Aaron Barrett
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Aaron James Barrett (born January 2, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his major league debut with the Nationals on March 31, 2014, but he spent four years in injury rehab and the minor leagues after Tommy John surgery in September 2015 before being called back up to the major leagues in September 2019.
Barrett graduated from Evansville Central High School and attended Wabash Valley College for two years before transferring to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). He played college baseball for the Wabash Valley Warriors and the Ole Miss Rebels.
Barrett was drafted in the 2006, 2008 and 2009 Major League Baseball Drafts, but did not sign a professional contract. The Los Angeles Dodgers did not offer him a contract in 2006. When he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins two years later, Barrett had already committed to Ole Miss. He did not pitch well in his first year with the Rebels, and was not going to receive a bonus from the Texas Rangers in 2009.
Barrett was added to the Nationals’ 40-man roster for the first time after the 2013 season, and after impressing during major league spring training, he made the Nationals’ Opening Day roster for the 2014 season. He made his debut in the ninth inning of the team’s first game of the year against the New York Mets, striking out two while picking up his first career win. Barrett became a trusted member of manager Matt Williams’ bullpen and was included on the Nationals’ playoff roster in the National League Division Series. Called on to pitch in Game 4 of the series against the San Francisco Giants, the rookie threw a wild pitch over the head of catcher Wilson Ramos while intentionally walking Pablo Sandoval, allowing Joe Panik to score the winning run from third base.
Midway through the 2015 season, Barrett began experiencing discomfort in his right pitching elbow. After he gave up three earned runs in an August 5, 2015, appearance against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Nationals optioned him to the Class-AAA Syracuse Chiefs, but they voided the option and placed him on the disabled list for an elbow strain. On September 4, 2015, Barrett underwent Tommy John surgery, in which the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow in his left arm was transferred to his right arm. Several bone spurs were also removed from his elbow. In December, he had bone spurs in his ankle removed.
After spending part of spring training on the major league side of the Nationals camp in West Palm Beach, Florida, Barrett was assigned to Class-AA Harrisburg to start the 2019 season. As he had in 2013, before reaching the major leagues, Barrett served as the Senators’ closer. On June 29, 2019, he became Harrisburg’s all-time leader in games saved with 41 across multiple years, as he notched his fifteenth save of the season. As the season progressed, Barrett built up arm strength and recovered much of his former velocity, also incorporating a changeup into a pitching arsenal that had predominantly featured a fastball and a slider. The Nationals developed and implemented a plan to groom Barrett for a return to the major leagues during the 2019 season. After the Senators concluded their regular season, during which Barrett recorded a 2.75 ERA and 31 saves, Harrisburg manager Matt LeCroy announced that Barrett would be promoted to the Nationals for the first time in more than four years. The Nationals officially selected Barrett’s contract on September 4, 2019.[] Barrett appeared in a game for the first time since the 2015 season on September 7, pitching a scoreless inning in relief against the Atlanta Braves and picking up his first strikeout since August 1, 2015, as he caught All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. looking on a slider.
