Former Braves first-rounder picks up first NPB win

Five years after being selected in the MLB Draft, Carter Stewart has picked up his first career victory in the majors. Of course, the win came in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) since Stewart took an unusual course following the draft. 

Widely viewed as one of the best high school pitching prospects in the 2018 draft class, the Atlanta Braves selected Stewart with the eighth overall selection. A post-draft physical revealed some concerns in his wrist, which led Braves to lower the signing bonus offer they made. Stewart passed, and instead of following a predraft commitment to Mississippi State, he enrolled in junior college so that he could be eligible for the draft again the following year. 

Only, he didn't wait for that draft to happen. 

In May 2019, just weeks before the MLB Draft, the NPB's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks announced that they had signed Stewart to a six-year deal that could pay him as much as $7 million. Stewart was taking an unprecedented route, as no prospect as highly ranked as him had ever forgone playing in the majors to go overseas before. 

Stewart spent the 2020 season pitching for the Hawks' minor league team, before making his NPB debut in 2021. He'd make 11 appearances, totaling 23.2 IP with a 6.08 ERA. 

Last season was once again spent down on the farm, but Stewart has stepped forward in 2023. He started the year with four starts for Hawks, posting a 1.99 ERA and 1.324 WHIP over 22 innings. His latest start against the Orix Buffaloes was the big moment, though. 

Stewart allowed an unearned run in the first before shutting the Buffaloes down for six innings. He allowed just six hits and a walk, while striking out six. The Hawks scored in the sixth with a trio of home runs, giving Stewart his first win.

The Braves received a compensatory pick in 2019 for failing to sign Stewart, which they used to select Shea Langeliers.