Blake Walston #48

Attended New Hanover High School in Wilmington, N.C...Served as starting quarterback for three seasons, winning a 3A State Championship in 2017 and throwing for a New Hanover County record 9,185 passing yards...Named the 2018-19 Gatorade North Carolina High School Baseball Player of the Year...Became the first player from New Hanover to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft out of high school since the Red Sox selected Trot Nixon (seventh overall in 1993)…Signed a national letter of intent to play baseball on scholarship at North Carolina State University prior to being drafted in 2019...Has "Riley 2001-2021" tattooed on the inside of his right wrist, a dedication to his closest hometown friend since birth, who died by suicide...Overwhelmed with emotion, he confided in former pitching coach, Barry Enright, who lost his father at age 13 to heart disease, and worked frequently with mental skills staff to slowly pull himself back to a healthier place...Helps promote the "RILO Foundation", started by Riley's dad, bearing Riley's nickname but also standing for "Reasons I Live On", which directs money to suicide prevention organizations.

2024

Went 1-0 with a 4.42 ERA (9 ER in 18.1 IP) and 18 strikeouts over seven games (two starts) in his first season with the D-backs...Limited opponents to a .125 AVG (3-for-24) off his four-seamer (32.7% usage) with nine strikeouts and a 23.9% whiff…opponents were 2-for-10 (.200) off his cutter (17.8% usage) with just one extra-base hit...In his two starts, went 0-0 with a 2.00 ERA (2 ER in 9 IP), opponent .194 AVG (6-for-31)/.617 OPS with five walks and six strikeouts...Held righties to a .218 AVG (12-for-55) with 16 strikeouts...Limited opponents with runners on base to a .206 AVG (7-for-34) with nine strikeouts...With runners in scoring position, opponents hit .176 (3-for-17) with three walks and four strikeouts...Entered the season rated as the D-backs' No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline and started the season with Triple-A Reno...Recalled from Reno on May 1 and made his Major League debut vs. Dodgers in relief (ND; 2 ER in 3.2 IP, 3H, 4 BB, 5 K)…optioned the next day...Recalled on May 26 and made his first career start vs. Marlins (ND; 0 ER in 4.2 IP, 4 H, BB, 4 K)…In his first three career appearances (two starts) with Arizona, owned a 2.84 ERA (4 ER in 12.2 IP), opponent .205 AVG (9-for-44) and 11 strikeouts...Placed on the 15-day IL (left elbow inflammation) on June 6…was reinstated on Aug. 12 and optioned to Reno...Recalled on Sept. 15 for his second stint with Arizona and recorded his first career win in relief vs. Brewers (W; 0 ER in 0.1, K)...Recorded his third 2.0+-inning relief appearance on Sept. 24 vs. Giants...In five relief appearances, held lefties to a .167 AVG (2-for-12)/.231 OBP with one walk and two strikeouts...Optioned to Reno on Sept. 25...In 14 games (13 starts) with Reno, went 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA (35 ER in 65.0 IP), 31 walks and 68 strikeouts.

2023

Went 12-6 with a 4.52 ERA (75 ER in 149.1 IP) in 30 starts with Triple-A Reno. Ranked among Triple-A pitchers in starts (T-first, 30), wins (T-second, 12) and innings pitched (second, 149.1)...Named the D-backs Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May, going 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA (10 ER in 29.0 IP) and 22 strikeouts in five starts with the Aces...Entered the season rated as the D-backs No. 19 prospect by MLB.com...Tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in one start for the Salt River Rafters in the 2023 Arizona Fall League.

2022

Combined to go 8-3 with a 4.79 ERA (66 ER in 124.0 IP) and 137 strikeouts over 25 starts between High-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo... Was promoted to Double-A Amarillo on May 1 after just four starts with the Hops (1-0, 2.55 ERA)…made 21 starts with the Sod Poodles, going 7-3 with a 5.16 ERA (61 ER in 106.1 IP). 

2021

Went 4-5 with a 3.76 ERA (40 ER in 95.2 IP) over 19 starts between Single-A Visalia and High-A Hillsboro...Collected 11 strikeouts on July 20 @ Eugene (1 ER in 8.0 IP)...Entered the season as the D-backs’ No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline (No. 8 by Baseball America)

2020

Invited to his first MLB Spring Training as a non-roster invitee but did not appear in a game…was assigned to the Alternate Training Site...Ranked as the D-backs No. 5 prospect by MLB.com Pipeline (No. 6 by Baseball America).

2019

Went 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in six games (five starts) between the AZL D-backs and Short-Season Hillsboro.