New Zealand baseball player Elliot Johnstone has signed a professional contract with the New York Mets and will link up with the team later this week.
Pitcher Elliot Johnstone is chasing his dreams of playing professional baseball in America. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 22-year-old Diamondblacks and Auckland Tuatara player said signing contract was "living out my dream".
"It has been a life-long dream of mine to play professional baseball and it is surreal to think all these years of hard work have led to this moment.
"I am very grateful to the New York Mets for the opportunity that they have given me and I will do everything I can to succeed."
Johnstone impressed in the Australian Baseball League, picking up the Rookie of the Year for the 2019-20 season.
He was close to a deal that off-season with some Major League clubs looking at him just as the Covid-19 pandemic shut the Minor League season down.
Mets scout Conor Brooks was responsible for signing Johnstone having received a glowing endorsement from former Mets player DJ Carrasco, who has coached the Johnstone with New Zealand national sides and as pitching coach for the Tuatara.
"I think Elliot has a strong head on his shoulders. He is a mature kid with a good physical build," Brooks said.
"He has somewhat of a unique delivery, that creates deception and he has natural late life on all his pitches.
"There is a lot to work with and he should be able to help us very soon."
Johnstone joins fellow New Zealand pitchers Kyle Glogoski (Philadelphia Phillies) and Ben Thompson (Atlanta Braves) in the minor leagues.
Coming from a baseball family, his older brothers have also represented New Zealand, Johnstone's whole life has been on the diamond.
Baseball New Zealand chief executive John Fellet, who coached Johnstone in his formative years, was delighted to see him earn a contract with such a world-renowned ballclub.
"The New York Mets are one of the most well-known sporting organisations on the planet and it will be great for the sport back here to follow one of our own."
Johnstone will fly out to the United States this week and will spend the next few months with the Mets' rookie ball team.