Nathan Wiles Bio
Nathan Daniel Wiles (born July 2, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher who most recently signed with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League. A right-handed pitcher, Wiles has built his career through the minor league systems of the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves organizations before reaching Major League Baseball and then moving abroad. He currently wears number 34 for the Heroes and is recognized for his perseverance through injury and a steady climb back to the highest levels of the sport.
Early Life and Background
Nathan Daniel Wiles was born on July 2, 1998, in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. Growing up in the Midwest, Wiles developed an early interest in baseball and spent his formative years training and competing in local and regional circuits. The area’s strong baseball culture helped shape his development as a young pitcher and laid the foundation for his future in the sport.
Wiles comes from a family with deep ties to professional baseball. His older brother, Collin Wiles, was a first-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in the 2012 MLB draft and went on to make his Major League debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2022. Watching a sibling pursue a professional career provided Wiles with both motivation and a clear understanding of the path required to reach the highest level of the game.
Path to Baseball
Wiles continued his playing career at the University of Oklahoma, where he competed in college baseball and refined his skills as a starting pitcher. During the summer of 2018, he gained valuable experience by playing collegiate summer baseball with the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the most respected amateur leagues in the United States.
His performance at Oklahoma and on Cape Cod drew the attention of professional scouts. In the 2019 MLB Draft, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Wiles in the eighth round with the 248th overall pick, formally launching his professional career.
Nathan Wiles Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Wiles made his professional debut with the Low-A Hudson Valley Renegades, the Rays’ lowest full-season affiliate. In 14 appearances that included seven starts, he posted a 3–0 record, a 3.06 earned run average, and 39 strikeouts, demonstrating immediate command and poise on the mound.
The 2020 minor league season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing Wiles from appearing in any official games that year. Despite the lost development time, the Rays remained committed to his progression as a starting pitcher within their system.
Tampa Bay Rays Organization (2019–2024)
Wiles encountered his first major setback in March 2021, when he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2021 season. He returned to action in 2022, splitting the year between the High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Triple-A Durham Bulls. Across 24 appearances and 23 starts, he recorded a 2–3 record with a 4.70 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 92 innings.
In 2023, Wiles bounced between Durham and the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits, posting an 8–3 record with a 5.38 ERA and 96 strikeouts across 110 and one-third innings in 27 games. The following year, he made 35 appearances with 11 starts for Triple-A Durham, finishing 6–3 with a 5.54 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 87 and two-thirds innings. His steady presence at Triple-A positioned him for an eventual major league opportunity.
Atlanta Braves Era (2025)
On March 21, 2025, the Rays traded Wiles to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations, and he was assigned to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers to begin the year. He opened strongly at Gwinnett, posting a 0.64 ERA with 15 strikeouts over his first three starts, earning a quick promotion to the major leagues.
On April 22, 2025, Wiles was called up to the majors for the first time. That same day, he made his MLB debut in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing three earned runs and recording his first career strikeout. The Braves released him on November 4, 2025, concluding his brief major league tenure with the organization.
Notable Events and Milestones
Wiles’s major league debut on April 22, 2025, marked the culmination of a six-year journey through the minors that included Tommy John surgery and a cancelled 2020 season. Reaching the majors alongside a brother who had done the same served as a defining milestone in the Wiles baseball family story.
Nathan Wiles Career Wins
Across his time in the Rays and Braves minor league systems, Wiles compiled a strong win-loss record highlighted by his undefeated 2019 debut season and an 8–3 campaign in 2023. His MLB statistics are limited to his 2025 appearance with Atlanta, where he was credited with a 0–0 record, a 27.00 ERA, and one strikeout in a brief relief outing.
Minor League Highlights
Wiles recorded his first professional wins with the Hudson Valley Renegades in 2019, going 3–0 in his debut year. He added eight wins in 2023 across Double-A and Triple-A, his highest single-season total in the minors, and six more wins in 2024 at Triple-A Durham.
Other Performances
Beyond the Rays and Braves systems, Wiles gained recognition in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2018 and during his college tenure with the Oklahoma Sooners, both of which helped establish his professional pedigree.
Nathan Wiles Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
The Wiles family is a notable baseball family rooted in Overland Park, Kansas. Nathan’s older brother, Collin Wiles, was selected in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers and reached the majors with the Oakland Athletics in 2022, making the Wiles siblings one of the few brother pairs from the Kansas City area to both play professional baseball at the highest level.
Personal Life
Wiles continues to pursue his professional career internationally after being released by the Braves in November 2025. On December 16, 2025, he signed a one-year, $910,000 contract with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League, beginning a new chapter of his career in South Korea.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Wiles’s long-awaited arrival in Major League Baseball. After being traded to Atlanta in March, he impressed at Triple-A Gwinnett with a 0.64 ERA over his first three starts, prompting a quick promotion. His MLB debut on April 22, 2025, against the St. Louis Cardinals was brief, as he surrendered three earned runs in the ninth inning while recording his first career strikeout.
Wiles spent the rest of the year navigating between the majors and Triple-A as the Braves evaluated their pitching depth. Following the conclusion of the season, Atlanta released him on November 4, freeing him to explore opportunities overseas. Just over a month later, Wiles agreed to a one-year deal with the Kiwoom Heroes, signaling his intent to continue pitching at a high level and rebuild his career in the KBO League.