Range Riders star pitcher Bothwell signed by Nationals
Daily Inter Lake | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 2 hours, 36 minutes AGO
Ty Bothwell, who had a record-breaking season with the Pioneer League Glacier Range Riders in 2025, has signed with the Washington Nationals of the National League, the Range Riders announced Tuesday.
Bothwell, who twice was Pioneer League pitcher of the week last season and set a league’s modern-day record for single-season strikeouts with 130, is the ninth Range Rider to sign with a Major League team.
Bothwell came to Glacier in 2024, making his professional debut on Aug. 25 of that season. His next appearance he fanned 11 in 5 2/3 innings against Billings, and threw five shutout innings in a start during the PBL championship series.
He fronted the Range Riders’ rotation last summer. He went 4-6 with a 5.40 earned-run average in 105 innings.
“Ty earned every bit of this opportunity,” Range Riders manager Todd Pratt said in a release from the club. “From the day he arrived he showed the work ethic, competitiveness and maturity you want in a professional pitcher.”
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training for Major League Baseball Feb. 10-12. Washington trains in Palm Beach, Florida.
Logan VanWey, who threw the first pitch in Range Riders history in 2022, became the first Range Rider to make the Majors when he pitched two innings for the Houston Astros on April 11 of last year. He was signed by the Astros in July of 2022.
The Range Riders begin their 2026 season on the road against the Billings Mustangs; their home opener is set for May 26 against the Great Falls Voyagers.