Shane Baz #29

Selected by the Pirates in the first round (12th overall) of the 2017 Amateur Draft out of Concordia Lutheran (Texas) High School… committed to pitch at Texas Christian University before signing with the Pirates... acquired by the Rays from the Pirates as the player to be named from the July 31, 2018 trade involving Chris Archer

2021

Selected on Sept. 20 from Triple-A Durham and finished the season in the Rays rotation...On Sept. 20 vs. TOR, made his major league debut at 22 years, 95 days and became the third-youngest Ray to start and win his major league debut behind Scott Kazmir (20.212) on Aug. 23, 2004, at SEA and Joe Kennedy (22.013) on June 6, 2001, at TOR…78.5 pct. (51 of 65) of his pitches were strikes, the highest for a starting pitcher in his major league debut since pitches were first tracked in 1988, according to Stats LLC…his only hits allowed in five IP were solo homers to Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. …became the third Rays pitcher to go five IP (or more) and allow two hits (or fewer) in his debut, joining Brendan McKay on June 29, 2019, vs. TEX and Blake Snell on April 23, 2016, at NYY...On Sept. 26, vs. MIA, pitched 5.2 scoreless innings and improved to 2-0 to begin his major league career…joined Jeremy Hellickson in 2010 as the only Rays pitchers to start their major league career with back-to-back outings of five IP (or more) and three hits (or fewer)…recorded nine SO, the most for a Rays pitcher within one of the first two apps of his career since Wade Davis (9) on Sept. 6, 2009, vs. DET…at 22 years, 101 days, he became the youngest Rays pitcher with nine SO (or more) since Matt Moore (22.096) on Sept. 22, 2011, at NYY (11)...Named Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Rays Baseball Operations department…went 5-4 with a 2.06 ERA (78.2-IP, 18-ER) and 113 SO in 17 starts between two levels…began the season with Montgomery and made seven starts there before earning a June 15 promotion to Durham…tied for fifth among Rays minor leaguers in strikeouts…at the time of his Sept. 20 call up, led Triple-A East with a 1.76 ERA (min. 10 starts)...Min. 70 IP, led minor league pitchers with a 8.69 SO/BB ratio…ranked sixth among Rays minor leaguers in strikeouts...Named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June, going 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA (29-IP, 3-ER) and 42 SO in six starts between two levels…pitched five perfect innings June 9 vs. Birmingham, his last start before receiving a promotion to Durham...Made the AL Team for the All-Star Futures Game, his first career selection, pitching a perfect 2nd inning with a pair of strikeouts...Pitched for Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (July 30–Aug. 7, 2021) and won a silver medal…named to the U.S. Team roster July 2, along with then-Bulls teammate Joe Ryan and future Rays teammate David Robertson…started against Japan in Game 1 of the modified double-elimination bracket, his only Olympic appearance, and yielded 5 hits, 2 runs and three BB in 2.2 IP of a no decision…Team USA lost, 7-6, on a walk-off single in the 10th inning before defeating the Dominican Republic in the repechage and South Korea in the semifinals to advance to the Gold Medal Game, where they again lost to Japan, 2-0...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 overall prospect in the minors following the season…was the No. 1 prospect in the Rays system…the publication also tabbed him as having the Best Fastball in the organization for a third consecutive year and Best Slider in the organization for a fourth consecutive year...POSTSEASON: Started Game 2 of the ALDS vs. BOS and took no decision, yielding three runs in 2.1 IP including a solo homer to Xander Bogaerts, his last batter faced...Became the second pitcher in major league history to start a postseason game with three (or fewer) career regular season appearances up to that point, joining TB Matt Moore in Game 1 of the 2011 ALDS at TEX…was the second-youngest pitcher in postseason history to start against the Red Sox behind 21-year-old NYM Dwight Gooden in the 1986 World Series.

2020

Was part of the Rays 60-man player pool and spent the summer at the alternate training site in Port Charlotte…ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in the Rays system following the season…the publication also tabbed him as having the Best Fastball in the organization for a second consecutive year and Best Slider in the organization for a third consecutive year.

2019

Made 17 starts for Class-A Bowling Green in his first full season in the Rays organization… made eight apps (one start) for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League, and named to the AFL Rising Stars Game…ranked by Baseball America as the No. 71 overall prospect in the minors following the season…was the No. 5 prospect in the Rays system.

2018

Acquired from the Pirates as the player to be named from the July 31 trade involving Chris Archer…at the time of the trade, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in the Pirates system…ranked by the publication as the No. 11 prospect in the Rays system following the season.