Kailua’s Joey Cantillo called up to MLB by Cleveland Guardians

Kailua alumnus Joey Cantillo has been called up to the major leagues for the first time.

On Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians announced they were calling Cantillo up the Triple-A Columbus Clippers to the big league club, which is currently playing a road series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Cantillo was selected in the 16th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, signing out of Kailua High School and going pro immediately, bypassing a National Letter of Intent he signed with the University of Kentucky.

Cantillo has been with the Guardians organization since a trade brought him there in 2020. He has pitched in virtually every level in the minor leagues, amassing a career record of 25-18 with an ERA of 3.03, striking out 514 over 392 innings.

Despite his eight seasons of professional baseball before reaching the MLB level, Cantillo is still only 24 years old.