Nick Wittgren

Career

Wittgren was born in Torrance, California, but grew up in Lafayette, Indiana where he attended McCutcheon High School and played for the school's baseball, basketball, and tennis teams. Wittgren played college baseball at Parkland College for a year before transferring to Purdue University where he played from 2011 to 2012. He served as the closer for Purdue during his two years, finishing with a 2.54 earned run average (ERA), 22 saves and 94 strikeouts over 92 innings pitched.

Wittgren was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the ninth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft. During his first professional season he had a 1.17 ERA, 13 saves and 47 strikeouts over  30 ²⁄₃ innings while playing for the Jamestown Jammers and Greensboro Grasshoppers. He started the 2013 season with the Jupiter Hammerheads and was promoted to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns. For the season he posted a 0.77 ERA with 26 saves and 63 strikeouts over  58 ¹⁄₃. At the end of the season he was named the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year by the staff of MiLB.com. Wittgren returned to Jacksonville in 2014. He appeared in 52 games and had a 3.55 ERA, 20 saves and 56 strikeouts over 66 innings. He again returned to Jacksonville to start 2015, but was promoted to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs after two games.

The Marlins promoted Wittgren to the major leagues on April 19, 2016. In his first Major League appearance, he walked the only batter he faced, Anthony Rendon. Rendon later scored on Bryce Harper's grand slam.