Chris Stratton

College career

Stratton attended Mississippi State University from 2010 to 2012. As a senior, he was a consensus All-American after going 11–2 with a 2.38 earned run average and 127 strikeouts. He was also the SEC Pitcher of the Year. He also won the Ferriss Trophy as Mississippi's top collegiate baseball player.

Professional career

Stratton was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft. In August, he was hospitalized after a line drive struck him in the head.

Before the 2013 season, Baseball America ranked Stratton as the Giants' third best prospect. The Giants added him to their 40-man roster after the 2015 season.

Stratton was called up from the Sacramento River Cats (AAA-Pacific Coast League) to the majors on May 28, 2016, to replace the injured Matt Cain. Despite being primarily a starter in the minors, the Giants added Stratton to their bullpen and he made his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves on May 30, pitching a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning and recording two strikeouts while retiring all three batters he faced. On June 11, he was credited with his first major league win as he pitched the top of the 10th inning in the Giants victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On June 13 he was sent down again when Cain returned from the DL, but was recalled from the minors the following day when Cain was put back on the DL with a reinjured hamstring. Stratton pitched in seven games for the Giants with a 1-0 record and a 3.60 ERA. He compiled a 12-6 record and a 3.87 ERA during the year for the Sacramento River Cats.