Tanner Roark #57

Tanner B. Roark (ROE-arc)...Majored in sports management at the University of Illinois...Was a Second-Team All-Big 10 selection in 2007...In two seasons with the Illini, went 12-2 with a 4.72 ERA in 24 games/22 starts...Led Wilmington (IL) High to a pair of state baseball championships in 2003 and 2005 before graduating...Was named first-team All-State (2003-05) by the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association...Lettered in three sports (baseball, football, basketball at Wilmington)...Was an All-State quarterback as a junior in 2004...In spring of 2008, signed with and pitched in three games with the Southern Illinois Miners of the independent-Frontier League prior to being drafted by Texas. 

In his return to the starting rotation, Roark set career marks in innings pitched (210.0) and wins (16) in 2016...Ranked in the National League in wins (T5th, 16), HR/9.0 IP (6th, 0.73), H/9.0 IP (9th, 7.41), and ERA (6th, 2.83)...Threw 7.0 or more shutout innings nine times, the most MLB...CHI RHP Jake Arrieta was second with eight...Roark started seven of Washington's 12 shutouts...Per FanGraphs.com, he had the lowest hard-hit rate (24.3%) in Major League Baseball...He tossed 7.0 (or more) innings 18 times, third-most in the NL...Teammate RHP Max Scherzer ranked first with 20 and SFG RHP Jhonny Cueto was second with 19....Along with Scherzer, the two combined to throw at least 7.0 innings in 38 starts, and they also combined to pitch at least 7.0 innings while allowing two runs or fewer 33 times...Of the 22 pitchers who put together at least 10 outings of 7.0 (or more) innings with two runs allowed (or fewer), no team had a pair who compiled more such starts...Outpaced career marks in SO/9.0 (7.37 in 2016; 6.59 career), H/9.0 (7.41 in 2016; 7.97 career) & swing-and-miss % (21.9% in 2016; 19.7% career).... Left-handed batters hit just .214 / .315 / .302 against Roark in 2016...Among right-handed pitchers with at least 400 left-handed batters faced (essentially, all right-handed starting pitchers), Roark's .302 opponent slugging percentage led the National League, and his .214 batting average against was good for sixth... Allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven outings dating to Aug. 29...Posted a 2.16 ERA (10 ER/41.2 IP) and a .189 batting average against during this stretch...Posted a 1.13 ERA (4 ER/32.0 IP), 1.06 WHIP and a .187/.293/.252 opponent slash line from Aug. 29 - Sept. 20...Struck out a career-high 15 batters in 7.0 innings of two-hit, shutout ball vs. MIN on April 23... His 15 strikeouts were, at the time, the most in a game by a Nationals pitcher this season (now second behind RHP Max Scherzer's 20) and the third-most (now fourth) in a game in Nationals history (2005-pres.)...Made his first Postseason start in Game 2 of the NLDS.

Began the season in the bullpen, but ultimately made 12 starts...Went 1-3 with one save, four holds and a 3.74 ERA (19 ER/45.2 IP) as a reliever... Offered scoreless relief in 17 of his 28 appearances...Went 3-4 with a 4.82 ERA (35 ER/65.1 IP) in 12 starts across two stints in the rotation...ERA severely impacted by eight earned runs allowed, June 28 at PHI...Made his first start of the season on May 25 at Chicago, replacing injured RHP Doug Fister...Converted his first career save, May 4 vs. MIA...Returned to the rotation on Sept. 4 to take the spot of RHP Joe Ross...In his best start of the season, tossed a season-high 7.0 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits in Washington's 16-4 win at Tampa Bay, June 16. 

Built on successful 2013 to turn in a true breakout campaign in 2014...Went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 31 starts...Ranked among National League pitchers in opponents OPS (5th, .632), OBP (7th, .281), wins (T8th, 15), WHIP (8th, 1.09), baserunners per nine innings (8th, 10.10) and walks per nine innings (8th, 1.77)...His eight road wins tied RHP Doug Fister for the team lead...Turned in his first career shutout, April 25 vs. SDP (9.0 IP, 3 H, BB, 8 SO)...Fanned a career-high 11 batters, June 6 at SDP (8.0 IP, 3 H, 11 SO)...Worked 7.0 scoreless innings to pocket the win in Washington's NL East championship-clinching 3-0 victory on Sept. 16 at Atlanta...Worked out of the bullpen in the 2014 NLDS vs. San Francisco Giants (0-1, 3.38 ERA) for his first Postseason exposure...Pitched better in the season's second "half" (7-4, 2.65 ERA, 13 GS) than before the All-star break (8-6, 3.01 ERA, 18 GS).

Joined the Nationals late, but earned glowing reviews, finishing 7-1 with 1.51 ERA in 14/5 G/GS...started 7-0 and became the first/only National to win first 7 decisions in a single season...allowed only one home run (Carlos Beltran, 2-run shot, Sept. 23 at Busch Stadium) in 53.2 big league innings...spun 2.0 scorless innings in MLB debut on Aug. 7 vs. ATL...first strikeout victim was Jeff Francoeur (Aug. 13 vs. SFG)... 7 of 9 relief appearances with the Nationals lasted at least 2.0 ininngs...worked a season-high 4.2 scoreless innings and was rewarded with the win in Washington's come-from-behind 11-10 win on Aug. 23 at Kauffman Stadium...made first big league start on Sept. 7 at MIA and earned the win thanks to 6.0 scoreless innings...did not allow an earned run and spun at least 6.0 innings in 3 of 5 starts for Washington...went 9-3 with 4 holds, 2 saves and 3.15 ERA in 33 games/11 starts with Syracuse...led the International League in WHIP (0.99).