Trevor Andrew Bauer (born January 17, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher. He currently plays for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Before that, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played for the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League (LMB).

Bauer was a star pitcher at William S. Hart High School. He then went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 2010, he helped the UCLA Bruins reach the College World Series finals. The next year, he won the Golden Spikes Award and the National Pitcher of the Year Award. The Diamondbacks picked him third overall in the 2011 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut in June 2012.

After some challenges with the Diamondbacks, Bauer was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2012. He worked hard to improve his pitching. By 2016, he became a strong pitcher in their starting lineup. In 2018, he was chosen for his first MLB All-Star Game. In 2020, he won the Cy Young Award, which is a big award for the best pitcher. He was the first Reds player to win it.

In 2021, Bauer signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched very well for them. However, he was placed on administrative leave by MLB due to an investigation into serious off-field issues. In April 2022, MLB suspended him for a long time, which was later reduced. The Dodgers released him in January 2023.

After leaving MLB, Bauer joined the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan. He played one season there. Then, he signed with Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League. He helped them win the 2024 championship and was named Pitcher of the Year. Bauer rejoined the BayStars for the 2025 season.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Trevor Bauer was born on January 17, 1991, in North Hollywood, California. From a young age, he loved baseball pitchers like Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz. His parents helped him get pitching lessons. He would practice pitching against a fence at a local tennis court.

Bauer kept practicing his skills at William S. Hart High School in Santa Clarita. He also spent summers at a baseball camp in Texas. In 2008, as a junior, he had an amazing record of 12 wins and 0 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was very low at 0.79. His fastball could reach speeds of up to 92 miles per hour. Bauer decided to graduate early after his junior year.

College Baseball Success

After high school, Bauer went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He studied mechanical engineering there. He joined the UCLA Bruins baseball team with another talented pitcher, Gerrit Cole. In his first year in 2009, Bauer led the team with nine wins. He was named the Pac-10 Conference Baseball Newcomer of the Year.

In 2010, Bauer and Cole helped the Bruins start the season with 10 wins in a row. This was the best start for the school since the 1950s. The Bruins had a 22-game winning streak. Bauer helped UCLA reach the College World Series Championship Series for the first time ever. They lost to South Carolina in the finals.

Bauer set many UCLA records in 2011. He broke the school's strikeout record and became the all-time wins leader. For his great performance, he won the National Pitcher of the Year Award. He also became the first UCLA player to win the Golden Spikes Award. This award goes to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.

Professional Baseball Journey

Arizona Diamondbacks (2011–2012)

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Bauer pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks at spring training in 2012

In the 2011 MLB Draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks picked Trevor Bauer third overall. He was one of two college teammates picked very early in the draft. Bauer signed with the Diamondbacks in July. He started playing in the minor leagues. He played for the Visalia Rawhide and then the Mobile BayBears. In 2011, he had one win and one loss with Mobile.

Bauer was seen as the Diamondbacks' top young player in 2012. He was invited to spring training with the main team. He started the season back in Double-A Mobile. He pitched very well there, with seven wins and one loss. He then moved up to the Triple-A Reno Aces.

Making it to the Major Leagues

On June 27, 2012, Bauer was called up to the major leagues. He was the first player from his draft class to reach MLB. He started his first MLB game the next day. He got his first major league win on July 8 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After four starts, he was sent back to Reno. He helped the Reno Aces win their first championships. He finished the minor league season with five wins and one loss for Reno.

Cleveland Indians (2013–2019)

Adjusting to a New Team

In December 2012, Bauer was traded to the Cleveland Indians. This was a big trade involving three teams and nine players. It was known that Bauer had some disagreements with his teammates in Arizona. His former catcher said Bauer sometimes ignored his advice. Bauer later apologized for his attitude.

Bauer with the Indians in 2013

Bauer spent his first two seasons with the Indians working on his pitching style. He started in Triple-A for the Columbus Clippers. He had some struggles with control in his pitches. In 2014, he started to improve. He made 26 starts for the Indians that year. He had five wins and eight losses, but he was getting better at limiting walks.

Becoming a Regular Starter

Bauer made the Indians' main roster for the 2015 MLB season. He was part of their starting rotation. He pitched his first complete game in July, but the team lost. He sometimes struggled with giving up home runs. He finished the season with 11 wins and 12 losses.

In 2016, Bauer started in the bullpen. But when a teammate got injured, he moved back into the starting rotation. He pitched his second complete game in June. He finished the regular season with 12 wins and 8 losses. During the playoffs, he had a strange injury to his finger while fixing a drone. He still pitched in the 2016 American League Championship Series, but his wound reopened. The Indians still won that game and made it to the 2016 World Series. Bauer started two games in the World Series, but the Indians lost the series in seven games.

Strong Performances and Challenges

Bauer with the Indians in 2017

In 2017, Bauer had a tough start to the season. But he turned it around in the second half. He had 10 wins and 1 loss in his last 14 starts. He finished the season with 17 wins and 9 losses. He pitched very well in the 2017 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. He set an Indians postseason record for no-hit innings.

Bauer had a great first half of the 2018 season. He was one of the best pitchers in the American League. He was chosen for his first All-Star team. However, he suffered a stress fracture in his leg in August. This injury kept him out for several weeks. He returned late in the season. In the 2018 ALDS, the Indians lost to the Houston Astros.

In 2019, Bauer started the season very strong. But he later revealed he had been playing with an ankle injury. He also got sick. In July, he got frustrated during a game and threw a ball over the fence. He later apologized, calling it "childish."

Cincinnati Reds (2019–2020)

Bauer with the Cincinnati Reds in 2019

On July 31, 2019, the Cincinnati Reds got Bauer in a big three-team trade. He had some inconsistent games with the Reds that year. He finished the season with 11 wins and 13 losses combined between Cleveland and Cincinnati.

In 2020, the MLB season was shorter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bauer had his best year ever. He had a 5–4 record and led the league with a very low 1.73 ERA. He struck out 100 batters in 11 starts. He helped the Reds make it to the playoffs. He pitched a great game in the 2020 National League Wild Card Series, but the Reds lost. After the season, Bauer won the Cy Young Award. He was the first pitcher for Cincinnati to ever win this award.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2021)

After the 2020 season, Bauer became a free agent. He signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2021. He was pitching very well for the Dodgers. However, in July 2021, MLB placed him on administrative leave. This was because of an investigation into serious off-field issues. He remained on leave for the rest of 2021 and into 2022.

In April 2022, MLB announced that Bauer would be suspended for a long time. This was due to their investigation. The suspension was later reduced. On January 6, 2023, the Dodgers decided to release him.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2023)

On March 13, 2023, Bauer signed a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan. He pitched his first game for them on May 3. He was nominated for the NPB All-Star Game and named the June MVP. In 19 games for Yokohama, he had 10 wins and 4 losses. He also had a 2.76 ERA and 130 strikeouts. He became a free agent again in November.

Diablos Rojos del México (2024)

In March 2024, Bauer announced he would start the season pitching for the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League (LMB). In April, he had a game where he struck out 14 batters, including nine in a row. He led the league in ERA and strikeouts at midseason. He was chosen for the LMB All-Star Game. In June, Bauer set a new Mexican League record with 19 strikeouts in one game. He finished the season with 10 wins and 0 losses. He helped the Diablos win the Serie del Rey, which is their championship. After the season, he was named the 2024 Mexican League Pitcher of the Year.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2025–Present)

On January 27, 2025, Bauer signed again with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan. This is his second time playing for the team.

International Play

After his first year at UCLA, Bauer played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He played in five games that summer.

In October 2024, Bauer played for the Switzerland national team in a special game against the Czech Republic.

Pitching Style and Techniques

Bauer with the Indians in 2019

Trevor Bauer likes to use many different types of pitches. He believes that having many pitches with different speeds and movements can confuse batters. He has thrown about 19 different pitches, some of which he created himself. These include a "reverse slider" and "the bird" (a type of split finger fastball). He uses a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider, curveball, split finger fastball, and cut fastball.

Bauer is also known for his strong stamina during games. His fastball stays fast even late in his starts. He uses a "tunneling approach" where all his pitches start looking the same. This makes it hard for batters to tell what pitch is coming until it's too late.

Bauer has a unique warmup routine. He does a long toss warmup from far distances on the field. He also uses a special high-speed camera to record himself and other pitchers. This helps him study and improve his pitching. His pitching style has been compared to former pitcher Tim Lincecum.

Pitching Controversies

Bauer has been part of discussions about how pitchers make the ball spin more. This involves using special substances to get a better grip on the ball. In 2020, Bauer talked about how many pitchers might be using these substances. MLB started looking into this in 2021. After MLB announced they would enforce rules on this, the spin rate on Bauer's fastball changed. However, there is no clear proof that Bauer used these substances.

Personal Life and Interests

Business and Media

Besides baseball, Bauer is interested in promoting the sport. In 2019, he started a video production company called Momentum Films. This company aims to share stories about baseball players. Momentum also has a YouTube group with other content creators. Bauer also makes his own YouTube video blogs about baseball and has a podcast called Bauer Bytes.

Charitable Work

In 2018, Bauer started a charity campaign called "69 Days of Giving." He promised to donate money to 68 different charities chosen by his fans. The final charity received a larger donation. He chose specific donation amounts based on certain numbers to help get attention for the campaign. The final donation went to Max S. Hayes High School in Cleveland, Ohio.