Durham Bulls ace Chris Archer will make his major league debut Wednesday in dramatic fashion. The 23-year-old Clayton native was called up Tuesday by the Major League affiliate Tampa Bay Rays to join the team in Washington, D.C., and pitch against third-year phenom Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals.
According to Baseball America, Archer is the Rays’ third-ranked prospect and the 89th overall ranked prospect in the minor leagues. He joins the Rays after starting 14 games in 2012 with the Bulls, compiling a 4-8 record with a 4.81 ERA and a league-leading 90 strikeouts. Archer’s last six starts have been among his most impressive – he’s 3- 2 with a 2.48 ERA and 34 strikeouts.
As impressively as Archer has pitched in the minor leagues, his opposition has been better in the big league.
The first overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft, Strasburg is 8-1 this season with a 2.45 ERA. The Nationals’ star is at the top of his game after being limited in his first two seasons with Tommy John surgery and has quickly emerged as one of Major League Baseball’s best pitchers.
For Archer, the call-up represents not just a dream fulfilled, but an opportunity to make an immediate splash against one of the game’s best.
