Walker Lockett

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1994)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Walker Lockett

|image = Walker Lockett 18 (cropped).jpg

|caption = Lockett with the El Paso Chihuahuas in 2018

|team = Free agent

|number =

|position = Pitcher

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|5|3}}

|birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = June 1

|debutyear = 2018

|debutteam = San Diego Padres

|debut2league= KBO

|debut2date = April 4

|debut2year = 2021

|debut2team = Doosan Bears

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = 2020 season

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 2–4

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 7.67

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 39

|stat2league = KBO

|stat2year = 2021 season

|stat21label = Win–loss record

|stat21value = 9-9

|stat22label = Earned run average

|stat22value = 2.98

|stat23label = Strikeouts

|stat23value = 112

|teams =

}}

Andrew Walker Lockett (born May 3, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners, and in the KBO League for the Doosan Bears.

Early life

Lockett attended Providence School in Jacksonville, Florida. As a junior first baseman, he averaged a home run in every 5.2 at bats and posted a .468 batting average and .598 on-base percentage with 57 runs batted in. As a result, he was named the All-First Coast Baseball Player of the Year by The Florida Times-Union.{{cite news |last1=Carlyon |first1=Hays |title=All-First Coast Baseball: Providence's Walker Lockett finds right power combination |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20110624/SPORTS/801249120 |access-date=8 July 2019 |work=The Florida Times-Union |date=June 24, 2011 |language=en |archive-date=8 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708003457/https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20110624/SPORTS/801249120 |url-status=dead }} As a senior in 2012, he led Providence to a state high school baseball championship.{{cite news |last1=Barney |first1=Justin |title=Providence standout Walker Lockett signs with Padres |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/sports/baseball/2012-07-03/story/providence-standout-walker-lockett-signs-padres |access-date=8 July 2019 |work=The Florida Times-Union |date=July 3, 2012 |language=en}} He had committed to play college baseball at South Florida as a junior.

Career

=San Diego Padres=

The San Diego Padres selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, and the parties agreed on a $340,000 signing bonus.{{cite web|url=http://jacksonville.com/sports/baseball/2011-06-24/story/all-first-coast-baseball-providences-walker-lockett-finds-right|title=All-First Coast Baseball: Providence's Walker Lockett finds right power combination|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/Opening-Day-starter-puts-injuries-behind-him-with-TinCaps|title=Opening Day starter puts injuries behind him with TinCaps|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016|archive-date=November 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120090408/http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/Opening-Day-starter-puts-injuries-behind-him-with-TinCaps|url-status=dead}} He spent 2012 with the Arizona League Padres, pitching to a 4.34 earned run average in {{frac|18|2|3}} innings. He pitched only {{frac|2|1|3}} innings in 2013 and {{frac|10|1|3}} innings in 2014 due to injuries.{{cite web|url=http://www.journalgazette.net/sports/professional/tincaps/Lockett-back-as-TinCaps--leader-12535362|title=Lockett back as TinCaps' leader|publisher=The Journal Gazette|access-date=March 25, 2018}} Lockett returned in 2015 and pitched for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, Tri-City Dust Devils, and AZL Padres, posting a combined 4-4 record and 4.14 ERA in 18 total games (17 starts) between the three clubs. In 2016, he played for Fort Wayne, the Lake Elsinore Storm, San Antonio Missions and El Paso Chihuahuas, compiling a combined 10-9 record, 2.96 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 28 total games (25 starts).

The Padres added Lockett to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/sd-sp-padres-set-40-man-roster-20161117-story.html|title=Youth served as Padres set 40-man roster|first=Jeff|last=Sanders|date=19 November 2016|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}} He spent 2017 with El Paso, collecting a 5-2 record and 4.39 ERA in ten starts.{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=621141#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL|title=Walker Lockett Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|publisher=MiLB.com|access-date=March 25, 2018}} He missed nearly three months of the season due to a lower back strain.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/padres-walker-lockett-placed-on-minor-league-dl/|title=Padres' Walker Lockett: Placed on minor-league DL|work=CBS Sports|date=3 June 2017 |access-date=March 25, 2018}}

On June 1, 2018, Lockett was recalled by the Padres to start that evening in place of an injured Joey Lucchesi against the Cincinnati Reds.{{cite web |url=http://www.jacksonville.com/sports/20180531/providence-grad-walker-lockett-gets-called-up-by-padres|author=Justin Barney |date=May 31, 2018 |title=Providence grad Walker Lockett gets called up by Padres |work=www.jacksonville.com |publisher=GateHouse Media, Inc. |access-date=June 2, 2018}} Through the first three innings, Lockett held the Reds to just one run on one hit and three walks. A lead off walk to Eugenio Suarez in the fourth, followed by a single by Scott Schebler and a double by Jose Peraza increased the Reds' lead to 3-0. Lockett came back to retire the next two batters before issuing his fifth walk of the day to Jesse Winker. Tucker Barnhart followed with a single to score Peraza, and knock Lockett out of the game. All told, Lockett allowed four hits, four runs and walked five in {{frac|3|2|3}} innings,{{cite web |url=https://www.foxsports.com/san-diego/story/lack-of-command-plagues-walker-lockett-in-first-mlb-start-060118 |title=Lack of command plagues Walker Lockett in first MLB start |author=John Horvath |date=June 2, 2018 |publisher=Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. |work=www.foxsports.com |access-date=June 2, 2018}} taking the loss as the Reds defeated the Padres 7-2.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN201806010.shtml|title=Cincinnati Reds 7, San Diego Padres 2|website=Baseball-Reference.com|date=June 1, 2018}} For the season, Lockett went 0-3 with a 9.60 ERA in four appearances (3 starts).

=New York Mets=

The Padres traded Lockett to the Cleveland Indians on November 20, 2018 for minor league pitcher Ignacio Feliz.{{cite news |title=Indians' Walker Lockett: Dealt to Cleveland |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/indians-walker-lockett-dealt-to-cleveland/ |publisher=CBSSports.com |date=November 20, 2018}} On January 6, 2019, Cleveland traded Lockett and Sam Haggerty to the New York Mets for catcher Kevin Plawecki.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mets-get-infielder-jd-davis-from-astros/c-302424558|title = In 2 trades, Mets get J.D. Davis, deal Plawecki|website = MLB.com}} After beginning the season with the triple A Syracuse Mets, Lockett was called up in late June when Noah Syndergaard was placed on the 10 day injured list with a right hamstring strain.{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-walter-lockett-debut-cubs-20190619-snh2z7ob2jasrnqnkmny2wkm6y-story.html|last=Thosar|first=Deesha|date=June 19, 2019|title=Walker Lockett will make Mets debut in series opener against Cubs|newspaper=New York Daily News}} After cruising through his first two innings of work, Lockett was roughed up by the Chicago Cubs in the third. The Cubs scored six runs, all earned, to pin a loss on Lockett in his Mets debut.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201906200.shtml|title=Chicago Cubs 7, New York Mets 4|website=Baseball-Reference.com|date=June 20, 2019}}

He earned his first career win a month later against Jeff Samardzija and the San Francisco Giants. Lockett pitched five innings, allowing one earned run with three strikeouts.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN201907200.shtml|title=New York Mets 11, San Francisco Giants 4|website=Baseball-Reference.com|date=July 20, 2019}} Coincidentally, the one run was driven in by Joe Panik, who would become his teammate with the Mets later in the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/joe-panik-signs-with-mets|last=Langs|first=Sarah|date=August 9, 2019|title=Mets make it official with Panik, DFA Hechavarria|website=MLB.com}}

Lockett was designated for assignment by the Mets on August 28, 2020.

=Seattle Mariners=

On September 1, 2020, Lockett was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/09/mariners-claim-walker-lockett.html|title = Mariners Claim Walker Lockett| date=September 2020 }}

=Doosan Bears=

On December 7, 2020, Lockett was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays.{{cite tweet|number=1336052959583625219|user=BlueJays|title=ROSTER MOVES: We've claimed RHP Anthony Castro off waivers from the Tigers and RHP Walker Lockett off waivers from… |date=7 December 2020}}

On December 22, 2020, Lockett reached an agreement on a one-year contract with the Doosan Bears of the KBO League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/12/walker-lockett-close-to-signing-with-kbos-doosan-bears.html|title = Walker Lockett Close to Signing with KBO's Doosan Bears| date=22 December 2020 }} Lockett went 9-9 with a 2.98 ERA in 21 starts for Doosan before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in October 2021. The Bears parted ways with Lockett following the year on November 30, 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211130010000315|title = KBO clubs cut ties with underperforming foreign players| work=Yonhap News Agency |date = 30 November 2021 | last1=Jee-Ho | first1=Yoo }}

=Cincinnati Reds=

On May 11, 2022, Lockett signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds. He did not make an appearance for the organization and elected free agency following the season on November 10.{{Cite web|title=2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-23-minor-league-free-agents-for-all-30-mlb-teams/?amphtml|access-date=July 7, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 13, 2022 |language=en}}

=Olmecas de Tabasco=

On July 4, 2024, Lockett signed with the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League.{{Cite web|title=Reportan dos elementos a la organización|url=https://olmecastabasco.mx/boletin-de-prensa/reportan-dos-elementos-a-la-organizacion/|access-date=July 6, 2024|website=olmecastabasco.mx|date=July 4, 2024 |language=ES}} He made 3 starts for Tabasco, posting an 0–1 record and 5.14 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 14 innings pitched. He became a free agent following the season.

References

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