Wacha stakes claim as greatest young pitcher in postseason history

It has happened so quickly. The postseason has its breakout star. Already, St. Louis has come to expect greatness from a kid who was pitching in college last

Tom Verducci | Oct 25, 2013

It has happened so quickly. The postseason has its breakout star. Already, St. Louis has come to expect greatness from a kid who was pitching in college last year. And now Wacha's shadow looms over this entire series. The next three games will be played in Busch Stadium, with both teams knowing that a Game 6 belongs to Wacha. He has been unbeatable this postseason, and at times he has been unhittable. Not everybody heard the shouts of greatness coming from Jupiter, Fla., last spring. But they are unmistakable now, coming as they do in the World Series. This is Wacha's World Series. This is his time.

Published Oct 25, 2013

TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.