Wantz made his professional debut with the rookie-level Orem Owlz. He also played for the Single-A Burlington Bees,pitching to a cumulative 1–2 record and 2.74 ERA in 18 games. In 2019,Wantz split the season the High-A Inland Empire 66ers and the Double-A Mobile BayBears,posting a 5–9 record and 5.34 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 96 innings of work.[6]
Wantz did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] He was assigned to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees to begin the 2021 season,where he recorded a 2.10 ERA in 8 appearances.
On July 3,2021,Wantz was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[8] He made his MLB debut the following day,pitching 1+1⁄3 innings of relief against the Baltimore Orioles.
On April 19, 2022, the Angels recalled Wantz from Triple-A Salt Lake and added him to the active roster.[9] Wantz made his first major league starting appearance on June 27, at the last minute as an opener,[10] but was ejected for the first time in his career after one pitch in the second inning (and twelve pitches total), which hitSeattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker, triggering a bench-clearing brawl which resulted in six players and both team managers being ejected, including Wantz and Winker.[11] Wantz threw a pitch behind the head of the second batter of the game, Julio Rodríguez, in the first inning.[12] The day after, Wantz was suspended three games by Major League Baseball, with his manager Phil Nevin receiving a ten-game suspension for ordering a beanball despite both teams being warned not to.[13] He ultimately pitched in 42 contests for the Angels in 2022, logging a 3.22 ERA with 52 strikeouts.
In 2023, Wantz made 27 appearances for Los Angeles, registering a 3.89 ERA with 33 strikeouts across 39+1⁄3 innings of work.[14] He was optioned to Triple–A Salt Lake to begin the 2024 season.[15] Wantz made only one appearances for the Angels before he was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation on July 2.[16] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list three days later.[17] Wantz was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Salt Lake on October 24.[18] He elected free agency following the season on November 4.[19]
Tampa Bay Rays
On January 2, 2025, Wantz signed a two-year minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.[20]
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