May 25, 2023 4 min read

Much of what you need to know about Wild Things shortstop Nick Gotta is the guys loves to play baseball. That’s why he has spent six seasons playing at the independent level of pro ball.

Washington is the sixth stop for Gotta, a San Diego native, who has played in the Pecos League, Can-Am League and American Association. This is his first stop in the Frontier League. Gotta played the last two years for Sioux Falls in the American Association. He hit .251 in 75 games with the Canaries last season.

Gotta was looking for a better playing opportunity last offseason, and Washington manager Tom Vaeth was searching for a new shortstop, one with pro experience. Gotta drove from San Diego to Palm Springs and met Vaeth while the latter as managing in the California Winter League and they worked out a contract for 2023.

“Tom called me,” Gotta recalled. “I knew right away that it was the perfect fit. They had the talent here to win it all, and he is all about doing things the right way.

“I’ll try to do whatever I can to help the team win – try to get on base any way possible and play good defense. I can run a little and have a little gap power.”

Gotta has a tough act to follow. Nick Ward was Washington’s shortstop a year ago and was a Frontier League MVP candidate until a late-season injury. Ward is currently playing at Class A Jersey Shore in the Philadelphia Phillies system. Ward batted .349 with 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases.

“I’ve heard some people making comparisons,” Gotta said, “but I have to be the best version of myself.”

Gotta was batting .302 entering Thursday night’s series finale against the Florence Y’alls that did not end in time to be included in this edition. He has three doubles, a triple and three stolen bases in 10 games.

“Nick’s the type of guy who is going to grind out at-bats and draw walks from the leadoff spot,” Vaeth said.

He’s also the type of guy who loves baseball so much he’s play for free. He almost did as much when he started his pro career in 2017 after playing college ball at Northwest Missouri State. Gotta’s first pro stop was with Sante Fe in the Pecos League. His salary was $50 per week. And in the Pecos League, players have to find their own transportation to road games, which could be a couple of states away.

So how much longer will the 30-year-old Gotta be willing to play independent ball?

“I don’t put too much of a time frame on it,” he said. “In independent ball, you have to take it one day at a time and hope you get picked up like Nick Ward did. In independent ball, you have to focus on where your feet are.”

Movin’ on

There are nine former Wild Things currently in the affiliated minor leagues. That is an all-time high for Washington. The nine are pitcher Sean Kealey (Class AA – St. Louis), pitcher Austin Kitchen (AA – Colorado), pitcher James Meeker (AA – Milwaukee), pitcher Spencer Bivens (A – San Francisco), pitcher Ryan Hennan (A – Baltimore), pitcher John Murphy (A – Cincinnati), pitcher Jake Pilarski (A – Los Angeles Dodgers), infielder Nick Ward (A – Philadelphia) and outfielder Turner Hill (Rookie – San Francisco). Ward and Pilarski played for the Wild Things last season.

Washington would have had a 10th player in affiliated ball but Joe Campagna, an infielder who played in Washington in 2021, retired last month from the Colorado Rockies’ farm system. That was a few weeks before Hill was signed by San Francisco during the Wild Things’ spring training.

Up next

The Wild Things begin a three-game series at home tonight against the Tri-City ValleyCats. Spencer Johnston (1-0, 1.80) will pitch for Washington.