Fremont Native Thomas Harrington Makes MLB Debut
Fremont native Thomas Harrington made his Major League Baseball debut this week as a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Harrington's first appearance in the major leagues marks a significant career milestone for the local athlete. His achievement has drawn community attention in his hometown of Fremont.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Harrington with the 36th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, signing him for a bonus of $2,050,000. - Before turning professional, Harrington played college baseball at Campbell University, where he initially joined the team as a walk-on. - In his sophomore season at Campbell, he was named the Big South Pitcher of the Year and led all NCAA Division I pitchers with 12 wins. - In his MLB debut on April 1, 2025, against the Tampa Bay Rays, Harrington pitched four innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. - While the news card identifies him as a Fremont native, Harrington actually grew up in Sanford, North Carolina, and attended Southern Lee High School. - Harrington spent the 2023 season in the minor leagues, splitting time between the Single-A Bradenton Marauders and the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers, accumulating a combined 3.53 ERA with 146 strikeouts over 127.1 innings. - His 2024 minor league season was delayed by a rotator cuff strain that kept him out for the first five weeks.
