Alex McRae is having a career year in Double-A this season for the Altoona Curve and Tuesday night, the right handed pitcher dazzled on the bump.
With each pitch this season the Curve starting pitcher has inched himself closer to becoming a starter at the Triple-A level in Indianapolis. Tuesday further proved McRae is more than to crack the Indians loaded starting rotation if given the chance.
McRae earned his team-leading eighth victory by way of his spectacular performance on the rubber against Reading Tuesday evening. The righty out of Jacksonville University went eight innings for the second time in his last three outings giving up four hits and a singular run, also in the first inning.
The masterpiece McRae painted Tuesday night was just another page in a book of quality outings by a budding prospect in the Pirates’ organization.
Shove Sessions
McRae has shoved in his second season with Altoona Curve, starting 20 games for the Curve so far this season to the tune of a 3.53 ERA. Tuesday’s game against Reading was the best shove session the 24-year-old has had this season.
The first inning Tuesday saw McRae struggle early and struggle often, however, after the first inning it was all downhill for Altoona. Four of the first six batters McRae faced in the first inning reached base via hits.
Those four singles were all the Fightin’ Phils would get as McRae and Yeudy Garcia combined to make Reading go eight hitless innings to finish the game. It was McRae that did the bulk of the work going eight innings allowing only the four hits in the first inning and one run.
McRae retired 21-in-a-row before giving the ninth inning to Garcia for the save. The efficiency of McRae Tuesday night allowed him to go deep into the game as he surrendered zero walks and averaged a strikeout per inning against the Fightin’ Phils finishing up with eight total.
In two of his last three starts, McRae has gone eight innings giving up zero walks in those 16 innings of work. He’s also allowed only three earned runs and amassed 11 strikeouts in that time span.
Limiting walks is imperative to young pitchers and their advancement through the minor league system. As long as McRae keeps his walk rates down and runners off the bases, good things will happen while he’s on the mound.
Bright Future
Flying under the radar as a pitching prospect, McRae has done more than enough to become as talked about as guys such as Mitch Keller and Tyler Glasnow.
McRae leads all of Double-A baseball with in innings pitched with 120 total innings averaging six innings per start. With each start, he seems to get better and more comfortable pitching his game and utilizing his arsenal of pitches.
The performance McRae has put on with the Altoona Curve this season has warranted a good, hard look at the righty advancing to Triple-A. What will inevitably hold McRae back is not his talent or pitching acumen, but the lack of space for him in Indianapolis. With a rotation boasting names such as Glasnow, Tyler Eppler, Nick Kingham, and Drew Hutchison, McRae finds himself the odd man out barring significant roster moves nearing the deadline.
It’s not an if but when McRae gets the chance to produce at the Triple-A level as long as he continues to perform like he has this season. But for now, Altoona Curve and Pittsburgh Pirates fans get the chance to see him perform in their backyard every fifth day as he attempts to pitch his way up the ladder in the organization.
Photo credit – MiLB.com
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