Geoff Block is a South Carolina-based financial executive whose company, RLB Squared, maintains an extensive portfolio of real estate ventures and hedge funds. Beyond his professional pursuits, Geoff Block enjoys following his favorite Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the New York Yankees.
In an effort to bolster their starting rotation, the Yankees acquired left-handed pitcher James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners on November 20 in exchange for top prospect Justus Sheffield and minor-league players Erik Swanson and Dom Thompson-Williams. Paxton, who turned 30 earlier in the month, posted a win-loss record of 11-6 to go with a 3.76 earned-run average (ERA) last season. He also struck out 208 batters in 160 and one-third innings pitched.
The pinnacle of Paxton's year came on May 2, when he registered a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays. For his impressive season, Paxton was the recipient of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's 2018 Tip O'Neill Award as the top Canadian player in Major League Baseball.
In addition to becoming the first Canadian to record a no-hitter, Paxton established the single-game record for most strikeouts by a Canadian, with 16 against the Oakland Athletics. Through 102 career regular-season starts, Paxton has a record of 41-26 to go with a 3.42 ERA and 617 strikeouts in 582 and one-third innings pitched.
