Trent Thornton

Trent Edward Thornton (born September 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Trent Thornton
Thornton with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020
Toronto Blue Jays – No. 57
Pitcher
Born: (1993-09-30) September 30, 1993
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
March 31, 2019, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Win–loss record7–14
Earned run average4.84
Strikeouts244
Teams

High school and college

After graduating from Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina,[1] Thornton played college baseball at the University of North Carolina for the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman he went 12–1 with a 1.37 ERA in 29 games,[2] as a sophomore he went 7–4 with a 2.73 ERA in 16 games, including 14 starts.[3] In 2014, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4] As a junior, he went 3–7 with a 5.08 ERA in 28 appearances (four of which were starts).[5] After his junior year, he was selected by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft and he signed.[6]

Professional career

Houston Astros organization

Thornton made his professional debut that season with the Short Season-A Tri-City Valley Cats and spent the whole season there, going 4–0 with a 3.27 ERA in 15 games (12 starts). In 2016, he played for the Advanced-A Lancaster JetHawks and the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, compiling a combined 10–5 record with a 3.52 ERA in 24 games (21 starts), and in 2017, he pitched for Corpus Christi and the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, posting a 9–6 record and a 5.21 ERA in 25 games (23 starts) between the two clubs.[7] He spent 2018 with Fresno. He was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for June 11–17 after pitching 72⁄3 scoreless innings in which he allowed only one hit (given up with two outs in the eighth inning) to go along with two walks.[8] In 24 games (22 starts) for the Grizzlies, Thornton went 9–8 with a 4.42 ERA.[9]

Toronto Blue Jays

On November 17, 2018, Houston traded Thornton to the Toronto Blue Jays for Aledmys Díaz.[10] The Blue Jays added him to their 40-man roster a few days later.[11] After participating in 2019 spring training, it was announced that Thornton had made the Opening Day roster on March 26.[12] He made his MLB debut on March 31, starting against the Detroit Tigers. He produced five shutout innings, and his eight strikeouts established a new franchise record for strikeouts in an MLB debut.[13] Thornton earned his first career win on May 14 at the San Francisco Giants, allowing two runs and striking out seven in 52⁄3 innings. He also had two hits and scored two runs in the interleague game, which Toronto won 7–3.[14]

With the 2020 Toronto Blue Jays, Thornton appeared in three games, compiling a 0-0 record with 11.12 ERA and six strikeouts in 52⁄3 innings pitched.[15] In 2021 with the Blue Jays, he pitched to a 1-3 record and 4.78 ERA with 52 strikeouts over 49 innings.[16] Thornton made 32 appearances for Toronto in 2022, pitching to an 0-2 record and 4.11 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 46.0 innings of work.

On January 13, 2023, Thornton signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Blue Jays, avoiding salary arbitration.[17] Thornton was optioned to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons to begin the 2023 season.[18]

References
  1. "10 Charlotte Area Baseball Players Now in Minor League Baseball". Charlotte Baseball Report. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  2. "Astros Future Interview: Trent Thornton · Astros Future". astrosfuture.com. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  3. "UNC Baseball Off To Hot Start". keepingitheel.com. February 20, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  4. "Trent Thornton - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  5. "On different route to pros". Times Union. 17 August 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  6. "MLB draft selection an emotional moment for Ardrey Kell, UNC pitcher Trent Thornton". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  7. "Trent Thornton Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  8. "Trent Thornton named PCL Pitcher of the Week". MiLB.com. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  9. "Trent Thornton Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  10. "Jays swap Diaz to Astros for pitcher". MLB.com. November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  11. Armstrong, Laura (November 20, 2018). "Blue Jays exercise right to not share arms". thestar.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  12. "Urena, Luciano, Pannone make Jays' Opening Day roster". TSN.ca. March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  13. Chisholm, Gregor (March 31, 2019). "Thornton's club mark comes in bittersweet loss". MLB.com. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  14. Longley, Rob (May 15, 2019). "Blue Jays phenom Vlad Guerrero Jr. blasts first two home runs". torontosun.com. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  15. "Trent Thornton Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com.
  16. "Blue Jays recall Ryan Borucki; option Trent Thornton to triple-A Buffalo".
  17. "2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  18. "Blue Jays' Trent Thornton: Optioned to Triple-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
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