The fan who landed a contract with the Oakland Athletics after throwing a 96-mph fastball struck out the side in his first professional inning.
Nathan Patterson made his debut Thursday in the rookie-level Arizona League against a Chicago Cubs affiliate and needed 18 pitches to fan all three hitters swinging in the first inning.
“I’m not gonna lie, the nerves were flowing until I threw strike one,” the 23-year-old right-hander posted on Instagram. “After that, I took a big deep breath and realized all the hard work over the last year has prepared me for this moment. It could not have gone any better.”
3 batters, 3 swinging Ks – @npatterson_12 strikes out the side in his first career start for the Athletics. @RSRBaseball pic.twitter.com/o3O5pV2xnv — Ty Smith (@TySmith_IU21) August 16, 2019
3 batters, 3 swinging Ks – @npatterson_12 strikes out the side in his first career start for the Athletics. @RSRBaseball pic.twitter.com/o3O5pV2xnv
— Ty Smith (@TySmith_IU21) August 16, 2019
Patterson’s story went viral after lighting up the radar gun on the concourse at a Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field in Denver last month. The Athletics signed him to a contract on Aug. 1.
“I still have a long ways to go and I love that aspect of this journey,” Patterson wrote on Instagram. “It takes discipline, focus, and consistency day in and day out to be able to compete in professional baseball. I wake up every day excited to get better and push myself beyond my own expectations.”
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
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