Eaton ’19 Makes Major League Baseball Debut

Nathan Eaton ’19, VMI baseball alumnus, made his Major League Baseball debut July 14, 2022, and played a star role in lifting the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 win over the host Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The Chester, Virginia, native homered in the ninth inning to lead the Royals to victory. Facing Anthony Banda, Blue Jay pitcher, with zero on base and one out, Eaton hit the 10th pitch of the at-bat—a 3-2 changeup—and sent it over the left-center field fence for his first career hit and home run as a major leaguer. In four at-bats, Eaton earned one run, one hit, one RBI, and a .250 hitting percentage to go with one strikeout in the effort.

Eaton—drafted in 2018 by the Royals in Round 21 as the 632nd overall pick—is listed as a utility for the Royals and can play all three outfield spots and all over the infield. Prior to his call-up, Eaton was slugging .498 with 13 home runs in the Double-A and Triple-A within the Royals organization.

He is the third VMI baseball alum to make his MLB debut this season. Former Keydets Josh Winder ’19 (Minnesota Twins) and Reed Garrett ’15 (Washington Nationals) have also seen major league action in 2022.