Texas Rangers Select Alex Claudio As Pitcher of the Year

The Texas Rangers 2017 season didn’t go exactly as planned, but there were still a few bright spots along the way. Lefty Alex Claudio was one of those and gets his well deserved recognition.

According to T.R. Sullivan, the Texas Rangers have named left-handed reliever Alex Claudio as the Rangers Pitcher of the Year. Claudio put together an incredible season on the mound and has shown immense growth.

Claudio appeared in a team-leading 70 games with the Rangers last season. He went 4-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 11 saves along the way. He solidified the closer role when Texas was desperate and needed someone to step up.

He took over the closer role after reliever Matt Bush was taken out of the role in July. The soft-tossing lefty converted 10 of 12 saves after the All-Star break. He was one of the main pieces that kept Texas alive in the playoff race.

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Claudio made his debut with the Rangers in 2014 and never looked back. Since then, Claudio is 9-4 with a 2.66 ERA 142 games and 11 saves. Just to put it in perspective, Claudio threw 82.2 innings last season and starter A.J. Griffin worked just 77.1 innings.

The man has been an absolute workhorse in the Rangers bullpen. The Rangers even had Claudio start a game last season after Cole Hamels was scratched before game-time. He’s done everything he’s been asked and more since joining the Rangers organization.

It’s difficult to find another pitcher more deserving of this award than Claudio. He might not be the closer in 2018, but his presence in the bullpen will make an enormous difference. The Rangers made the right choice by selecting Claudio for Pitcher of the Year.

The Texas Rangers 2017 season didn’t go exactly as planned, but there were still a few bright spots along the way. Lefty Alex Claudio was one of those and gets his well deserved recognition.

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