After just 13 months in the Pioneer Baseball League’s player development independent league, Brock Gillis of the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds is making the jump into an MLB-affiliated organization, it was officially unveiled on Monday by the league office.
Gillis, a right-handed pitcher formerly of the University of Washington and the University of Portland, had his contract purchased by the Washington Nationals. After college, Gillis was drafted 1st overall by the Grand Junction Jackalopes at a PBL open tryout camp just over a year ago.
Washington is in San Francisco tonight to take on the Giants at 6:45 p.m. on NBCSBA.
In Colorado in 2025, Gillis struck out 83 hitters in 63.0 innings in over 40 appearances. In Yuba-Sutter, Gillis moved into a starting role and posted a 4.50 ERA through three starts. Over 16.0 innings with the Freebirds, he allowed 14 hits while fanning 23 batters as one of the best strikeout arms in the PBL.
The MLB has acquired over 90 player contracts from the PBL over the past five years, according to a statement from the league. In the past year alone, three former PBL pitchers have made MLB debuts, making the PBL a premier location for developing professional pitching talent, the league stated.
Gillis joins three others from the league to have their contracts purchased by MLB-affiliated teams: Ben Wilmes with the Colorado Rockies; Gillis with the Washington Nationals, Jake Covey with the Minnesota Twins, and Gabe Tanner with the Chicago White Sox.