Juaron Watts-Brown

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Juaron Watts-Brown
Toronto Blue Jays
Pitcher
Born: (2002-02-23) February 23, 2002 (age 22)
Visalia, California, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right

Juaron Donovan Watts-Brown (born February 23, 2002) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He is ranked 18th on Major League Baseball's 2024 Top 30 Blue Jays prospects list.[1]

Amateur career[edit]

Watts-Brown grew up in Hanford, California and attended Hanford High School. He was named the West Yosemite League Player of the Year in football and basketball during his senior year.[2] Watts-Brown committed to play college baseball at Texas Tech, but suffered a shoulder injury and ultimately enrolled at Long Beach State.[3]

Watts-Brown began his college baseball career at Long Beach State and redshirted his true freshman season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum.[4] After the season, he played summer collegiate baseball for the Brockton Rox of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL).[5] Watts was a member of Long Beach State's starting rotation as a redshirt freshman and pitched a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts against UC-Riverside on May 8, 2022.[6] Watts-Brown finished the season with a 4-4 record and an 3.68 ERA and 111 strikeouts.[7]

After the season Watts-Brown transferred to Oklahoma State.[8] In 2022, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[9]

Professional career[edit]

Watts-Brown was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third round with the 89th overall pick of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. On July 21, 2023, he signed with the Blue Jays for $1,002,785.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "MLB 2022 Prospect Watch". MLB.com. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  2. ^ "All-WYL Boys Basketball: Juaron Watts-brown earns co-Player of the Year". Hanford Sentinel. April 8, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Watts-brown signs NLI with Texas Tech University". Hanford Sentinel. January 25, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "Hanford High's Juaron Watts-Brown contributing at Long Beach State". Hanford Sentinel. March 16, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  5. ^ "Brockton Rox pound Norwich, gear up for playoffs". The Enterprise. August 11, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "Long Beach State baseball's Juaron Watts-Brown throws no-hitter". Press Telegram. May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  7. ^ "Hanford's Juaron Watts-Brown ready for season with Oklahoma State". Hanford Sentinel. February 3, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "Oklahoma State baseball's Juaron Watts-Brown was a three-sport star". The Oklahoman. April 21, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  9. ^ "#23 Juaron Watts-Brown". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "Blue Jays sign third-round pick Juaron Watts-Brown". Sportsnet.ca. July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.

External links[edit]