Nick Wittgren

Nicholas James Wittgren

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 215 lb.
• School Parkland College, Purdue University
• High School McCutcheon High School
• Debut April 19, 2016

• Born May 29, 1991 in Torrance, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Relief pitcher Nick Wittgren began playing in the Miami Marlins minor league system in 2012. He was taken by the club in the 9th round of the 2012 amateur draft.

The hurler dominated the league his first two professional seasons. In 2012, he was 0-2 with 13 saves, 47 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings and a 1.17 ERA in 23 games between the Jamestown Jammers and Greensboro Grasshoppers, earning a spot on the New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Star team. With the Jupiter Hammerheads and Jacksonville Suns in 2013, he was 2-1 with 26 saves, 63 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings, 39 games finished and a 0.77 ERA in 52 appearances. He was named a Florida State League Mid- and Post-Season All-Star, a MiLB.com Organization All-Star and a member of the Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team.

He spent 2014 with the Suns and had a solid - though not dominant - season, going 5-5, 3.55 with 20 saves in 52 games and averaging less than a strikeout per inning (56 in 66 innings). In 2015, he began the year with two appearances at Jacksonville before being promoted to the AAA New Orleans Zephyrs for the remainder of the season. There he was 1-6, 3.03 in 52 games, with 19 saves. He struck out 64 in 62 1/3 innings.

He made his major league debut with the Marlins on April 19, 2016. He had been called up from New Orleans that same day when Edwin Jackson was placed on the disabled list. Facing the Washington Nationals, his debut came in a historic 7th inning, as the Marlins allowed a team record four home runs in the frame, which was also a team record for the Nats. The game was still scoreless when Adam Conley allowed a solo homer to Jayson Werth with one out, and then another one to the next batter, Wilson Ramos; after a second out, he gave up a single to his opponent, Stephen Strasburg and a double to Michael Taylor, ending his night's work. Nick came in to replace him, but he walked the only batter he faced, Anthony Rendon, on a full count. Chris Narveson replaced him on the mound, and he coughed up a grand slam to Bryce Harper and then a solo homer to Ryan Zimmerman. Those were all the runs scored in the game as Washington won, 7-0 and Nick was left with an infinite ERA after that outing. He pitched a total of 48 times that season, going 4-3, 3.14. In 2017, he went 3-1, 4.68 in 38 games for the Marlins, then in 2018, he improved to 2-1, 2.94 in 32 games. He also pitched in the minors at New Orleans in both 2017 and 2018, and at AA Jacksonville for a couple of games in 2018.

On February 4, 2019, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in return for minor leaguer Jordan Milbrath. he was 5-1 with four saves and a 2.81 ERA for the Indians that summer (pitching two games in the minors as well). He was their fourth-most-used hurler, after Adam Cimber, Oliver Pérez and Brad Hand. He turned three double plays; only Zach Greinke and Will Harris turned more by a pitcher in the 2019 AL. He was 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 with 28 K in 23 2/3 IP. He had 1.6 Win Probability Added, 7th in the 2020 AL, between Lance Lynn and Hand. He struggled at 2-9, 5.05 with a save in 2021, though his 60 outings tied James Karinchak for third on the staff.

A free agent, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals but his decline continued as he was 1-0 with a save and 5.90 ERA in 29 games in 2022. Being of German descent, he pitched for the German national team in the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. His two appearances tied Duke Von Schamann and Jordan Martinson for the team lead. In his debut, he relieved Von Schamann in the 6th with a 5-1 deficit, no outs and a man on third against Great Britain. He got Harry Ford on a sacrifice fly, walked Matt Koperniak and retired Nick Ward and Justin Wylie. Maurice Wilhelm replaced him in the 7th. His other outing, he replaced Martinson in the 6th with a 2-2 game against South Africa, two outs and none on. He got Brandon Bouillon on a liner. After Germany scored seven in the bottom of the frame, he was relieved by Sascha Koch, who saved Wittgren's win over Kevin Townend. He got Germany's lone win in the event.

That winter, he was very sharp for the Águilas Cibaeñas (4 H, 3 BB, 9 K, 0 R in 8 IP). The Kansas City Royals signed him for 2023.

Related Sites

• Nick Wittgren on mlb.com
• BR Minors page