Kyle Wright’s baseball journey has been anything but linear, but his story still carries the kind of upside teams love to bet on.
Once a prized first-round pick-seventh overall by the Braves in 2017 out of Vanderbilt-Wright was a staple on Top 100 prospect lists for three straight years. That pedigree finally translated into big-league success in 2022, when he broke out in a major way.
Wright didn’t just earn a rotation spot that year-he dominated. He went 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA, a 1.159 WHIP, and punched out 174 batters over 180.1 innings.
That kind of production earned him a 10th-place finish in the Cy Young voting and, more importantly, made it look like Atlanta had found another long-term rotation anchor.
But baseball rarely hands out straight paths. Wright’s 2023 season was derailed by a serious shoulder injury, and surgery followed in October. A month later, Atlanta shipped him to Kansas City-a fresh start, but also a clear sign of uncertainty about his recovery.
Wright didn’t pitch in the majors at all in 2024. Instead, he made eight rehab starts in the Royals’ system, where the results were rough: a 6.97 ERA and 1.565 WHIP over 23 innings. Not exactly the numbers that scream “ready for a comeback,” but given the context-returning from shoulder surgery and trying to find rhythm again-those outings were more about reps than results.
He hit free agency at season’s end, and now at age 30, he’s landed a new opportunity. It’s a depth move, no question.
Wright is expected to start the year with Triple-A Iowa, likely on a non-roster invite with a potential opt-out clause. He’ll get a look in Spring Training, and if things click, he could become a valuable in-season option.
This isn’t just a flyer on a former top prospect-it’s a calculated bet on a guy who, not long ago, was one of the most effective starters in the league. In fact, Wright still holds the title of MLB’s most recent 20-game winner. That may not carry the same weight it once did, but it’s a reminder of just how high his ceiling can be when healthy.
There’s also a bit of a full-circle feel here: Wright and Dansby Swanson were teammates at Vanderbilt back in 2015. Now, they could reunite in the same organization, with Wright trying to carve out his next chapter in a career that’s seen both sky-high expectations and some tough setbacks.
The odds may be long, but this is the kind of low-risk, high-reward move that smart front offices make. If Wright can rediscover even a fraction of his 2022 form, he could be a sneaky piece of value later in the season.
For now, it’s about getting healthy, getting reps, and seeing where the arm is. The talent’s never been in question-it’s just a matter of whether the shoulder can hold up.