Former Thunder Bay Border Cat Wes Parsons Debuts with the Braves
Published on August 10, 2018 under Northwoods League (Northwoods) News Release
Rochester, Minn. - Former Thunder Bay Border Cat Wes Parsons, made his Major League debut for the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, August 9, 2018. Parsons is the 201st former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Parsons, who played collegiately at Jackson State Community College, played for the Thunder Bay Border Cats in 2012. He was signed by Atlanta as a non-drafted free agent in 2013.
In 12 games with the Border Cats during the 2012 season, Parsons appeared in 12 games and was 6-2 with a 2.61 ERA. He struck out 35 batters in 55 innings while walking 14. He was also named a Northwoods League All-Star.
Parsons started his Minor League career in 2013 with the Rome Braves of the Lo-A South Atlantic League. He started 19 games and was 7-7 with a 2.63 ERA. He also struck out 101 batters in 109.2 innings while walking 21.
Parsons was promoted for the 2014 season to the Lynchburg Hillcats of the Hi-A Carolina League. He started 23 games for the Hillcats and was 4-7 with a 5.00 ERA. He continued his high strikeout rate with 96 Ks in 113.1 innings pitched. In the offseason, it was revealed that Parsons had pitched much of the 2014 season injured, and he struggled to get back onto the field in 2015.
For the 2015 season, Parsons started the year with the Braves Rookie level team in the Gulf Coast League. After three games he went back to Rome and then ended the year with one game in Hi-A with the Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League. For the year he pitched in five games and was 2-0 with a 2.75 ERA.
Parsons was still injured to start the 2016 season and he began the year back in the Gulf Coast League. After four games he moved up to Carolina and then ended the year with one game with the Mississippi Braves of the AA Southern League. For the season he appeared in 21 games and was 0-2 with a 3.51 ERA and an impressive 55 strikeouts in 66.2 inning considering he started the season coming off of an injury.
In 2017, Parsons began the season in Mississippi and then was promoted after 26 games to the Gwinnett Braves of the AAA International League. Between the two clubs he appeared in 30 games and was 3-3 with a 3.15 ERA. His strikeout numbers also rebounded with 108 Ks in 111.1 innings pitched.
Prior to being called up by the Braves, Parsons had appeared in eight games with Mississippi before a promotion to the newly named Gwinnett Stripers. For the season he is 7-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 20 appearances. He also has 87 strikeouts in 94.2 innings while walking 29.
In his Major League debut against the Washington Nationals, Parsons entered the game in relief and pitched five innings allowing four runs while striking out three.
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