Shane Baz is basically a human lightning bolt when he’s on. You’ve seen the highlights. That high-90s heater that seems to rise, the snap-dragon curveball that makes hitters look like they’re swatting at flies in the dark. But if you actually look at the Shane Baz game log for 2025, you’ll see a story that’s way more complicated than just a guy throwing gas. It was a season of massive peaks, "burn the tape" valleys, and a whole lot of questions about what his future looks like in a new uniform.
Honestly, the most impressive stat from his 2025 campaign isn’t the strikeouts. It’s the starts. He made 31 of them. For a guy who had basically been a myth for two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery and oblique tweaks, just taking the ball every five days was a massive win. He threw 166.1 innings. That’s a career high by a mile.
The Electric Start: April and June Brilliance
The season started like a dream. On April 1st, facing his old organization, the Pirates, Baz went 6.0 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. He looked untouchable. Two weeks later against the Red Sox? Another 11 strikeouts in six frames. By the end of April, his ERA was a tiny 2.45. Everyone thought we were witnessing a Cy Young breakout in real-time.
Then May happened. It was brutal.
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He got shelled for a 7.26 monthly ERA, giving up 9 home runs in just over 31 innings. But like a true Rays pitcher, he adjusted. June was a complete 180. He posted a 3.26 ERA across five starts, including a masterful 8-inning shutout performance against the Royals on June 26th where he allowed only three hits. This kind of volatility is exactly why fans find the Shane Baz game log so addicting to track—you never quite know which version of Shane is showing up until the first inning is over.
Monthly Splits and Momentum Swings
If you break down the year by the calendar, it looks like a heart rate monitor.
- April: 3-0 record, 2.45 ERA. Pure dominance.
- May: 1-3 record, 7.26 ERA. The long ball was a massive problem.
- June: 4-0 record, 3.26 ERA. Reclaimed his ace status.
- July: A frustrating 3.60 ERA but an 0-4 record due to zero run support.
- August/September: ERA climbed as the workload hit, finishing at 4.87 for the year.
Why the ERA Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
A 4.87 ERA looks... well, it looks mediocre. But if you’re a nerd for the underlying numbers, you know Baz was better than that. His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) sat at 4.37. Still high, sure, but his Statcast data was glowing red. He ranked in the top 10% of the league in xBA (Expected Batting Average) against for a huge chunk of the year.
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Basically, he was unlucky.
Left-handed hitters, in particular, couldn’t touch him late in the season. From August 13th through the end of the year, lefties hit a measly .094 against him. That’s not a typo. He was effectively erasing half the lineup. The issue was the big blow-up innings. Ten of his 28 home runs allowed came in the first inning. If he survived the first 15 pitches, he was usually golden. If not? It was a long night for the bullpen.
The Big Trade and the Camden Yards Finale
The biggest shocker didn’t even happen on the mound. It happened in the front office. On August 30, 2025, the Rays traded Baz to the Baltimore Orioles. It felt weird seeing him in orange, but his Shane Baz game log shows he didn't miss a beat with the transition.
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He ended his season at Camden Yards on September 24th, pitching 4.0 hitless innings against the very team that just traded for him. He touched 100.4 mph on the gun. That’s the stuff that makes scouts drool. He walked three, which reminded everyone that the command is still a work in progress, but the raw talent is undeniable.
Key Stats from the 2025 Campaign
- Strikeouts: 176 (A new career best)
- WHIP: 1.33 (A bit high, mostly due to a 9.0% walk rate)
- Fastball Velocity: Averaged 96.9 mph, peaking at 100.4 mph
- Arsenal: Used the 4-seamer 44% of the time, followed by a nasty curve (27%) and cutter (15%)
What This Means for 2026
Baz is no longer the "prospect with potential." He’s a veteran of a full MLB season now. He proved his elbow could handle the 160+ inning load, which was the biggest hurdle. Moving to Baltimore changes the geometry a bit—Camden Yards is a different beast than the Trop—but his ability to miss bats should travel anywhere.
If you’re looking at his game log to project next year, focus on the September ERA of 2.82. He was "peaking at the end of the year," according to Kevin Cash, right before he left. That sustained velocity in starts 29, 30, and 31 is the green light every fan wanted to see.
Actionable Insights for Following Shane Baz:
- Watch the First Inning: Baz's "blow-up" potential is almost entirely concentrated in the first 20 pitches. If he’s hitting his spots early, he’s likely going 6+ innings.
- Monitor the Curveball Drop: Statcast shows he gets 3.9 inches more drop than the average curveball at his velocity. When that pitch is landing for strikes, he is essentially unhittable.
- Check the Walk Rate: His best stretches in 2025 came when his walks per nine (BB/9) stayed under 3.0. When it crept toward 4.0, his pitch counts exploded, and he struggled to finish the 5th inning.