Fremont Native Makes MLB Debut
Thomas Harrington, a baseball player with roots in Fremont, recently made his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The former local high school standout pitched three innings in his first game, marking a significant milestone in his professional career.
The journey to the major leagues for Thomas Harrington was a rapid ascent, beginning as a walk-on at Campbell University. He had a standout collegiate career, earning Big South Freshman of the Year in 2021 and Pitcher of the Year in 2022. In his sophomore season, he led the nation with 12 wins and set a program record with 111 strikeouts. His impressive performance at Campbell led to him being selected 36th overall in the 2022 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, signing for a bonus of $2,050,000. This made him and his teammate Zach Neto the first two players to be taken in that year's draft from the same university. Harrington quickly progressed through the Pirates' minor league system. In 2023, he split his time between the Single-A Bradenton Marauders and the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers, accumulating a 3.53 ERA with 146 strikeouts across 127.1 innings. Despite a rotator cuff strain that delayed the start of his 2024 season, he continued to excel, pitching for the Double-A Altoona Curve and Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. Across three minor league levels in 2024, he posted a 7-3 record with a 2.61 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 117.1 innings pitched.
