Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Trevor Bauer is making a big move back to California following his multi award-winning season with the Cincinnati Reds. A Hart alumni, Bauer has been playing in the MLB since 2012 but has never played for a California team, despite growing up in the southern part of the state. 

Bauer began his amateur baseball career at Hart High School. Bauer was an exceptional ball player but an even better student, and he graduated a year early with a grade point average of 4.8. Bauer also played baseball at the collegiate level at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) from 2009 to 2011. The pitcher finished his college career establishing UCLA records of all-time wins (34) and strikeouts (460). Throughout his run at UCLA, Bauer was on the Baseball Collegiate National Team, Pac-12 Conference Pitcher of the Year, All Pac-12 First Team and won the Golden Spikes Award, which is awarded to the best amateur player that year, and National Pitcher of the Year Award. Bauer proved to be one of the greatest pitchers, or even players, UCLA has ever seen. 

The Santa Clarita native made his MLB debut June 2012, just a year after he was picked as a third overall draft pick in 2011 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bauer recorded his first Major League win July 2012 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In December of the same year, Bauer was traded to the Cleveland Indians, where he would spend the next seven years. During his time with the Indians, Bauer won the 2016 American League Championship Series (ALCS), was named an 2017 all-star player and had many memorable outings. Bauer was traded July 2019 to the Reds where he spent the remainder of the 2019 season and the whole of the shortened 2020 season. Bauer had a majestic 2020 run, with a win-loss record of 5-4. Although his record seems mediocre, he had an earned run average (ERA) of 1.73 in 11 starts, which is impressive despite the questionable legitimacy of stats during the 60-game season. Bauer received the National League (NL) Cy Young award, presented to the best pitchers in the MLB. 

As for his 2021 season, Bauer announced his signing with the Dodgers February 7. Dodger fans and Hart fans were beyond thrilled for the news, to say the least. Although Bauer has never had a contract with the Dodgers, he blasted the Astros on Twitter following the infamous 2017 World Series cheating scandal, earning the support of Dodger fans and players. Bauer also had a phenomenal 2020 season, which sure sweetened the deal for those who bleed blue. The future-Dodger signed a three-year $102 million contract where he can opt out the first two years. This deal will make Bauer the highest paid MLB player in 2021 and 2022. 

Baseball fans will be watching Bauer play in LA for the next three seasons if all goes well. Bauer is arguably one of the most memorable players Hart has ever produced, and he will always be part of the Hart family. Dodger games can be watched in the 2021 season on SportsNet LA with Spectrum.