Former Alabama star Andrew Pinckney called up by Washington Nationals
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Former Alabama standout Andrew Pinckney is getting his shot at the big-league level with the Washington Nationals.
Washington selected the outfielder’s contract on Tuesday while placing All-Star outfielder James Wood on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. While Wood heads to the IL, Pinckney heads to the majors, with Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni making the announcement.
Pinckney isn’t just a former Crimson Tide standout. He’s also a native of Tuscaloosa, and Wood’s injury created a spot on Tuesday for the 25-year-old to make an impact at the major-league level. He was selected by the Nats in the fourth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft. Pinckney has shown major flashes of potential after being drafted, leading all Nationals minor leaguers in home runs (45), hits (397), total bases (597) and runs scored (242) while tying for second in RBI (186) and third in batting average (.271), on-base percentage (.347), slugging (.407), OPS (.754), walks (141) and stolen bases (89).
This season in the minors was no different for Pinckney, who was excelling for Triple-A Rochester (N.Y.), so when Wood went down it was Pinckney who got the call up. He was hitting .271 with 11 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, 37 walks, 18 stolen bases and 63 runs scored in 94 games for Rochester this season.
Pinckney has been recognized for his brilliance at the minor-league level, too, being named the Nationals Way award winner in 2025 as the Nats’ minor leaguer player “who best demonstrates the professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passion, selflessness, determination and work ethic required to play the game the ‘Washington Nationals Way.'”
He set career marks in nearly every offensive category on the way to winning the award.
On Tuesday, Pinckney got the most special call of all.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
