Two-time Gull Daniel Wright Makes MLB Debut
RELEASE PROVIDED BY NEWPORT GULLS MEDIA RELATIONS STAFF
NEWPORT, R.I. – In 2011 and 2012, Daniel Wright toed the rubber at historic Cardines Field in Newport. On Tuesday night, he did the same at Dodger Stadium, debuting as a starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, and becoming the 11th former Gull to play Major League Baseball.
Wright becomes the sixth NECBL alumnus to make his Major League debut this season, and the 126th to reach the Majors. He is also the 37th New England League graduate to play in the Majors in 2016.
Wright, a native of Bartlett, Tennessee, began his Gulls career in 2011 from Arkansas State University, working out of the bullpen and, later, the starting rotation, en route to a 3-1 record and 2.42 ERA – but his Gulls career was just getting started.
In 2012, he returned to the City-by-the-Sea and dominated Newport’s pitching rotation, owning a team-best 6-0 regular season record, picking up a complete-game shutout among his seven starts for Newport. He struck out 42 and walked just 11 in 45 2/3 innings, before leading the Gulls postseason rotation with two masterful performances.
Wright also started the 2012 NECBL All-Star Game, pitching a scoreless frame. His 2012 accolades helped the team win both the NECBL Championship and recognition by Perfect Game USA as the No. 1 overall summer collegiate baseball team in the country, for which the Gulls were awarded Perfect Game’s National Championship trophy.
Before his call to the Majors, Wright had split time this spring between Cincinnati’s AAA and AA clubs, owning a 10-4 record and microscopic 0.70 ERA between them this spring, walking five and striking out 32 in 34 innings of work. He began the month of May in AA Pensacola as a middle reliever, before a speedy promotion to the starting rotation for AAA Louisville and his eventual call-up to the Reds this week.
In his debut, Wright worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, a walk, and four strikeouts vs. the Dodgers.
The NECBL congratulates David on this significant accomplishment.
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The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the NECBL started play in 1994 and has sent over 100 alumni to the Major Leagues. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter and on Facebook.
