Walter Pennington

Walter Carlton Pennington (born April 14, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Career
After going unselected in the 2020 MLB draft, Pennington signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals on August 24, 2020. He did not appear for the organization in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pennington split his first professional season between the rookie–level Arizona Complex League Royals and Single–A Columbia Fireflies. In 25 games for the two affiliates, he accumulated a 3.32 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 4 saves across $43 1⁄3$ innings pitched.

Pennington split the 2022 campaign between the High–A Quad Cities River Bandits and Double–A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, compiling a 5.19 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 3 saves across 36 appearances. He spent the majority of the 2023 season with the Triple–A Omaha Storm Chasers, having received a promotion following eight scoreless appearances for Northwest Arkansas. In 41 games for Omaha, Pennington logged a 7–2 record and 3.69 ERA with 64 strikeouts across 61 innings.

Pennington began 2024 back in Omaha, where he posted a 2.35 ERA with 76 strikeouts across 32 outings. On July 5, 2024, Pennington was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.