Nick Nastrini

Nicholas Nastrini, an American professional baseball pitcher, was born on February 18, 2000. He is currently signed with the Chicago White Sox and had debuted in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2024.

Nastrini’s earliest tryst with baseball began at the Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, California, where he played on the school’s team. By his senior year in 2018, Nicholas had already showed promise by achieving an 8-2 score with a 2.41 ERA in addition to 44 strikeouts in over 49+1⁄3 innings. The skills shown on the field didn’t go unnoticed, securing him a spot on the West Coast League for the Bellingham Bells in the summer of that year.

Despite his proven talent, Nastrini remained undrafted in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. This prompted his decision to enrol at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he played college baseball for the UCLA Bruins. His freshman year in 2019 saw Nastrini showing a stellar performance, boasting a 1.37 ERA over 19+2⁄3 innings, and making four noteworthy starts. His season, however, was cut short due to thoracic outlet syndrome.

During his recovery, Nicholas spent a productive summer playing for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He returned to the field in 2020, starting four games before the COVID-19 pandemic imminent and led to the cancellation of the season. Despite these setbacks, he continued to demonstrate his ability in the game while playing for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League.

Resilient, Nastrini bounced back in 2021 in his junior year, making 12 appearances, seven of which were starts. He scored 2–2 with a 6.89 ERA, achieved 48 strikeouts, and 38 walks over 31+1⁄3 innings.

Nastrini’s skills eventually caught the attention of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. Following his professional debut with the Arizona Complex League Dodgers, he was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes after one start, where he performed impressively.

Opening the 2022 season with the Great Lakes Loons, Nastrini was later again promoted to the Tulsa Drillers in August that year. Over the season, he made 27 starts, resulting in a 6–4 record, and a 3.93 ERA, with 169 strikeouts over 116+2⁄3 innings. He continued to play with the Tulsa Drillers in 2023, initiating 17 starts, earning a 5–3 record, and a 4.03 ERA.

Trade Winds blew Nastrini’s way in July 2023, when, along with Trayce Thompson and Jordan Leasure, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly. This served as a stepping stone for Nastrini as he moved through various teams─Birmingham Barons and eventually the Charlotte Knights. In these team transits, he managed to make 25 starts, culminating in a 9-5 record, a 4.08 ERA, and 139 strikeouts over 114+2⁄3 innings.

The 2024 season saw Nastrini assigned to Charlotte at the initial phase. However, Nicholas Nastrini moved up to the 40-man roster and was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on April 15, 2024. And so commenced his journey as an integral part of the Chicago White Sox, bringing with him a youthful exuberance, resilience, and a proven track record of exceptional performance that promises to grace the baseball fields of the Major League Baseball.