Bywater began last year with the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League, posting an 8-4 record with a 2.36 ERA (fifth best in the league), three complete games and one shutout over 16 starts. He also finished second in the league in strikeouts (123) against just 32 walks over 107 innings pitched.

Bywater was signed at the end of the 2015 season by the Atlanta Braves organization and placed in High-A Carolina. There, he earned two wins over five starts with 27 strikeouts in 24.2 innings of work.

The former Thousand Oaks, California native pitched with the Miners in 2014 as well, posting a near-identical line to his 2015 production: 8-4 with a 2.37 ERA and 114 strikeouts over a league-high 129.1 innings pitched. His ERA and strikeout totals each ranked third in the league, respectively.

Bywater spent the first three years of his professional baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles after he was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. The Pepperdine University alum reached as high as Double-A Bowie in the Orioles organization in 2012.

The 26-year old owns a 23-20 record with a 3.07 ERA, 420 strikeouts and four complete games over 93 appearances (68 starts) in his five-year minor league career.