Carter Stewart

Scott Carter Stewart

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 6", Weight 200 lb.
• School Eastern Florida State College
• High School Eau Gallie High School

• Born November 6, 1999 in Melbourne, FL USA

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Carter Stewart was the 8th overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft, selected by the Atlanta Braves out of a high school in Melbourne, FL. Ironically, he was drafted one slot after fellow pitcher Ryan Weathers, who was born the same day. However, he and the Braves were unable to come to agreement on the terms of a contract, and he did not sign. He was the highest-drafted player that season not to sign with the team that drafted him. The Braves had some concerns over a wrist injury and as a result made an offer that was well below the slot value of the pick, which would have been $4.9 million. He was looking for a signing bonus around $4.5 million while the Braves' offer was $2 million. Stewart went to junior college for a year after the signing deadline passed, foregoing a commitment to Mississippi State University. Stewart also filed a grievance with the support of the Major League Baseball Players Association claiming the Braves had failed to make a minimal offer and that he should be declared a free agent; however, arbitrator Mark Irvings ruled on January 10, 2019 that the Braves' offer met the minimum threshold of 40% of slot value and dismissed the grievance as a result.

As he headed back into the draft in 2019, he was expected again to be among the top selections, but probably around #50 - not top 10 again. Stewart, obviously embittered by what he had gone through and at the advice of agent Scott Boras, took the unprecedented decision of signing with a team in Nippon Pro Baseball instead of entering the draft process again. The terms of his deal with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, announced in early May 2019 but not to be made official until May 30th, were not immediately revealed but were understood to be better than what the Braves had been offering a year earlier. After signature, it was announced that the deal was for six years and the Stewart would receive a signing bonus of $7 million, and that he would be eligible for free agency at the end of his contract. It was not clear whether this was a one-time aberration resulting from a rare situation, or whether it would open a path for others to follow. Stewart was slated to pitch in the Japanese minor leagues to start his career.

He pitched in the Japanese Western League in both 2020 and 2021, going 3-7, 4.16 the first year and an excellent 6-1, 1.84 the second. That earned him a promotion to the major league SoftBank Hawks late in the 2021 season, but he went 0-2, 6.05 in 11 games.

Prior to his being drafted in 2018, he was rated the top high school pitcher in the country, with his curveball being described as an elite pitch. This explained why the Braves were particularly concerned over a wrist injury which would have hampered his ability to throw the pitch.

Further Reading

• Mark Bowman: "Braves unable to agree with top pick Stewart: Right-hander's wrist concerns prevent deal from being reached before deadline", mlb.com July 6, 2018. [1]
• Bob Nightengale: "Agent Scott Boras criticizes MLB as amateur prospect Carter Stewart skips draft for Japan", USA Today May 23, 2019. [2]