Courtesy Sioux City Explorers Media Relations
SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers announced today that the Boston Red Sox have purchased the contract of Explorers RHP Rob Wort. Wort will report to spring training with the Red Sox when pitchers and catchers report in the spring of 2016 to earn a spot within the Boston organization for the 2016 season.
Wort’s contract is the second to be purchased by the Red Sox organization this week, after Boston added Wichita OF Jayce Ray on Monday.
Wort, a 26-year-old St. Charles, Missouri native, was drafted in the 30th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft by the Washington Nationals out of Jefferson College (MO). Wort had an impressive 2015 season for the Explorers as he posted an 11-3 record and recorded 4 saves with a 1.79 ERA in 41 games. In 65.1 innings of work, Wort struck out 92 batters while only allowing 26 walks.
Wort was named the American Association’s Pitcher of the Month in August. He pitched in 13 games in August for the X’s, collecting a 6-0 record while notching 3 saves. Wort was also named the Pointstreak Pitcher of the Week for the week ending August 9. He pitched 6 shutout innings over the course of that week, helping the Explorers to wins in all of his appearances.
The X’s originally signed Wort in April of 2014 and in 24 games, he went 2-1 with an impressive 0.97 ERA out of the bullpen. Wort struck out 58 batters and only allowed 14 walks in 37.0 innings of work, while only giving up 4 earned runs in his 24 appearances for the X’s. For his performance, Wort had his contract purchased on August 12, 2014 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and was assigned to the Hillsboro Hops in the Northwest League. Wort appeared in 7 games for the Hops compiling a 3-0 record with a 1.08 ERA. He recorded 13 strikeouts to only 2 walks in 8.1 innings of work.
Prior to joining the X’s in 2014, Wort pitched the previous 5 seasons in the Washington Nationals organization. In 7 professional seasons, the St Charles, MO native is 31-14 with a 2.57 ERA and 38 saves in 243 games. In 319.0 career innings pitched, Wort has struck out 427 batters while only yielding 152 walks.
