Michael Wacha (2023) - Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame - Texas A&M Athletics

Michael Wacha

Induction:
2023
Class:
2013

Michael Wacha enjoyed a stellar three-year career in Aggieland as one of the most feared pitchers in the nation. The two-time All-American pitcher was the ace of the Texas A&M staff during a run that included a College World Series appearance in 2011. He helped Ol' Sarge's charges win back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles in 2010 and '11 as well as the league regular-season crown in 2011.

The Texarkana, Texas, product crafted a career record of 27-7 with a 2.40 ERA and 336 strikeouts in 348.2 innings. Wacha's other stellar numbers included a 1.06 WHIP, 4.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio, four complete games and two shutouts. His career tallies for innings pitched (3^rd), strikeouts (4^th), wins (6^th) and ERA (9^th) rank in the top 10 in Texas A&M annals. The 27 wins and 336 strikeouts both rank ninth in the Big 12 career lists.

Wacha won nine games in each of his three seasons in Aggieland, culminating in a junior campaign in which he posted a 9-1 mark with a 2.06 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 5.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 116 strikeouts in 113.1 innings. He fired two complete-game shutouts en route to earning All-America Second Team honors from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, as well as third-team recognition from the NCBWA. Wacha also picked up his third All-Big 12 award for the efforts.

During the Aggies' 2011 CWS run, Wacha was 9-4 with a 2.29 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 129.2 innings, to earn Baseball America Third Team, All-Big 12 Second Team and Big 12 All-Tournament Team honors. He was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention as a freshman in 2010, following a 9-2 campaign.

Wacha was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round (19^th overall) of the 2012 MLB Draft and made his Major League debut the following year. His rookie campaign was capped off by earning National League Championship Series MVP recognition. The 11-year veteran has crafted an 82-52 record with 1,094 strikeouts during his stints with the Cardinals, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres. He posted a 17-7 record with a 3.38 ERA during a 2015 season which landed him a spot in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. His most recent honor was being named National League Pitcher of the Month in May 2023.