innings pitched before being reassigned to the Danville Braves, where he finished the season, going 0–2 with a 3.75 ERA in six starts. Soroka spent the 2016 season with the Rome Braves.[5] There, he posted a 9–9 record with a 3.02 ERA.[6]

Soroka spent 2017 with the Mississippi Braves,[7][8][9] posting an 11–8 record with a 2.75 ERA in 153.2 inning pitched. As one of the youngest players in Double-A, Soroka participated in the All-Star Futures Game in July.[10][11] Soroka began the 2018 season with the Gwinnett Stripers of the Class AAA International League.[12]

On May 1, 2018, the Braves promoted Soroka to the major leagues.[13][14] He faced the New York Mets that night, pitching six innings, yielding one run, and recording five strikeouts.[15] He began feeling inflammation in his right shoulder after May 12, and was placed on the disabled list soon thereafter.[16] Rehabilitation in the minor leagues followed throughout June.[17] Because inflammation continued to be a problem, Soroka returned to the ten-day disabled list later that month.[18] On June 27, he was transferred to the sixty-day disabled list.[19] In July, it was reported that Soroka would be permitted to begin a throwing regimen by the middle of August.[20] However, in late August, Braves manager Brian Snitker stated that Soroka would miss the remainder of the season.[21][22] Overall with the 2018 Braves, Soroka registered 5 starts, a 2-1 record, 3.51 ERA, and 21 strikeouts in 25​²⁄₃ innings pitched.

Before the 2019 season began, Soroka was expected to be one of several pitching prospects to spend some time in the Braves' starting rotation.[23][24] During the first week of spring training, Soroka disclosed shoulder discomfort first felt during an offseason workout in January 2019.[25][26] Soroka maintained that the newly reported discomfort was a right trapezius strain, not an issue with his right scapula, which affected him during his debut season.[27][28] Soroka was cleared to play catch in mid-March,[29] followed by throwing batting practice.[30] Soroka was sent to minor league camp without appearing in a spring training game.[31][32] Soroka made his season debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 18, 2019, and became the youngest pitcher in the National League upon taking the mound.[33] When he was placed on the National League Roster for the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Soroka set another age-related record, as the youngest Atlanta Braves pitcher to be named an all-star.[34] That year, the Braves became the first team to send two players younger than 22 to the All-Star Game, as both Soroka and Ronald Acuña Jr. received that honor in 2019.[35] With 29 starts in the 2019 season, Soroka pitched to a 13-4 record, 2.68 ERA, and 142 strikeouts in 174​²⁄₃ innings. He was runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso,[36] and he placed 6th in NL Cy Young Voting.[37]