Karsten Whitson
Karsten Whitson | |||
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Free agent | |||
Pitcher | |||
Born: Chipley, Florida | August 25, 1991|||
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Karsten E. Whitson (born August 25, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. Whitson attended the University of Florida where he played college baseball for the Florida Gators baseball team.
A first round pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft out of high school, Whitson opted to attend college, and was considered a top prospect in the 2013 MLB draft until his shoulder surgery. Whitson was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 37th round of the 2013 draft and by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB draft.
Career
Whitson attended Chipley High School in Chipley, Florida. As a senior, Whitson pitched to a 0.62 earned run average (ERA) and recorded 123 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. Baseball America ranked Whitson the third best high school prospect in the United States.[1] He played in the Aflac All-America game and pitched in the Pan American Junior Baseball Championship.[2]
The San Diego Padres selected Whitson in the first round, with the ninth overall selection, of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. Despite the Padres offering Whitson a signing bonus of $2.1 million, he opted not to sign, surprising the Padres front office.[3][4] Whitson reportedly asked for $2.7 million,[5] but stated that he felt he was not ready for the challenge of minor league baseball.[3]
Whitson enrolled at the University of Florida, and joined the Florida Gators baseball team, pitching in the Southeastern Conference. As a freshman, Whitson pitched to an 8–1 win–loss record, with a 2.40 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 97 innings.[6] He was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.[7]
Whitson pitched to a 4–0 with a 3.51 ERA in 2012 as a sophomore. He missed the entire 2013 season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, which was performed by Dr. James Andrews. His labrum and rotator cuff were undamaged.[8][9] The Washington Nationals selected Whitson in the 37th round, with the 1,126th overall selection, in the 2013 MLB draft.[10] Whitson did not sign with the Nationals, returning to college for his senior year. Whitson had a 3.86 ERA with the Gators in 2014, making nine starts and five relief appearances.
The Boston Red Sox selected Whitson in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB draft.[11] He signed on June 20.[12] He pitched for the Lowell Spinners of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League in 2014.[13]
Personal
Whitson's parents both graduated from the University of Florida.[3]
References
- ↑ "College baseball: Freshman Karsten Whitson pitches Florida to swe". Palm Beach Post. February 20, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ↑ "San Diego picks a 'rare' pitcher". U-T San Diego. June 7, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- 1 2 3 Rogers, Kendall (November 10, 2010). "Florida's Whitson explains why he spurned $2.1M – College Baseball – Rivals.com". Rivals.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ↑ BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer 11:14 p.m.August 16, 2010 (August 16, 2010). "Padres, RHP Whitson fail to agree to terms". U-T San Diego. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Kenney, Kirk (June 27, 2011). "Ex-Padres draft pick flourishing with Florida". U-T San Diego. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Kirk Kenney, Special to SI.com. "Florida, Stanford looking to deny South Carolina another CWS title – SI.com – MLB". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ↑ George, Rachel (June 8, 2011). "Karsten Whitson: Gators pitcher Karsten Whitson named Freshman All-American". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Thompson, Edgar (February 13, 2013). "Gators starting pitcher Karsten Whitson out with a shoulder injury". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Luca, Greg (February 15, 2013). "Florida Gators pitcher Karsten Whitson will miss season with shoulder injury". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Former No. 9 overall pick Karsten Whitson is selected 1,126th in MLB draft | Gator Bytes". Blogs.palmbeachpost.com. June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ↑ "Whitson grateful Red Sox took chance on him | redsox.com: News". Boston Red Sox. MLB. March 27, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ↑ UF Baseball's Karsten Whitson Agrees With Boston Red Sox
- ↑ http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2014/06/boston_red_sox_11th-rounder_ka.html
External links
- Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)