Barnett attended Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Georgia,[1] and Auburn University, where he played college baseball for the Auburn Tigers.[2] In 2021, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[3]
The Kansas City Royals selected Barnett in the third round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.[4] He signed with the Royals and spent his first professional season with the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Royals and Single-A Columbia Fireflies. Barnett started 2023 with the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits before his promotion to the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals.[5]
On July 30, 2024, Barnett, Will Klein, and Jared Dickey were acquired by the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Lucas Erceg.[6] He made seven starts down the stretch for the Double-A Midland RockHounds, posting a 4-2 record and 2.61 ERA with 52 strikeouts across 41+1⁄3 innings pitched.
Barnett began the 2025 season with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, compiling a 6-2 record and 6.13 ERA with 124 strikeouts over 119 innings of work. On August 26, 2025, Barnett was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[7] On September 5, Barnett recorded his first career win, allowing four runs and striking out eight across five innings pitched against the Los Angeles Angels.[8]
Barnett was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin the 2026 season.[9]
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