It's unclear what the future holds for former Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer. Although he has not pitched in MLB since 2021, he has continued to pursue professional baseball outside of the United States, playing seasons in both Japan and Mexico.
While Bauer had some success in Japan, it was his latest season with the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League that proved he still has plenty of life left in his arm.
It's worth noting that there have been some questions about the level of competition of the Mexican League, given the success of some former MLB stars such as former New York Yankees slugger Robinson Cano.
All that being said, there is no denying that Bauer put together a series a dominant performances for his club. While he had a number of impressive outings, including a record-setting 19-strikeout game, one his top Mexican League moments came during his club's postseason run.
During an important postseason matchup against the Guerreros de Oaxaca, Bauer entered the game as a reliever and it's safe to say that it was the right decision. In the eighth inning, the former Cincinnati Reds ace used only 9 total pitches (8 curveballs) to rack up three quick strikeouts and secure his second imaculate inning of the season.
Thanks to Bauer's incredible four-inning performance out of the bullpen, the Diablos Rojos del México were not only able to advance in the playoffs, but also secure the Mexican League title.
Trevor Bauer was named the Mexican League Pitcher of the Year
En route to a title and an All-Star selection, Trevor Bauer posted a 10-0 regular season record with a 2.48 ERA with 120 strikeouts over 83.1 innings of work. Thanks to his elite performances on the mound, the former Los Angeles Dodgers star was named the Mexican League Pitcher of Year.
Although he was not the unanimous choice, it wasn't even close when it came down to the voting. Bauer recieved 94 votes to claim the award, while the second-place finisher, Zac Grotz, only recieved 9. Even though Bauer remains a polarizing figure, there is no denying his performances this season.
It remains to be seen if he will draw any interest from MLB clubs this offseason. Even if he doesn't, he has done a good job at growing his social media presence, so he could pursue endeavors away from the league.