Ace in the Making? How about... Ace NOW.

By: Chris

Over his past few starts, dating back to September of 2008, Zack Greinke has dazzled fans with his dominant command featuring stellar pitches such as his low 90s heater, slider, curveball, and change up, all leaving hitters powerless and unable to put up any runs against him. 34, to be exact, is the impressive number of scoreless innings that Greinke looks to extend this Friday, April 24th, when he is slated to face the Detroit Tigers.  Yet, he remains humble, adding, “I just heard about it. It kind of blew me away. I think it’s almost impossible to do 34 scoreless innings in these days. I would have taken the 20 as a career high.” 

Some might guess he has not faced any power-potent offenses, however having faced both the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers, definitely quiets those critics. Yes, he faced the power-loaded Texas Rangers in Arlington… again in Arlington one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the league! Greinke is really proving to be worth the 6^th overall pick in 2002, and many consider him a sure choice to be among those in the running for American League Cy Young come the end of the season. Coming off of a solid season in 2008 with over 200 innings, Greinke has proved that he can be a team’s workhorse, the only doubt being whether he can repeat such a performance again this year. For now, this not only looks possible, but a very plausible idea.

The manager of the Royals, Trey Hillman, has been very praising of his pitcher’s ability to get out of jams, and why would he not be? Greinke has lead the team to three wins out of their seven, and they sit atop the AL Central. Speaking of times when Greinke deals with having runners on base, Hillman comments, “That’s when he was at his best. That’s what guys with his kind of stuff and his ability can do on occasion. Thankfully, he was able to do it in several innings.” It is evident that Hillman trusts his ace to lead his team, and is glad to have him leading the staff along with fellow righty Gil Meche who also has started the season on a good note.

Overall, the future is bright for Greinke. Many people believe his talents have no limits and if he continues his play-hard mentality, he will be a force to reckon with in his career. You have been called a future ace for a few years now, but now is your time Zack. You already are an ace of Major League Baseball.