Nelson has shot at D-Backs rotation
When right-hander Ryne Nelson looked in for the sign, he was pretty sure he saw just one finger. It soon became clear his catcher had not called for a fastball.
His catcher got crossed up, the ball caromed away and a runner from third scored the game-winning run. Nelson and his Oregon teammates could only watch as Washington State celebrated near home plate.
There was a reason Nelson thought he saw something that wasn’t there: He has keratoconus, a rare disease that affects the cornea, the outermost layer on the eye, causing it to become thin and misshapen. The way Nelson describes it, instead of being rounded and smooth, his cornea comes to a point.
The issue caused him trouble in college — and even after undergoing eye surgery three years ago, his vision still is not perfect — but it also played a part in getting him to where he is today. His vision problems likely brought an early end to his days as a shortstop, thus accelerating his timetable as a pitcher, a role in which he now thrives.
Nelson, 25, enters spring training as a leading candidate to claim the Diamondbacks’ open rotation spot. Multiple publications have him ranked among baseball’s Top 100 prospects.
Last year, he reached the majors for the first time, turning in a brief but impressive run that included a combined 13 scoreless innings in his first two starts.
Lightly recruited out of high school in Henderson, Nev., Nelson landed at Oregon, where he spent two years splitting time between pitching and playing shortstop. Scouts considered him a stellar athlete and a good defender, but he was never able to hit.
Nelson admits there could be a simple reason for this: He wasn’t good enough. But it was also in college when his vision began to falter, making it harder for him to recognize spin and put the bat on the ball.