Oakland A’s sign fan who wowed with viral in-stadium pitching challenge

A baseball hopeful is living his dream after a video of him pitching in a fan contest helped secure him a professional contract.

In the span of three weeks, Nathan Patterson went from just a regular fan at a baseball game to an MLB hopeful with a minor-league contract.

On July 15, Patterson and his brother Christian attended a Rockies game when the two decided to try their luck at the speed pitch challenge at Coors Field. When Nathan started clocking in at around 96 miles per hour, Christian began recording.

Guys, we were just chillin at a @rockies baseball game, and my brother decided to step into a speed pitch challenge...he hit 96 mph 😳 @MLB Let’s get him signed! pic.twitter.com/g0fKrvUxzt

— Christian Patterson (@cpatterson_7) July 15, 2019

The video was retweeted more than 1000 times, viewed by over one million people, and eventually caught the eyes of the A’s front office.

On Thursday, the 23-year-old signed a minor-league contract with Oakland. His recent viral status was the fruit of a dream he had been working toward for a long time and is now realising.

“Words cannot describe this feeling and I cannot thank everyone enough who has been part of this journey so far!,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of him inking his deal. “This story is not over. It is not the beginning. I am writing the next chapters and excited for this journey! Time to focus even more, work even harder, and it all starts with your mindset. Go after your dreams and make them a reality!”

Big congrats to @npatterson_12 for signing with the @Athletics - bright future for this guy! #dvfamily pic.twitter.com/pB5Wklacqb

— Tom Oldham (@tomoldham19) August 1, 2019

Patterson was reportedly in contact with the A’s since February and continued to work and train toward a potential contract, but his eye-catching performance in a ballpark event sealed the deal.

Originally published as Oakland A’s sign fan who wowed with viral in-stadium pitching challenge