Former Kelowna Falcon pitcher selected in Major League Baseball draft
Naess went 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA in seven appearances for Kelowna before posting a 22-8 record at Cal Poly.
- On July 12, pitcher Griffin Naess was selected in the 15th round by the Chicago Cubs in the 2026 MLB Draft, chosen 457th overall after playing for the Kelowna Falcons.
- The 21-year-old Laguna Beach native pitched for the Falcons during the 2023 season immediately after finishing high school, then attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California.
- With the Falcons, Naess posted a 2-1 record with 1.69 ERA over 16 innings across seven appearances, striking out nine as a 6-foot-6 right-handed reliever; at Cal Poly he compiled 22-8 with 3.89 ERA over 259 innings.
- Naess ends a four-year drought for Falcons players in the MLB Draft, the last being pitcher Zach Jacobs selected by Cleveland Guardians in the 18th round in 2022, joining notable alumni including James Paxton, Phil Maton, Ryan Tepera and Wyatt Mills.
- The Falcons' track record extends to James Paxton, the organization's highest draft pick at 37th overall by Toronto Blue Jays in 2009, establishing the Falcons as a recognized pipeline to professional baseball.
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Smithers Interior News
Former Kelowna Falcons player drafted to the MLB
A former baseball player for the Kelowna Falcons was selected in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft (MLB). Pitcher Griffin Naess was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round, 457th overall, on July 12. The 21-year-old pitched for the Falcons during the 2023 season before taking the mound for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo out of California. According to Baseball Reference, the pitcher played seven games for the Falcons, including one start. I…
Former Kelowna Falcon pitcher selected in Major League Baseball draft
A former pitcher with the West Coast League's Kelowna Falcons was selected in this year's major league baseball draft. Griffin Naess was selected in the fifteenth round by the Chicago Cubs. He was one of 48 players who suited up for summer ball in the West Coast League to be selected in the MLB draf...
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