It's been an interesting offseason for former Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer. Despite not yet signing a new contract to potentially return to the MLB, the starting pitcher has remained consistently active on social media.
Bauer has gained a significant following on social media thanks to his ability to use his passion for baseball and combine it with fun challenges that gain plenty of attention online. One of the former Cincinnati Reds star's most popular series of videos is him taking on various personalities in live at-bats.
In his latest post, he took on fellow baseball influencer Eric Sim, known as the "King of Juco." Sim, who was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 27th round of the 2010 MLB draft, has made a name for himself for his outrageous personality online.
"I'm hitting a tank now, I'm Mike Stout," Sim said.
Sim rocked Mike Trout's Los Angeles Angels jersey. The two have continually battled against one another, with the trash-talking being a highlight of the videos.
The pair, along with Angels top prospect Christian Moore watching on the sidelines, battled it out. After falling behind 1-0, Bauer bounced back with a pair of strikes, with the second coming on a nasty offspeed pitch.
"Eric can I help you or are you just going to look?" Bauer asked after the huge swinging miss.
Trevor Bauer missed the zone on the next pitch, pushing the count to 2-2. However, the former Los Angeles Dodgers star recorded the out of the next pitch. Sim made contact on the 2-2 count. However, he popped it up to the right field according to their video simulation.
Trevor Bauer was dominant in Mexico last season, which could help him land another MLB gig
Trevor Bauer has not pitched in the Majors since 2021 after sexual assault allegations were made against him. Now, after being cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, Bauer has still been unable to secure a new deal with an MLB club. Instead of landing a new deal, Bauer has taken his talent across the globe, spending seasons in Japan and Mexico.
This past season, Bauer played with the Diablos Rojos del Mexico, proving that he had plenty of life left in his arm. En route to a championship and being named the Mexican League Pitcher of the Year, Bauer posted a 10-0 record with a 2.48 ERA with 120 strikeouts.
Even though there are some questions about the level of competition in the Mexican League, he proved he could be an asset to an MLB team. While his signing may come with some backlash from fans, he could be worth the risk.