WVU's Maxx Yehl Named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year After Dominant Season

The best pitcher in the league resides in Morgantown.

WVU Athletics Communications

It comes as no surprise that West Virginia southpaw Maxx Yehl was named the Big 12 Conference's Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday.

In 13 starts this season, the redshirt junior has compiled a 7-2 record while leading the league in ERA (2.10). In 73 innings of work, Yehl has struck out 88 batters while walking only 20. Opposing hitters have had a difficult time barreling things up this season, hitting just .222 against him and taking him yard on only four occasions.

Yehl was removed after just two innings in his outing against Houston, feeling some discomfort in his arm. Fortunately for WVU, it wasn't anything serious, and giving him a week off allowed him to rest and attack his final three starts of the regular season, where he gave up just three runs across 18.2 innings.

“That break was probably a godsend for him," WVU head coach Steve Sabins said last week. "Over the course of two weeks there, kind of on the back end of the season, middle of the season, he threw two innings. And then he threw five innings. After that, he was able to throw that complete game. I think he’s just in a really good headspace and healthy and feeling really good. We’re treating Maxx like a big leaguer because he is a big leaguer. We’re scheduling that guy massages each week, and he’s got red light therapy, and he’s really diving in, taking care of himself. He’s really finding ways to take care of his body and prepare like a big leaguer would. The truth is that guy should pitch for another 15 years. He’s that good. He’s an exceptional talent.”

Yehl gives WVU a chance to make a deep run

WVU Athletics Communications

While WVU has had some quality starting pitching over the years, they haven't had a dominant, shutdown type of guy like Yehl since Alek Manoah in 2019. Not only is he tough to hit, but when he does give up a couple of base knocks or has a runner in scoring position, he tends to slam the door shut. The pressure doesn't get to him. He could give up a leadoff double with the heart of the order coming up, and you'd still feel pretty good about his chances of pitching out of it.

Having an ace that can go deep into games is a luxury. Not every team has one, especially not one as strong as Yehl has been. If he continues to pitch like he has all year, WVU could make some noise in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments.