Bartolo Colon will not give up. Even though the odds are against his returning to the majors, he is continuing to pursue that goal, doing his best to get that one last chance before calling it a career. His pursuit of that goal has led him to the Mexican League, where he is hoping that a strong showing will lead to that opportunity.
Thus far, Colon is holding up his end of the bargain. He had another solid start for the Acereros de Monclova, throwing five shutout innings in his second outing of the year.
Once again Bartolo Colón with a good start in the spring training with the @AcererosOficial in the @LigaMexBeis.
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) May 9, 2021
5.0 IP
3 H
1 ER
0 BB
2 SOpic.twitter.com/cUtItBMcLs
Bartolo Colon showing he has something left in the tank
It may just be two outings, but Colon is showing that he has something left in the tank. Thus far, he has allowed just one earned run on five hits over eight innings. He has yet to walk a batter while striking out four.
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It had been two years since the 48 year old Colon had taken the mound. He was slated to pitch in the Mexican League last year, but the season was canceled due to the pandemic. That layoff makes his performance, and the command he has displayed thus far, all the more impressive as he gets back into baseball shape.
This showing is also a dramatic departure from when we last saw Colon. The former Oakland A’s pitcher had a rough final two seasons in the majors, posting a 14-26 record with a 6.13 ERA and a 1.465 WHiP over his 289.1 innings. Although he only issued 60 walks while striking out 170 batters, he also allowed 60 homers as his steady diet of fastballs became hittable.
But if Colon can continue to pitch the way that he has, there is no question that he could help a major league roster. Teams are looking for pitching depth, especially in the wake of the rash of injuries to begin the season. Colon may well get his wish even though the odds seemed drastically against him at the start of the season.
Former Oakland A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon is off to an excellent start in the Mexican League. His performance there could lead to another major league opportunity.