BALTIMORE – Former Western Oregon University baseball pitcher Spenser Watkins got the call to the big leagues this week as he will make his Major League Baseball debut with the Baltimore Orioles this weekend.
"Couldn't be more excited for Spenser. His ability to stay with it during his journey to the big leagues is a testament to the type of worker and man that he is. Really excited for him and his family," Head Coach Kellen Walker said.
Watkins was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 30th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He was named a Florida League All-Star in 2018 and put together solid numbers throughout his minor league career.
Over the past seven-plus seasons, Watkins holds a 3.86 ERA in 622.1 innings pitched. He has 42 wins and two saves during that time. He holds a solid strikeout-to-walk ratio collecting 526 strikeouts to just 211 walks.
After nearly retiring this past offseason, Watkins then signed a minor league deal with Baltimore. This year at Triple-A Norfolk, the right-hander has a 3.58 ERA, 1.12 WHIP in 32.2 innings of work.
Over his time at WOU, Watkins tallied 171 strikeouts in 167 innings in two seasons as a starter. He set the single-game school record with 14 strikeouts on May 3, 2013 at Central Washington and finished his career sixth on the all-time strikeout list.
