Guardians star Shane Bieber makes more MLB history

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber continues to make MLB history

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber was injured for much of the 2021 season but he has shown that he is still a dominant starting pitcher and one of the best in baseball in 2022.

He continued showing his dominance on Wednesday by going 4.1 innings, allowing only three hits and striking out six while not allowing a walk or a run before a rain delay.

His fifth strikeout of the evening was the 700th of his career, making him the second-fastest pitcher to ever achieve the feat.

Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber is on a record strikeout pace

The only starting pitcher that has ever recorded 700 career strikeouts faster than Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber is current San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish.

According to Mandy Bell of MLB.com, Darvish recorded the feat in 87 games. Bieber recorded it in his 93rd career game.

Bieber has made 11 starts on the season thus far and he has an ERA of 2.91. He is averaging just 2.2 walks compared to 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

He was an All-Star in 2021 despite not pitching in the majors between June 13 and September 24 but he won the AL Cy Young Award (and came in fourth in AL MVP voting) in 2020.

That year, he led the majors with 122 strikeouts in just 77.1 innings (or 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings). He also led the majors in wins (8), ERA (1.63), and FIP (2.07). He led the American League with his hit rate (5.4 H/9).

In 2019, he came in fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting after he went 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 34 games (33 starts) and he struck out 259 batters, which was third in the AL.

Bieber is likely on his way to a third All-Star game this season for the Guardians when the game is played in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium next month and he continues to show why with his dominance this season and in his career.