Nick Vespi

Nicholas Anthony Vespi (born October 10, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.

Career

Vespi played college baseball at Palm Beach State College. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 18th round of the 2015 MLB draft. Vespi made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Orioles. He split the 2016 season with the GCL Orioles and Low-A Aberdeen IronBirds, registering a 5-1 record and 1.88 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched across 13 games (10 starts). In 2017, Vespi split time between Aberdeen and the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, posting a 4-3 record and 4.41 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 49.0 innings of work.

Vespi was called up to the majors for the first time on May 17, 2022. Vespi made his Major League debut on May 20, pitching two innings for the Orioles in an extra innings game against the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out three, giving up no runs, and being credited with his first career MLB win. He made 25 total appearances for the Orioles in 2022, logging a 5-0 record 4.10 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 26.1 innings pitched. On January 5, 2023, Vespi underwent hernia surgery.

Vespi was optioned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides to begin the 2023 season.

International career

On December 16, 2022, Vespi announced that he had been selected to represent Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.