1. Overview
Scott Robert McGregor (born December 19, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A right-handed starting pitcher, McGregor embarked on a professional career that spanned various leagues, including Major League Baseball's minor league systems, independent baseball in the United States, the KBO League in South Korea, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. He also represented the United States national baseball team in international competitions.
2. Early Life and Amateur Career
McGregor was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, Ohio. Following high school, he enrolled at the University of Memphis, where he played collegiate baseball. During his three years with the University of Memphis, McGregor achieved a collegiate won-loss record of 13 wins and 15 losses. In the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, McGregor was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 15th round. His draft selection occurred a few picks after outfielder Joey Butler.
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3. Professional Career
Scott Robert McGregor's professional baseball journey included stints in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) within the United States, followed by play in the KBO League and the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
3.1. Minor League Baseball (MiLB)
McGregor spent several years progressing through the minor league systems of Major League Baseball organizations before playing in an independent league.
3.1.1. St. Louis Cardinals Organization
McGregor began his professional career within the St. Louis Cardinals organization after being drafted in 2008. In his debut professional season, he posted a strong record of 4 wins and 0 losses with a ERA of 1.45, allowing only 5 walks over 37.1 innings pitched. In 2009, playing for the Quad Cities River Bandits, he recorded 7 wins and 11 losses with a 5.56 ERA across 34 games, 17 of which were starts. Over 115 innings, he issued 26 walks, achieving the eighth-best walks per nine innings (BB/9 IP) ratio in the Midwest League among pitchers with 100 innings or more.
In 2010, McGregor's performance improved, as he went 10-8 with a 3.14 ERA over 31 games (20 starts) across two different teams within the Cardinals system. He pitched a total of 137.2 innings and allowed 22 walks, a performance that led Baseball America to rank him as having the best control in the Cardinals system. The 2011 season was a setback for McGregor, as he missed the entire year due to undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2012, registering a record of 5 wins and 2 losses with a 6.31 ERA in 14 games (13 starts). In 2013, he reached the Triple-A level for the first time, playing for the Memphis Redbirds where he accumulated a record of 6-10 with a 4.83 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). He also pitched for the Springfield Cardinals that year, finishing the entire 2013 season with a combined record of 10 wins and 11 losses and a 4.06 ERA. McGregor began the 2014 season with Memphis but was released by the Cardinals in June.
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3.1.2. Washington Nationals Organization
Following his release from the St. Louis Cardinals organization in June 2014, Scott Robert McGregor was signed by the Washington Nationals. He subsequently played for their Double-A affiliate, the Harrisburg Senators, and their Triple-A club, the Syracuse Chiefs. Across the three teams he played for in 2014 (including his prior Cardinals minor league team), McGregor's combined record was 4 wins and 9 losses with a 5.56 ERA. In 2015, playing for Syracuse, he achieved a record of 6 wins and 6 losses with a 4.04 ERA over 27 games, 15 of which were starts. McGregor was ultimately released by the Washington Nationals organization on March 16, 2016.
3.1.3. Independent League (Somerset Patriots)
On April 11, 2016, Scott Robert McGregor signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league. During his time with the Patriots, McGregor appeared in 9 games, pitching 59 innings. He recorded a win-loss record of 4 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 3.36. As a starting pitcher, he demonstrated consistency by averaging 6.2 innings per game, taking responsibility for a significant number of innings.
3.2. KBO League
Scott Robert McGregor transitioned to the KBO League in South Korea, playing for the Nexen Heroes.
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3.2.1. Nexen Heroes
On June 16, 2016, Scott Robert McGregor signed with the Nexen Heroes (now known as the Kiwoom Heroes) of the KBO League. He was brought in as a replacement for Robert Coello, who had been released by the team due to a high number of walks allowed. McGregor made his KBO League debut on June 26, 2016, against the LG Twins. In that game, he pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 earned runs, demonstrating good pitching performance, but was ultimately tagged with the loss due to a lack of offensive support from his team. On July 2, 2016, in a start against the Kia Tigers, McGregor pitched 7 innings and allowed 5 earned runs, giving up several home runs. Despite this, he earned his first victory as the winning pitcher. McGregor was informed that his contract would not be renewed on November 15, ending his tenure with the Nexen Heroes.
3.3. Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL)
After his time in the KBO League, Scott Robert McGregor moved to Taiwan to play in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
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3.3.1. Fubon Guardians
In May 2017, McGregor signed with the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. During his time with the team, he sustained a leg injury in June. McGregor pitched a total of 24 innings for the Guardians, recording an ERA of 4.88. He was subsequently released by the team on August 5, 2017.
4. International Career
Scott Robert McGregor represented the United States national baseball team in international competition. He was a member of the U.S. team that participated in the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Canada. In this event, the United States national baseball team earned a silver medal.
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