Clayton Blackburn

Career

Blackburn attended Edmond Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Oklahoma.

San Francisco Giants

He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 16th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his debut for the Arizona League Giants, finishing with a 1.08 earned run average (ERA) over  33 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched.

In 2012, Blackburn pitched for the Augusta Greenjackets. He finished the year 8–4 with a 2.54 ERA and 143 strikeouts over  131 ¹⁄₃ innings. Prior to the 2013 season, he was ranked by Baseball Prospectus as the 95th best prospect in baseball. He played the season with the San Jose Giants. He finished the year, 7–5 with a 3.65 ERA, 138 strikeouts over 133 innings. Blackburn was invited to spring training by the Giants in 2014. He played that season with the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and also pitched in two games for the Arizona League Giants. In 20 starts he went 5–7 with a 3.31 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 98 innings. After the season, he played for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.

Blackburn spent 2015 with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, finishing 10–4 with a 2.85 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 123 innings pitched. Blackburn was invited to spring training again in 2016, but started the season in Triple-A. Blackburn was called up to the Giants for the first time on May 12, 2016, but he did not appear in a game before being optioned back to Triple-A on May 17.

Texas Rangers

On April 16, 2017, Blackburn was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Frandy De La Rosa and cash considerations.

Personal

Blackburn's brother died in March 2015.