Canby baseball alumnus Joey Gartrell drafted to MLB

From a small-town boy to the big leagues.

Joey Gartrell, a 2021 Canby High School graduate, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 15th round with the 447th selection of the MLB Draft on Tuesday, June 16. Gartrell, who just finished his junior season suiting up for the University of Portland, started four games for the Pilots before being sidelined with a season-ending arm injury.

He went 2-2 and recorded 23 strikeouts across 20.2 innings, boasting a 5.23 ERA. Gartrell is the 69th Pilot to be drafted all-time and 10th under head coach Geoff Loomis.

"(Gartrell) is a big-time strike thrower with the ability to miss barrels," Loomis said in a press release. "I wish we could have seen (him) at full strength this year but getting drafted under these circumstances shows what type of potential he has at the MLB level."

In his sophomore season in 2023, Gartrell finished 5-5 with a 5.70 ERA, striking out 66 in a team-high 78.1 innings pitched. He earned All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team honors in 2022 after finishing 4-1 with a 4.46 ERA.