P. J. Walters
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Phillip DeWayne "P. J." Walters (born March 12, 1985) is an American former 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 ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. He 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 ...
,
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
, and
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
.


Career


High School and college

Walters played at Faith Academy in
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...
where he had an overall record of 36–1 and set school records in several categories including career wins and single season strikeouts and ERA. He next attended the
University of South Alabama The University of South Alabama (USA) is a public research university in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in May 1963 and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alaba ...
. After the 2005 season, he played
collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Bro ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...
and was named a league all-star. As a Senior he had an 11–3 record, 3.20 ERA and 166 strikeouts. He became the
Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...
career leader in strikeouts and was selected as Conference co-pitcher of the year and
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third team All-American.


St. Louis Cardinals

Walters was drafted by 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 ...
in the 11th round of the 2006 player draft (346th overall). He climbed three levels in 2007 and earned the Cardinals minor league pitcher of the year honors. He then spent most of 2008 in Triple-A Memphis. He went 9-4 for the Cardinals' top affiliate, with a 4.87 ERA over 122 innings. Walters made his major league debut on April 17, 2009, as the starting pitcher against the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. He had been called up when
Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter (born April 27, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals from 1997 to 2012. A Cy Young Award wi ...
was placed on the 15-day
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
. He became the first Cardinals rookie to make his first major-league start at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
in nearly three decades. Walters pitched 4.0 innings, leading 4-3 in the game before being replaced, pitching against veteran Carlos Zambrano, giving up 6 hits (one hit was a double), 3 runs (all earned), walked 2, struck out 7, with a 6.75 ERA. He faced 19 batters, threw 98 pitches (59 for strikes), with 4 groundouts and 1 fly out. He picked up his first MLB win on May 27, 2010 when he pitched five scoreless innings against the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
. On July 25, 2011, Walters gave up a grand slam to
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
outfielder
Carlos Lee Carlos Noriel Lee (born June 20, 1976), nicknamed "El Caballo", is a Panamanian former professional baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 to 2012 with the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, ...
. This made Walters and Lee the first pair of players in MLB history in which the batter (Lee) hit grand slams in each of his only two at-bats against the pitcher (Walters). (The previous one had been hit on July 21, 2009.) In parts of three seasons with the Cardinals, Walters was 2–0 with a 7.38 ERA in 19 appearances (four starts).


Toronto Blue Jays

On July 27, 2011, Walters was traded to the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
along with
Colby Rasmus Colby Ryan Rasmus (born August 11, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. He ha ...
, Brian Tallet and Trever Miller for Edwin Jackson,
Octavio Dotel Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz (November 25, 1973 – April 8, 2025) was a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for 13 major league teams, the second-most of any player in history. ...
,
Marc Rzepczynski Marc Walter Rzepczynski ( ; born August 29, 1985), nicknamed "Scrabble", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Pa ...
and Corey Patterson. He pitched one scoreless inning for the Blue Jays before being demoted to the minor leagues. In the remaining months of 2011, he went 1-3 with an 8.38 ERA in Triple-A for the Las Vegas 51s. After the 2011 season, he elected for free agency.


Minnesota Twins

On December 14, 2011, Walters signed a minor league contract with the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
. He began the season with the AAA
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 ...
, where he was the opening day starter. He was called up by the Twins on May 9, 2012. On May 22, 2012, Walters threw his first career complete game 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 ...
in a 9-2 win. He was 2–5 with a 5.69 ERA in 12 starts for the Twins in 2012 and 3–3 with a 4.01 ERA in 14 starts for Rochester. On October 29, Walters became a free agent after refusing his outright assignment to the minor leagues. However, on November 1, Walters signed a new minor league deal with the Twins that included an invitation to spring training. The low light of his 2013 season was on June 22, when he didn't even make it out of the first inning while pitching against the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. He walked five batters while only getting two batters out. He was designated for assignment on July 4. In eight starts for the Twins in 2013, he was 2–5 with a 5.95 ERA. He also started 19 games that year for Rochester and was 7–5 with a 4.18 ERA.


Kansas City Royals

Walters signed a minor league deal with the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
on November 19, 2013, and started the 2014 season with the Triple-A
Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...
. He appeared in 10 games for them, eight of which were starts and was 1–4 with a 7.97 ERA.


Toronto Blue Jays

Walters and Melky Mesa were dealt to the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
for cash considerations on May 26, 2014. Walters split the season between the Double-A
New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Ja ...
and the Triple-A
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
. He made eight starts for New Hampshire and was 2–3 with a 2.60 ERA and made nine starts for Buffalo and was 4–2 with a 4.56 ERA. He was released on September 14, 2014.


Philadelphia Phillies / Lancaster Barnstormers

Walters signed a minor league deal with the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
on November 12, 2014. He did not make the roster and was released on April 4. He then signed with the independent
Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Stormers (formerly known as the Lancaster Barnstormers) is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner l ...
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 ...
. He made two starts for the Barnstormers, allowing seven runs in 10 innings.


Los Angeles Dodgers

Walters signed a minor league contract with the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
on May 6, 2015. He started four games for the Triple-A
Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their ho ...
and one for the Double-A
Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...
.


Washington Nationals

On June 1, 2015, Walters was traded to 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 ...
for cash considerations. He was released on April 11, 2016.


Personal life

Walters was born March 12, 1985, in
Dothan, Alabama Dothan is a city in and the county seat of Houston County, Alabama, Houston County in the U.S. state of Alabama. A slight portion of the city extends into Dale County, Alabama, Dale and Henry County, Alabama, Henry counties. It had a population ...
. He and his wife, Brittney, had three children and reside in Loxley, Alabama.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, P.J. 1985 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from Dothan, Alabama Brewster Whitecaps players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Gigantes de Carolina (baseball) players Lancaster Barnstormers players Las Vegas 51s players Major League Baseball pitchers Memphis Redbirds players Minnesota Twins players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Omaha Storm Chasers players Rochester Red Wings players South Alabama Jaguars baseball players Springfield Cardinals players St. Louis Cardinals players State College Spikes players Swing of the Quad Cities players Syracuse Chiefs players Toronto Blue Jays players Tulsa Drillers players