Professional Career
Wright was drafted out of high school by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round (10th pick overall) of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft. Following the draft, Wright began his professional career with the Burlington Indians, the team's rookie league affiliate in the Appalachian League. The 18 year-old started in four games and had a 5.40 ERA.
For 1995, Wright progressed to the Class A Columbus RedStixx in the South Atlantic League, where he went 5-6 with a 3.00 ERA in 24 games. In 1996, he moved up to the Kinston Indians, the team's "High-A" affiliate in the Carolina League. He went 7-4 in 19 starts, with a 2.50 ERA. Baseball America rated Wright as its #22 prospect and was regularly mentioned by the Cleveland front office as one of the organization's top prospects.
The following year, 1997, was a breakout season for Wright. He started with the Akron Aeros, the Double-A in the Eastern League, where he went 3-3 with a 3.67 ERA. He was quickly promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, going 4-1 in 7 starts and sported an impressive 1.80 ERA. On June 3, he pitched a 7-inning, 2-hit shutout against the Indianapolis Indians. That earned Wright a promotion to the big club when a spot opened up.
Read more about this topic: Jaret Wright
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