TAMPA -- Thomas Harrington's Major League debut didn’t go as he wanted on Tuesday night. But that’s beside the point.
“Regardless of the results,” he said, “it was a great day for me and my family.”
Harrington, ranked as the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect and the No. 78 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, allowed six runs on seven hits and an uncharacteristic four walks across four innings in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 loss to Tampa Bay at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
That’s not the type of pitcher the 23-year-old right-hander with 60-grade control has been since breaking into the pros. Harrington, who was the 36th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, compiled a 2.61 ERA over 117 1/3 innings, with 115 strikeouts and only 19 walks across three levels of the Minors last year. He did most of his work at Double-A Altoona, where he posted a 2.24 ERA with 74 K’s and 10 walks in 68 1/3 frames.
But two walks in the first inning set the table for a three-run first for the Rays, which would be all they needed behind a dominant 10-strikeout performance from starter Shane Baz.
“That definitely wasn't me tonight,” Harrington said. “... I think that’s the first time I’ve ever walked four people.”
He’s right. Four walks are the most Harrington has issued in any of his 49 games as a pro. He had five three-walk outings split between Single-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro in 2023.
Bucs manager Derek Shelton chalked up Harrington’s lack of command to “a little bit of jitters,” but battling some nerves in your first Major League game is more than understandable. And Harrington wasn’t the only one feeling antsy inside the stadium. The same went for his support group in the stands, including Harrington’s father, Tommy.
“As long as I have been around Thomas, he's always been a very calm, cool-type guy, and I've never been really nervous too much,” Tommy said in the minutes leading up to his son’s first pitch in the bigs. “But today, daddy's got butterflies. There's no doubt about it.”
Harrington informed his family at about 5 p.m. ET on Monday that he was getting called up to The Show. By 9 a.m. ET the next morning, a group of about 20 family and friends had made it from Harrington’s home state of North Carolina to Florida, ready to cheer him on.
“It's honestly just been amazing,” said Harrington’s fiancée, Lindsey Young. The two are engaged to be married on Nov. 15. “Just super excited and proud of him, everything in his journey, and all the steps he's taken to get to where he is today. It's just been awesome to watch him, truly.”
To clear a spot for Harrington on the active roster, the Pirates surprisingly optioned two-time All-Star closer David Bednar to Triple-A Indianapolis. Catcher Jason Delay was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.
Harrington’s journey isn’t a typical one for a top prospect. After his 2020 senior season in high school was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, Harrington was a walk-on in his freshman year at Campbell University. But within the next two years, he transformed into one of the best college pitchers in the nation.
He ascended up the Top 100 Prospects list as he advanced quickly through the Pirates’ system, all the while not lighting up the radar gun. He topped out at 94 mph on Tuesday, but he has succeeded with a six-pitch mix and an advanced feel for pitching -- something he didn’t start doing until his junior year of high school.
Most of Harrington’s pitches rate above average by MLB Pipeline, but on Tuesday, he had a tough time placing anything other than his four-seamer, which accounted for his two strikeouts, both against shortstop Taylor Walls.
The mere mention of those four walks caused Harrington to grimace in the Pirates’ clubhouse after the game. But otherwise, it was hard to wipe the smile off of his face -- or off of his family’s faces -- on this momentous day.
“I think what describes this moment for our whole family is just blessed,” said Harrington’s mother, Tina. “I think he's blessed with opportunity. He's been blessed with good health, and he's surrounded by people who support him and love him. … We are just so thankful to be a part of that.”
Said Harrington: “I wish the game went a little bit better. But yeah, a great day for me and a great day for baseball."