Nick Pivetta Bio
Nicholas John Carlo Pivetta (born February 14, 1993) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 220 pounds, Pivetta throws and bats right-handed and has built his career on a high-velocity fastball. He has previously pitched in the major leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox.
After being selected by the Washington Nationals in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft, Pivetta was traded to Philadelphia during the 2015 season and made his big-league debut in 2017. He joined San Diego on a four-year contract in February 2025, signing a deal worth $55 million that runs through the 2029 season. Over his MLB career he has accumulated a 70–78 win–loss record, a 4.47 earned run average, and 1,353 strikeouts.
Early Life and Background
Nicholas John Carlo Pivetta was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and grew up in the nearby community of Saanich. He attended Lambrick Park Secondary School, where he played baseball but missed his senior pitching season after suffering an ulnar collateral ligament injury in his right elbow. The setback did not stop his development, and he continued to attract attention from scouts throughout his amateur years.
He was a member of the Canadian Junior National Team from 2009 to 2012, pitching for Canada in the 2010 18U World Championship. Pivetta also played youth baseball for the Victoria Eagles of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League and collegiate summer baseball for the Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League. These early experiences against older competition helped shape his command and mound presence before he crossed the border to attend New Mexico Junior College on a baseball scholarship.
Path to Professional Baseball
At New Mexico Junior College, Pivetta pitched for the Thunderbirds and graduated in 2013. In his freshman season he went 4–1 with a 4.83 earned run average in 54 innings, and as a sophomore he improved to 9–2 with a 3.36 ERA, a .235 batting average against, and six complete games. His fastball reached as high as 97 miles per hour, drawing national scouting interest.
Baseball America named him the sixth-best junior college prospect in 2013, while Perfect Game USA ranked him the third-best junior college prospect. The Washington Nationals selected Pivetta in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft out of New Mexico Junior College, and he signed for $364,300. He made his professional debut that summer in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League before finishing the year with the Auburn Doubledays of the Class A New York-Penn League, where he posted a combined 1–1 record and 2.91 ERA.
Nick Pivetta Career
Early Career (2013–2016)
Pivetta spent 2014 with the Class A Hagerstown Suns, earning South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star honors and recording 13 wins, a total that ranked third in the SAL. Baseball America later named him the tenth-best prospect in the Nationals’ minor league system. In 2015 he went 7–4 with a 2.29 ERA for the Class A-Advanced Potomac Nationals and was selected as a Carolina League All-Star.
On July 28, 2015, the Nationals traded Pivetta to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for closer Jonathan Papelbon. In 2016 he was 11–6 with a 3.41 ERA and 111 strikeouts for the Double-A Reading Phillies, and he also appeared in five starts for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The Phillies added him to their 40-man roster after that season, setting the stage for his major-league arrival.
Philadelphia Phillies Breakthrough (2017–2020)
Pivetta made his MLB debut on April 30, 2017, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, after going 5–0 with a 1.41 ERA for Lehigh Valley. As a rookie he went 8–10 with a 6.02 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 133 innings, finishing first among major-league rookies in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.47. He also represented Team Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
In 2018 Pivetta struggled to a 7–14 record with a 4.77 ERA, but he set a career high with 13 strikeouts against St. Louis on June 18 and was fifth in the National League with 10.32 strikeouts per nine innings. By 2019 he was shifted to a relief role in July and finished 4–6 with a 5.38 ERA in 30 appearances. He made only three appearances for Philadelphia in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before being traded.
Boston Red Sox Era (2020–2024)
On August 21, 2020, the Phillies traded Pivetta and Connor Seabold to the Boston Red Sox for Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, and cash considerations. Pivetta joined Boston’s active roster in September 2020 and went on to pitch 5–0 over his first seven starts of 2021. On June 24, 2021, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays before being removed from the game. He finished 2021 at 9–8 with a 4.53 ERA and 175 strikeouts in 155 innings.
He returned to the rotation in 2022 and made 33 starts, going 10–12 with a 4.56 ERA. In 2023, Pivetta was moved to the bullpen on May 17 after struggling to a 6.30 ERA as a starter, and he thrived in long relief, posting a sub-2.00 ERA the rest of the way. On July 17, 2023, he set a Red Sox franchise record with 13 strikeouts in a relief appearance against the Oakland Athletics. In 2024 he went 6–12 with a 4.14 ERA, and on May 30 he tied Roger Clemens’ franchise record by striking out eight consecutive batters. Boston made him a $21.05 million qualifying offer after the season, which he declined.
San Diego Padres Era (2025–Present)
On February 17, 2025, Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the San Diego Padres. In his first season with San Diego, he made 31 starts and went 13–5 with a 2.87 ERA and 190 strikeouts across 181 2/3 innings, setting new career highs in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. His strong 2025 performance established him as a key piece of the Padres’ rotation.
On April 12, 2026, Pivetta exited a start against the Colorado Rockies with what was initially called elbow stiffness. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain and was later transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 2, 2026. He wears number 27 for the Padres.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pivetta relies primarily on a four-seam fastball that averages 96 miles per hour, supported by a curveball and a slider, with a changeup mixed in for variety. Early in his career he leaned on his fastball about 59 percent of the time, complementing it with a breaking ball around 34 percent. His high strikeout rates reflect the strength of that power repertoire.
Notable Events and Milestones
Pivetta’s signature moments include his Phillies rookie strikeout totals, his 13-strikeout relief outing that set a Red Sox franchise record, and his career-best 2025 season with the Padres. He also tied Roger Clemens’ Red Sox record by striking out eight consecutive batters on May 30, 2024. His career-high 13 strikeouts against St. Louis on June 18, 2018, also stand out as a defining early milestone.
Nick Pivetta Career Wins
Nick Pivetta has built a 70–78 career record in MLB with 1,353 strikeouts and a 4.47 ERA, with the majority of his wins coming during his stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox and a career-high 13 wins coming in 2025 with the San Diego Padres. His wins have been concentrated in the starting rotation, though he has also produced results in relief roles.
MLB Highlights
Pivetta’s first major-league win came during his rookie season with Philadelphia in 2017, and he went on to record 8 wins that year. He added 7 more wins in 2018, 4 in 2019, and continued to log wins as a starter and reliever for the Boston Red Sox from 2020 to 2024, including a 9-win season in 2021 and a 10-win season in 2022.
His most recent win total came in 2025, when he went 13–5 for the Padres. The 13 wins marked a new career high and anchored a season in which he also posted a 2.87 ERA and 190 strikeouts.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the major leagues, Pivetta recorded 13 wins for Class A Hagerstown in 2014, 11 wins for Double-A Reading in 2016, and 5 wins for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2017. He was a 2020 World Junior Championship participant and a 2017 World Baseball Classic representative for Team Canada.
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Nick Pivetta Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Pivetta is a Canadian who grew up in Victoria and Saanich, British Columbia. He played youth baseball for the Victoria Eagles and collegiate summer baseball for the Victoria HarbourCats, both staples of the British Columbia baseball community. His early development through local amateur programs was central to his path to professional baseball.
Personal Life
Pivetta was born in Victoria, British Columbia, and later relocated to attend New Mexico Junior College in the United States. He stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. Public information about his personal and family life beyond his Canadian upbringing is limited.
2025 Season Performance
Pivetta’s first season with the San Diego Padres was the strongest of his career. He made 31 starts, going 13–5 with a 2.87 ERA and 190 strikeouts across 181 2/3 innings, setting new personal bests in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. The Padres signed him in February 2025 to anchor their rotation, and he delivered on that role with consistent production throughout the regular season.
His performance placed him among the most effective starting pitchers in the National League and gave San Diego a reliable arm at the top of its rotation. Pivetta’s high strikeout totals and low ERA reflected improved command of his fastball and breaking ball combination.
Pivetta’s 2026 campaign, however, was cut short on April 12 when he exited a start against the Colorado Rockies with right elbow stiffness and was later placed on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 2, 2026. The injury will likely shape his outlook for the remainder of the 2026 season and the early portion of his four-year contract with San Diego.
