Justin Slaten makes MLB debut
FRISCO, Texas (March 31, 2024) – Former Frisco RoughRiders pitcher Justin Slaten made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, March 31st in their game against the Seattle Mariners from T-Mobile Park. Slaten, who was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Mets and traded to
FRISCO, Texas (March 31, 2024) – Former Frisco RoughRiders pitcher Justin Slaten made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, March 31st in their game against the Seattle Mariners from T-Mobile Park.
Slaten, who was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Mets and traded to the Red Sox in December of 2023, allowed the walk-off single to All-Star Julio Rodriguez in the 10th inning on the first batter that he faced.
Slaten was a member of the RoughRiders starting rotation at the beginning of 2022 before transitioning to the bullpen late in the season and finding success there. He then returned to Frisco in 2023 as a reliever and dominated, going 4-3 with a 3.16 ERA while striking out 76 batters in 51.1 innings to just 16 walks. Between his two seasons in Frisco, he tossed in 60 games (six starts), going 5-9 with a 5.03 ERA. He whiffed 140 batters over 102.0 innings.
The Hallsville, Texas native was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock to finish the 2023 season, where he went 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA over five outings.
He was not added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, making him vulnerable to the Rule 5 Draft, and was selected with the seventh pick in the draft by the Mets. His time in a Mets uniform ended before it started as he was dealt to the Red Sox just hours after being selected in the draft.
Slaten is the second former RoughRiders player to make his MLB debut in 2024 and the 199th player in franchise history, joining Wyatt Langford.
The RoughRiders begin their 2024 home slate on Tuesday, April 9th at 6:35 p.m. against the Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros). Single-game tickets start at just $11. For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team celebrated its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 190 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].MLB