Nolan Michael Watson is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.
| Nolan Watson | |
|---|---|
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: January 25, 1997 Indianapolis, Indiana | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
At the time of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, Watson was 5–1 for Lawrence North High School, with an 0.63 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 44+2⁄3 innings. Prior to the draft, he was ranked 56th by Baseball America's annual rankings of prospects. He committed to play college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.[1] After his senior year, the Kansas City Royals selected Watson with the 33rd overall pick in the draft. He signed for $1,825,200.[2]
After signing, Watson was assigned to the Burlington Royals, going 0–3 with a 4.91 ERA in 11 starts.[3] Watson spent 2016 with the Lexington Legends where he posted a 3–11 record, a 7.57 ERA, and a 1.75 WHIP over 24 starts. In 2017, he returned to Lexington, appearing in 15 games (13 starts) where he pitched to a 1–10 record with a 6.78 ERA,[4] and in 2018, he played for both Lexington and the Wilmington Blue Rocks, pitching to a combined 10–10 record with a 5.24 ERA in 24 total starts between both teams.[5][6]
Watson began the 2019 season with Wilmington, but pitched in only one game due to injury. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2019.[7] Watson did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] Watson returned to action in 2021, splitting the season between the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits. However, Watson struggled to a 6.30 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 75.2 innings of work. Watson elected free agency after the season on November 7, 2021.[9]
On February 14, 2022, Watson signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.[10] He became a free agent after the 2024 season.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Nolan Watson – Force Barbell Client of the Month". Force Barbell. July 31, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "MLB first round pick out of Lawrence North signs with Royals". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Kansas City Royals: Nolan Watson seems to be turning things around". Kings of Kauffman. August 17, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Nolan Watson Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Nolan Watson Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
- ^ "Royals' Nolan Watson: Ready to return in minors". CBSSports.com. April 29, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Royals' Nolan Watson: Recovering from Tommy John surgery". CBSSports.com. March 7, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Season Canceled". mlbtraderumors.com. June 30, 2020.
- ^ "2021-22 Minor League Free Agents for All 30 MLB Teams". November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Nolan Watson Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com.
- ^ Eddy, Matt (November 6, 2024). "Minor League Free Agents 2024". Baseball America. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)