Walter_Ford_(baseball)

Walter Ford (baseball)

Walter Ford (baseball)

American baseball player

Walter Bryant Ford (born December 28, 2004) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. His nickname is The Vanilla Missile[1]

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Amateur career

Ford grew up in Bessemer, Alabama, but began his high school career at Pace High School in Pace, Florida before transferring to Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama for his sophomore season in 2021.[2] For the season, he pitched 29+2⁄3 innings and compiled a 1.85 ERA.[3] He spent that summer competing with USA Baseball on their 18U National Team.[4] Originally set to graduate in 2023, he reclassified to the class of 2022 in September 2021.[5] He also transferred back to Pace for his senior year.[6] He entered his senior season as one of the top prospects for the upcoming draft, alongside being the youngest player eligible.[7] He helped lead Pace to the 6A state championship, where they fell 5-4.[8] He ended the season 10-2 with a 1.00 ERA, 126 strikeouts, and thirty walks over 70+1⁄3 innings.[9] He was named the 6A Player of the Year and earned All-State honors.[10][11] Ford committed to play college baseball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Professional career

Ford was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 74th overall selection of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.[12] He signed with the team for $1.25 million.[13] Ford didn't play in the 2022 season and was allocated at the Arizona Complex League Mariners for the 2023 season.[14]

References

  1. [1]
    https://vanillamissile.com/
  2. [2]
    Semb, Lucas (November 11, 2021). "Pace High athletes put pen to paper on college commitments, sign with Tusculum and Alabama". Pensacola News Journal.
  3. [3]
    "High School Baseball: 12 Pensacola-area players to watch with the 2022 season now underway". Pensacola News Journal. February 22, 2022.
  4. [4]
    Zielinksi, Dan (January 3, 2022). "Walter Ford eager for next step in career". Baseball Prospect Journal.
  5. [5]
    Badler, Ben (September 28, 2021). "Walter Ford Reclassifies For The 2022 MLB Draft". Baseball America.
  6. [6]
    Semb, Lucas (November 25, 2021). "Pace baseball welcomes aboard one of nation's best pitchers ahead of 2022 season". Pensacola News Journal.
  7. [7]
    Wittington, McKenzie (March 14, 2022). "Youngest prospect in 2022 MLB Draft has bright future ahead". BVM Sports.
  8. [8]
    Corwin, Thomas (May 21, 2022). "Baseball: Pace can't complete comeback, lose to Doral Academy in Class 6A state title game". Pensacola News Journal.
  9. [9]
    [dead link]
  10. [10]
    "Pace's Walter Ford named 6A Player of the Year | Santa Rosa Press Gazette". Srpressgazette.com. June 22, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  11. [11]
    "2022 PNJ Spring All-Area: State-bound Pace headlines award winners". Pnj.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  12. [12]
    "MLB Draft 2022: Pace pitcher Walter Ford drafted by Seattle Mariners". Pnj.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  13. [13]
    "Mariners 2022 Draft signings tracker". MLB.com. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  14. [14]
    Gibson, LaMar (February 2, 2023). "Top 20 Prospects Under 20". Pitcher List. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
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