Sportsvival got to sit down and talk with Pittsburgh Pirates newcomer Thomas Harrington last week. We discussed his rise to becoming a draft pick and member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Harrington is a right-handed starting pitcher who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 175 pounds.
Thomas Harrington was born in Sanford, North Carolina on July 12, 2001.
At Southern Lee High School, Harrington went 4-0 with a 0.32 ERA as a junior. He struck out 54 batters in 43 ⅔ innings. His senior season was wiped out due to Covid-19. Harrington was also the starting quarterback at Southern Lee High
Harrington was not drafted out of high school and walked on to the Campbell University baseball team. He was named Big South Freshman of the Year after going 6-3 with a 3.45 ERA. He was then named Big South Conference Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore.
Harrington would go on to be selected 36th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed for a $2,050,000 signing bonus.
In his first professional season in 2023, he split time between the Single-A Bradenton Marauders and High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. In 26 total starts, he finished with a 7-6 record and a 3.53 ERA with 146 strikeouts in 127 ⅓ strikeouts.
He missed the first five weeks of the 2024 campaign with a rotator cuff strain. After returning he pitched for Greensboro along with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. In 21 starts between the three affiliates he had a combined 7-3 record with a 2.61 ERA.
Harrington got his first call to the big leagues on April 1, 2025.
Sportsvival got to sit down with Thomas Harrington:
Sportsvival- When did you start throwing seriously off the mound?
Harrington- “ I probably became serious off the mound my junior year of high school. When I got to high school I was probably the worst of the three starting pitchers.”
Sportsvival- Was baseball your first love?
Harrington- “Yeah it definitely was, I played everything growing up, but when I got to high school it was primarily baseball and a bit of football.”
Sportsvival- In high school was there a light switch that went on where you said man I can make it in baseball?
Harrington- “ I had no scouts looking at me in high school, I didn’t realize I even had a chance to play Major League ball until after my freshman year of college.”
Sportsvival- At Campbell University when did you start hearing you have a good chance of becoming a high draft pick?
Harrington- “It was really cool, I was able to play with shortstop Zach Neto, the shortstop for the Angels, he was a really good prospect coming out of the Cape Cod League. He drew a ton of scouts and during my play I realized I got something in the fall, and in the following spring things started really moving for me.”
Sportsvival- The year you got drafted, explain the moment you heard your name announced.
Harrington- “I had a big exciting party at the house, it went so fast, it was probably one of the most stressful days of my life.”
Sportsvival- Did you have an idea that you were going in the draft where you did?
Harrington- “Yes, we knew it was a possibility that from pick No. 20 until the end of round two, something was going to happen.”
Sportsvival- For the kids reading, when did you start throwing curve balls religiously?
Harrington- “I was in high school when I started throwing them consistently during games. I mean when you are warming up with your friends, we would flip some to each other when we were younger, (lol).”
(photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated)