The Baltimore Orioles struck gold when they traded reliever Jorge Lopez last year.
He was pitching like an All-Star, but the Orioles turned him into four young pitchers from the Minnesota Twins system.
One of those pitchers was fellow reliever Yennier Cano.
Cano is not exactly prospect-aged, as he is 29 already.
However, he is enjoying a breakthrough campaign with the O’s.
He hasn’t allowed any earned runs in 20.2 frames, striking out 23 hitters and raising eyebrows everywhere he goes.
His changeup, his go-to pitch, is a thing of beauty.
Yennier Cano’s changeup is just unhittable 🤯@Orioles | #Birdland pic.twitter.com/rZlbl6sXVq
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) May 16, 2023
The man hasn’t even allowed a hit with his changeup.
Statcast’s expected statistics on the pitch (judging by whiff rate, exit velocity, launch angle, and other factors) are also incredible.
He has made hitters look foolish with the pitch.
Cano has been, without a doubt, one of the majors’ best relievers and one of the reasons why the Orioles are 27-15 and in second place of the AL East division.
He is not only stingy with runs, but people just don’t get on base with him on the mound.
His WHIP, as of Wednesday afternoon, was at 0.19.
Nope, that’s not a typo: he has only surrendered four hits and no walks in his 20.2 innings of work so far.
As long as Cano and fellow dominant reliever Felix Bautista are healthy, the Orioles bullpen will remain elite.
Imagine reaching the eighth inning down in the score against Baltimore.
Going to the moon might be easier than flipping the score against both Cano and Bautista.
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