Justin Slaten

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Justin Slaten

|number = 63

|position = Pitcher

|team = Boston Red Sox

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|9|15}}

|birth_place = Longview, Texas, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = March 30

|debutyear = 2024

|debutteam = Boston Red Sox

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = May 24, 2025

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 7–5

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 3.16

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 73

|teams =

Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|2024}}–present)

}}

Justin Michael Slaten (born September 15, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Slaten made his MLB debut in 2024.

Biography

=Amateur=

Slaten attended Hallsville High School in Hallsville, Texas.{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Mike |date=June 23, 2016 |title=Hallsville Baseball Star Justin Slaten Commits To New Mexico |url=https://etsn.fm/hallsville-baseball-star-justin-slaten-commits-to-new-mexico/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=ETSN.fm}} As a senior, Slaten went 6–5 with a 1.49 earned run average (ERA) and 105 strikeouts in 75 innings pitched.{{Cite web |date=February 3, 2017 |title=Justin Slaten |url=https://golobos.com/roster/justin-slaten-3/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=University of New Mexico Lobos athletics}} Undrafted out of high school, he attended The University of New Mexico to play college baseball for the New Mexico Lobos. In his freshman season of 2017, Slaten went 2–2 with a 3.71 ERA and 27 strikeouts over {{frac|33|2|3}} innings. He struggled in his sophomore of 2018 to a 2–9 record with a 7.02 ERA over {{frac|66|2|3}} innings. During the summer of 2018, Slaten played for the Eau Claire Express of the Northwoods League, going 7–1 with a 1.58 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 57 innings.{{Cite web |last=Erickson |first=Nick |date=August 11, 2018 |title=Eau Claire Express: Slaten etched name near the top of team record books in several categories |url=https://www.leadertelegram.com/sports/eau-claire-express-slaten-etched-name-near-the-top-of-team-record-books-in-several/article_661649c1-0652-52cd-8076-4711a824f399.html |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=Eau Claire Leader-Telegram}} In his junior season of 2019, Slaten went 5–5 with a 2.51 ERA and 98 strikeouts over {{frac|82|1|3}} innings.{{cite web | url=https://www.ketk.com/news/longview-native-justin-slaten-drafted-by-texas-rangers-in-third-round-of-mlb-draft/ | title=Longview native Justin Slaten drafted by Texas Rangers in third round of MLB draft | work=KETK.com | FOX51.com | date=June 4, 2019 }}

=Texas Rangers=

The Texas Rangers selected Slaten in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft and he signed with them.{{Cite web |last=Hague |first=Nathan |date=June 4, 2019 |title=MLB Draft: Hallsville's Justin Slaten selected in third round by Texas Rangers |url=https://tylerpaper.com/sports/pro/mlb-draft-hallsvilles-justin-slaten-selected-in-third-round-by-texas-rangers/article_9b152fac-8710-11e9-9e5e-af7bbb5ebeae.html |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=Tyler Morning Telegraph}}{{Cite web |last=Coleman |first=Michael |date=June 10, 2019 |title=Former Hallsville Bobcat Justin Slaten chats after being drafted to Texas Rangers |url=https://www.kltv.com/2019/06/10/former-hallsville-bobcat-justin-slaten-chats-after-being-drafted-texas-rangers/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=KLTV}} Slaten split his professional debut season of 2019 between the AZL Rangers of the Rookie-level Arizona League and the Spokane Indians of the Low–A Northwest League, going a combined 0–2 with a 6.06 ERA and 22 strikeouts over {{frac|16|1|3}} innings.{{Cite web |last=Nichols |first=Dave |title=Justin Slaten adjusts to pro ball; Spokane Indians edged by Eugene |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/aug/18/justin-slaten-adjusts-to-pro-ball-spokane-indians-/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=The Spokesman-Review|date=August 18, 2019 }} He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent the 2021 season with the Hickory Crawdads of the High-A East, going 4–8 with a 6.01 ERA and 110 strikeouts over {{frac|82|1|3}} innings.{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Evan |date=March 3, 2022 |title=Rangers' top prospects: Improved fastball could be the key for Justin Slaten to stick as a starter |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2022/03/03/rangers-top-prospects-improved-fastball-could-be-the-key-for-justin-slaten-to-stick-as-a-starter/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=The Dallas Morning News}}

Slaten spent the 2022 season with the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League, going 1–6 with a 6.93 ERA and 64 strikeouts over {{frac|50|2|3}} innings.{{Cite web |last=Newberg |first=Jamey |title=Texas Rangers 2022-23 offseason prospect rankings: Part 1 (Nos. 72 through 55) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4105308/2023/01/25/texas-rangers-2022-23-offseason-prospect-rankings-part-1-nos-72-through-55/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=The Athletic}} Slaten returned to Frisco to open the 2023 season, going 4–3 with a 3.16 ERA and 76 strikeouts over {{frac|51|1|3}} innings.{{Cite web |last=Newberg |first=Jamey |date=August 28, 2023 |title=Texas Rangers 2023 midseason prospect rankings: Part 1 (Nos. 72 through 43) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4762969/2023/08/28/rangers-2023-midseason-prospect-rankings/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=The Athletic}}{{Cite web |last=Hague |first=Nathan |date=June 26, 2022 |title=Where Are They Now: Slaten enjoying baseball journey |url=https://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/sports/where-are-they-now-slaten-enjoying-baseball-journey/article_847df344-f488-11ec-af3d-6bf5270be4ac.html |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=The Marshall News Messenger}} He was promoted to the Round Rock Express of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in September and posted a 1–0 record with a 1.08 ERA over {{frac|8|1|3}} innings. Following the 2023 season, Slaten played for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League.{{Cite magazine |last=Postins |first=Matthew |date=September 23, 2023 |title=Rangers Select Prospects for Arizona Fall League |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/rangers/news/texas-rangers-select-nine-prospects-arizona-fall-league |access-date=November 15, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}

=Boston Red Sox=

On December 6, 2023, the New York Mets chose Slaten with the seventh selection in the Rule 5 draft,{{Cite web |last=Cerullo |first=Mac |date=December 6, 2023 |title=Red Sox acquire RHP Justin Slaten from Mets |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/12/06/red-sox-acquire-rhp-justin-slaten-from-mets/ |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=The Boston Herald}} and traded him to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor-league left-handed pitcher Ryan Ammons and cash considerations.{{Cite web |last=Abriano |first=Danny |date=December 6, 2023 |title=Mets acquire minor league LHP Ryan Ammons for Rule 5 pick Justin Slaten |url=https://sny.tv/articles/mets-rule-5-draft-2023 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=SNY}} Slaten was added to Boston's Opening Day roster,{{Cite web|title=Red Sox's Justin Slaten: Makes roster|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/red-soxs-justin-slaten-makes-roster/amp/|access-date=March 25, 2024|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} and made his major-league debut on March 30.{{cite news |url=https://www.milb.com/news/justin-slaten-makes-mlb-debut |title=Justin Slaten makes MLB debut |first=Zach |last=Bigley |website=milb.com |date=March 31, 2024 |accessdate=April 20, 2024}}