Weigel Brings Big-League Mindset To Monarchs’ Bullpen

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PHOTO: Jeff Halstead / Tacoma Rainiers

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Patrick Weigel’s competitive mindset propelled him to the major leagues. Now he’s ready to take his talents to the Kansas City Monarchs. 

The former Braves and Brewers right-hander has signed with the American Association team and is set to pitch out of the Monarchs’ bullpen, the club announced Friday. 

“I love competition. That’s why I fell in love with pitching,” Weigel said. “It’s just you and the ball out there, and you’ve got to figure it out.”

The Ventura, California native is the latest former major leaguer to join the Monarchs’ roster. Five big leaguers are set to take the field for Kansas City in 2023. 

 

Weigel (pronounced WHY-gull) said he’d heard “nothing but great things” about the Monarchs, including their success on the field. The club has won three straight division titles, minus the 2020 season where they did not compete due to COVID.

His arsenal features a two-seam fastball and a slider. He’s also introducing a cutter to his repertoire, which he says will help him consistently get ahead in counts.

“I think that’s going to be a big pitch for me going forward,” Weigel said.

The righty is also excited to reunite with a college teammate: Gio Brusa, an AAPB All-Star who re-signed with the Monarchs on March 2. Weigel was teammates with Brusa in 2013 at the University of the Pacific.

 

Weigel spent one year at Pacific before heading to Oxnard College for his sophomore campaign. The Brewers drafted Weigel in the 22nd round out of Oxnard in 2014, but he stayed in college and played his junior year at the University of Houston. He joined the Braves as a seventh-round draft pick in 2015. 

He rose to Triple-A in the Braves’ system in 2017, but an elbow injury cut his season short and claimed most of his 2018 campaign. Weigel was back in Triple-A in 2019, and made his MLB debut with Atlanta in the shortened 2020 season. 

Weigel was traded to Milwaukee in April of 2021, making three appearances for the big club that year. He’s posted nine strikeouts in four major-league games. His career ERA in affiliated baseball sits at 3.67. 

A reliever in college, Weigel started his affiliated career in the rotation before moving back to the bullpen in 2019. He intends to remain a reliever in Kansas City. 

The Monarchs open their season on the road on Friday, May 12. The club’s home opener is set for Friday, May 19. 

About the American Association

The American Association of Professional Baseball played its first season in 2006. It is a professional partner league that is affiliated with Major League Baseball but not specifically with any one team. The league consists of 12 teams located primarily in the Midwest and the South of the United States. Its season runs from May to September and features players who are looking to showcase their talents for a chance to be signed by a major league team.

About the Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. This year, they are celebrating their 20th year of baseball in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. The Monarchs won ten Negro American League championships and two Negro League World Series championships in their history. The team featured numerous notable players over the years, including Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks, and Buck O’Neil.