Field of dreams: Kiwi pitcher gets an opportunity with New York

Kiwi pitcher Elliot Johnstone is taking his baseball career to the next level.

After impressing scouts during the 2019-20 Australian Baseball League season with the Auckland Tuatara, the 22-year-old has agreed to a deal with the New York Mets.

Johnstone will fly out to the States in the coming days to join the franchise at their spring training facility in Port St Lucie, Florida where his journey toward the biggest stage in baseball will officially begin.

“It’s always been a childhood dream of mine to go to play professional baseball with an MLB organisation,” Johnstone told the Herald.

“That’s what I said to my family once they found out I’d been offered the contract; it feels surreal. It’s one of those things you always dream of, and now it’s been placed in front of me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to take my baseball to the next step.”

The Mets caught on to the 2019-20 ABL rookie of the year through Tuatara pitching coach DJ Carrasco. A former MLB pitcher who spent the last two of his eight years in the majors with the New York franchise and now working as a pitching coach within the organisation, Carrasco suggested they take a look at the young Aucklander, who honed his craft with the Howick-pakuranga club in the local league.

“He took my name to the front office, they expressed some interest and that got the ball rolling,” Johnstone explained. “Since then, the Mets have been following my progress. Around mid-september last year I unfortunately had an injury pop up. They followed me through that process and we’ve gotten to where we are today — they’ve offered me a contract to further my baseball career.”

Johnstone is the third player to be picked up be an MLB franchise following his performances for the Tuatara, and the first homegrown talent. After the club’s inaugural ABL season, Canadian relief pitcher Brandon Marklund was signed by the Kansas City Royals, while the Oakland Athletics picked up American starting pitcher Jared Koenig midway through the 2019-20 campaign.

Johnstone said it was proof of the importance of a professional team in New Zealand, and he was an example of alternative pathways to make a career in the sport.

“I think it’s going to open some eyes,” Johnstone said.

“Hopefully, with a lot of young kids, it shows them there is a route to go somewhere in baseball. I think with the Tuatara being involved with the Australian Baseball League, that’s going to have a huge impact; just having a professional team in our own backyard just like the Breakers or the Wellington Phoenix or the Warriors.

“I think it’s huge for baseball in New Zealand and hopefully it inspires some younger kids to carry on playing baseball and shows them you don’t have to go to college to make a career out of baseball.”

Once he lands in Florida, Johnstone will begin the long road to the majors. After going through all the necessary physical and medical tests, he will pitch for the staff both in an empty bullpen and again with hitters so the club can get an understanding of what they have in the young Kiwi, before starting his minor league career in low A by the end of the year.