John Francis Nogowski (born January 5, 1993) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

for the

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...

of the

American Association of Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor ...

. He was drafted by the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

in the 34th round of the

2014 MLB draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

Career

Oakland Athletics

Nogowski attended North Florida Christian School and played college baseball at

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, batting .307/.431/.443 in 2014. Nogowski was drafted by the

in the 34th round, with the 1,032nd overall selection, of the

2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He split his first professional season between the rookie-level

Arizona League Athletics The Arizona Complex League Athletics are a Minor League Baseball team based in Mesa, Arizona, which plays as a Rookie-level team in the Arizona Complex League and has served as a farm team for the Athletics organization since 1988. They play thei ...

and Low-A

Vermont Lake Monsters The Vermont Lake Monsters are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Burlington, Vermont, United States, who were founded in 1994 as the Vermont Expos. They were members of Minor League Baseball, in the New York–Penn League (NYPL), ...

, batting a combined .264/.351/.347 with one home run and 32 RBI. In 2015, he made 96 appearances for the High-A

Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Banner I ...

, and batted .274/.352/.364 with four home runs and 45 RBI. Nogowski split the 2016 campaign between Stockton and the Double-A

Midland RockHounds The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Momentum Bank Ballpark, which ope ...

, slashing an aggregate .273/.345/.402 with eight home runs and 38 RBI across 91 total games. On March 27, 2017, Nogowski was released by the Athletics organization, prior to the start of the season.

Sioux City Explorers

On May 18, 2017, Nogowski signed with the

Sioux City Explorers The Sioux City Explorers are a professional baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are inaugural members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseba ...

of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. Nogowski played in 32 games for Sioux City, slashing .402/.482/.607 with four home runs, 28 RBI, and three stolen bases.

St. Louis Cardinals

The

purchased Nogowski’s contract on June 27, 2017. He would finish the 2017 season with the Double-A

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They are members of the Texas League's North Division and serve as the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals began pl ...

. He would also spend most of the 2018 season with them, batting .309/.392/.463. He spent 2019 with the Triple-A

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

, batting .295/.413/.476 in 380 at bats while coming in third in the PCL with 69

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...

s and 10 hit-by-pitch, and tying for fourth by grounding into 15

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Le ...

s. Nogowski was called up to the majors for the first time on August 15, 2020. He made his major league debut the next day against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

and got his first major league hit off of

Dallas Keuchel Dallas Keuchel (, ; born January 1, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, T ...

. In 2021, Nogowski made the Opening Day roster after batting .333 with two home runs over 33 spring training at-bats. Nogowski limped to a .056/.150/.056 slash line in 19 games with St. Louis before being designated for assignment on June 28, 2021.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On July 3, 2021, Nogowski was traded to the

in exchange for cash considerations. He hit .261 with 1 home run and 14 RBIs in 33 games with the Pirates. On July 7, in just his third game with the Pirates, Nogowski was used as a pitcher in a relief role. Facing a strong Atlanta lineup, Nogowski allowed a single, but retired the other three batters he faced. He was designated for assignment on August 16, 2021. On August 20, Nogowski cleared waivers and was assigned outright to the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

. On September 20, the Pirates released Nogowski.

San Francisco Giants

On September 22, 2021, Nogowski signed a two-year minor league contract with the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

organization. Nogowski appeared in 8 games for the Triple-A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

, hitting just .185/.290/.444 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI.

Atlanta Braves

On December 8, 2021, the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

selected Nogowski from the Giants in the minor league phase of the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. In 40 games for the Triple–A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...

, he batted .234/.338/.323 with 2 home runs, 14 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. Nogowski was released by the Braves organization on June 16, 2022.

Washington Nationals

On June 22, 2022, Nogowski signed a minor league deal with the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. He was assigned to the Double-A

Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team who play in the Eastern League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The team is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at FNB Field on Cit ...

, hitting .202 in 30 games before being promoted to the Triple-A

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...

later in the season. In 47 games for Rochester, he batted .290/.409/.401 with 2 home runs, 24 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. He elected free agency following the season on November 10.

High Point Rockers

On April 28, 2023, Nogowski signed with the

High Point Rockers The High Point Rockers are an American professional minor-league baseball team based at Truist Point ballpark in High Point, North Carolina, which is part of the Piedmont Triad region. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 37 games for the Rockers, Nogowski batted .297/.419/.625 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, and 5 stolen bases. He was released by the team on June 9.

Sioux City Explorers (second stint)

On June 16, 2023, Nogowski signed with the

of the

. In 17 games with Sioux City, Nogowski hit .313/.397/.484 with 2 home runs, 9 RBI, and 3 stolen bases.

Acereros de Monclova

On July 5, 2023, Nogowski's contract was purchased by the

Acereros de Monclova The Acereros de Monclova (English: Monclova Steelers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports l ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In 24 games for Monclova, he batted .277/.340/.319 with no home runs and 14 RBI.

Sioux City Explorers (third stint)

On August 19, 2023, Nogowski was acquired on loan by the

of the

. In 34 games for the Explorers, he batted .317/.419/.480 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI. On May 2, 2024, Nogowski re-signed with the Explorers. In 100 appearances for the team, he batted .346/.461/.553 with 15 home runs, 76 RBI, and seven stolen bases.

Kansas City Monarchs

On June 3, 2025, Nogowski signed with the

of the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nogowski, John 1993 births Living people Acereros de Monclova players Águilas Cibaeñas players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Arizona League Athletics players Baseball players from Tallahassee, Florida Florida State Seminoles baseball players Gulf Coast Cardinals players Harrisburg Senators players High Point Rockers players Indianapolis Indians players Kansas City Monarchs (American Association) players Major League Baseball first basemen Memphis Redbirds players Midland RockHounds players Pittsburgh Pirates players Rochester Red Wings players Sacramento River Cats players Sioux City Explorers players Springfield Cardinals players St. Louis Cardinals players Stockton Ports players Surprise Saguaros players Vermont Lake Monsters players Yaquis de Obregón players

Career

Oakland Athletics

Sioux City Explorers

St. Louis Cardinals

Pittsburgh Pirates

San Francisco Giants

Atlanta Braves

Washington Nationals

High Point Rockers

Sioux City Explorers (second stint)

Acereros de Monclova

Sioux City Explorers (third stint)

Kansas City Monarchs

See also

References

External links