Nathan Patterson (Speed Pitch Challenge Winner) Given 25-1 Odds of Playing for Oakland A’s or Las Vegas Aviators in 2019
- Nathan Patterson lit up a speed-pitch radar booth at Coors Field, clocking 96 mph
- The 23-year-old just signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics after gaining attention
- Prior to throwing last August, he hadn’t thrown in years
Nathan Patterson, a 23-year-old who hasn’t pitched competitively in years, was at a Colorado Rockies game with his brother just a few weeks ago. He decided to test his arm strength in a radar booth at the stadium.
Today, he’s the Oakland Athletic’s newest signing. Now the question is will he play a game at Triple-A (or the majors) in 2019?
Odds Nathan Patterson Reaches Triple-A in 2019
| Option | Will Nathan Patterson play a game for the Oakland Athletics or the Las Vegas Aviators in 2019? |
|---|---|
| Yes | +2500 |
| No | -10000 |
A Second Chance for Patterson
Not only is Nathan Patterson throwing 96 as a fan at a baseball game, his story is pretty incredible. He played high-school baseball, but never continued into college.
“How can you not be romantic about baseball” -Billy Beane
Words cannot describe this feeling and I cannot thank everyone enough who has been part of this journey so far! pic.twitter.com/E4eSMUDmU5
— Nathan Patterson (@npatterson_12) August 1, 2019
Last August, he thought he’d give baseball a go again. He initially caught the eye of the A’s at a Nashville Sounds Game. Prior to that, he hadn’t thrown in a few years, and said his arm wasn’t very good then.
Then in December 2018, Patterson got in a car accident and needed surgery, restarting his journey once again.
Unprecedented Territory
I can’t say whether or not many people have almost touched 100 mph at a speed pitch challenge as a fan. My guess is that if someone had, we would’ve heard about it.
The A’s have yet to officially name Patterson to the minor-league roster, but his goal is to continue to work hard and make the big leagues.
Will He Reach Triple-A in 2019?
The Oakland A’s are currently second in the AL West with a 62-48 record, and eight games back from the Astros. They have a decent pitching rotation and pitching roster. There’s absolutely zero chance he reaches the big leagues this year. Or next year. Or the year after that, even. He is a long-term project.
There’s basically a zero-percent chance he reaches Triple-A in 2019, as well. Patterson’s story is incredible. But with it already being August, the odds of him playing this year are effectively nil. There’s no value on it at -10000, but betting the “Yes” is throwing your money away.
Pick: No (-10000)
A graduate of Sport Media at Ryerson University, Hayley is the ultimate student of sports. Whether she is playing it, watching it, debating it, or writing it, it's safe to assume sport consumes the majority of her life. She has worked both internationally and with the NBA.
