Tony Watson, Relief Pitcher

Date of Birth: 5/30/1985
Birthplace: Sioux City, Iowa
College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln

Tony Watson, relief pitcher, was first drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2003 but he opted instead to attend the University of Nebraska. Three years later, he again didn't sign when the Baltimore Orioles drafted him. He finally signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007. He pitched as a starting pitcher in the Pirates' minor league system from 2007 through 2009. In 2010, he transitioned to a relief pitcher.

Watson pitched in 43 games with the Pirates in 2011. He finished the season with 2 wins and 2 losses, 37 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a 3.95 ERA in 41.0 innings. The following season, he had a 3.38 ERA in 68 games. He improved in 2013, finishing with a 2.39 ERA in 67 games.

Watson had his best season so far in 2014, when he finished with a career low ERA of 1.63. He had career highs in games played (78), innings pitched (77.1), wins (10 to 2 losses), and strikeouts (81 to 15 walks). He had good numbers again in 2015, finishing with a 1.91 ERA in 77 games.

In 2016, Watson was the Pirates' closer for part of the season. He finished with 2 wins and 5 losses, 15 saves, 58 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a 3.06 ERA.

The Pirates traded Watson to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31, 2017. He finished the 2017 season with 7 wins and 4 losses, 10 saves, 53 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a 3.38 ERA in 47 games with the Pirates and 24 games with the Dodgers. In the postseason, he pitched 7.0 innings in 11 games and he gave up 5 hits and 3 runs.

Watson became a free agent on November 2, 2017. He signed with the Giants on February 19, 2018. He played in 72 games in 2018, and he had 4 wins and 6 losses, 72 strikeouts to 14 walks, and a 2.59 ERA in 66.0 innings.

Watson finished the 2019 season with 2 wins and 2 losses, 41 strikeouts to 12 walks, and a 4.17 ERA in 54.0 innings in 60 games.

Watson pitched in 21 games in 2020. He finished the season with 1 win and no losses, 2 saves, and a 2.50 ERA in 18.0 innings.

Watson became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on February 17, 2021. The Phillies released him on March 26th, and three days later, on March 29th, he signed with the Los Angeles Angels. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants on July 30th. He spent time on the IL in 2021 with a left calf strain and left shoulder strain. He finished the season with 7 wins and 4 losses, 44 strikeouts to 18 walks, and a 3.92 ERA in 57.1 innings in 36 games with the Angels and 26 games with the Giants. He didn't play in the postseason.

Watson became a free agent on November 3, 2021.

Career pitching statistics for Watson through 2021 include:

• 689 games played
• 648.1 innings pitched
• 47-29 win-loss record
• 32 saves
• 570 strikeouts to 174 walks
• 2.90 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Tony Watson
ESPN - Tony Watson