You may know him as James Paxton, but around the Seattle community and the baseball world, the 6”4’, 235-pound Canadian is known as “Big Maple.”
That’s partially because of Paxton’s passport, and he grew up just a couple hundred kilometres north of Seattle in Ladner, B.C.
But mostly, it’s because the 29-year-old is a tall, lanky lefty that injects fear into hitters with heater that is just under three digits in MPH.
Intimidation is a useful trait for a pitcher if he knows how to properly harness it.
Never one to be intimated out on the field (even if that means getting swarmed by a bald eagle during the national anthem), the Canadian has developed a “power stance” that lets batters know just whose in control when he’s on the mound.
Paxton caught up with Cabbie for the latest Cabbie Presents, and broke down Paxton’s intimidation tactics. Paxton also goes into detail about the state of sabermetrics, and whether he’s more a stats or “eye-test” guy.
They also relive Paxton’s no-hitter against the Blue Jays on Canadian soil (turf?), in which Paxton became just the second Canadian to ever throw one, and the first Canadian to achieve the feat in his home country.
He also set the record earlier this season for the most strikeouts ever recorded in a game by a player born north of the 49th parallel.
So sit back, crack open a cold one, or pour yourself a shot of some maple whiskey and enjoy the latest edition of Cabbie Presents.
