Radar-gun guy Nathan Patterson strikes out side in A's organizational debut

Share

Two weeks after signing a contract with the A's, Nathan Patterson had a night to remember in his organization debut on Thursday.

Pitching for the A's Arizona League Gold team against the Cubs affiliate in Mesa, Ariz., Patterson struck out all three batters he faced.

https://twitter.com/billazbbphotog/status/1162171302565699584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

While MiLB's Gameday box score indicated that Patterson completed an immaculate inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches), Patterson confirmed after the game that he in fact threw quite a few more pitches.

Patterson's story is well-documented at this point. At the beginning of 2018, he decided to do the speed-pitch challenge at a Triple-A game in Nashville, and blew his own mind with how hard he was throwing.

"I honestly thought it was a joke," Patterson told the media on a conference call last week. "I thought they just jacked up the gun to make you pay another dollar to throw another ball. I think I threw about five balls and the last one I threw was 96 mph. I blew my own mind, honestly."

At that point, Patterson hired an agent and began working with former A's pitcher Jarrod Parker. This past offseason, he conducted a pro day in front of major league talent evaluators.

Then, the infamous video of Patterson doing the speed-pitch challenge at a Colorado Rockies game earlier this season made its way around the internet.

Soon, the A's, who were at Patterson's pro day, made the contract offer to the 23-year-old.

If Patterson can make it up to the major leagues, his story will certainly be turned into a movie. But even if he doesn't, it's still an incredible story.

Contact Us