PEORIA, Ariz. — When Padres pitcher Michael Wacha was in his early 20s, professional baseball rushed at him like a Nolan Ryan fastball. He was drafted 19th overall by the Cardinals in 2012, ahead of future All-Stars Marcus Stroman and Lance McCullers Jr.
Almost immediately, Wacha landed in Double-A, a massive first-year jump. At 22, he stormed onto MLB's biggest stage by becoming the MVP of the NLCS. He became the youngest to do so since 21-year-old Steve Avery of the Braves in 1991.
Soon, baseball-crazy St. Louis barked "Wacha, Wacha" when he pitched in homage to Fozzie Bear's signature saying from "The Muppet Show." A place called Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium named a milkshake the Wacha Wacha.
