This political switch comes from deep feelings.
Joanne Ariola, a leader on the NYC Council, has seen her nephew, Joe, drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the recent MLB Draft. Longtime Mets fans, including her, seem to have switched their allegiance.
“I’m changing my hat,” she told the post. “Sorry, but this is in my blood.”
Joe Ariola is a left-handed pitcher, standing at 6’2″ and weighing 190 pounds. He spent three seasons at Wake Forest University and was chosen in the seventh round, landing at the 213th pick overall.
This significantly exceeds his aunt’s salary of $148,500 as a council member.
“He’s like a son to me. It took a lot of hard work and determination to get him where he is, so he’s really special,” she mentioned. “He’s achieved what all little leaguers dream of.”
She also shared an enthusiastic scouting report on her new favorite player. “He pitches left-handed and can throw between 93 and 97 mph, and he also has a great curveball,” she said.
Born in Queens and raised in Malvern, Long Island, Joe has dealt with challenges in his young career.
His freshman year at Chaminade High School was stellar; he surrendered only one run while striking out 80 batters over 34 and two-thirds innings.
High school coach Joseph Caso reflected, “When we first saw him pitch, it was like finding unexpected winning lottery tickets.”
However, Ariola’s sophomore season was wiped out by the Covid-19 pandemic, and he faced Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for his last two high school seasons.
Nonetheless, he had already demonstrated enough talent to earn a scholarship at Wake Forest, a notable baseball program.
During the MLB draft, announcer Jim Karis noted that Ariola had been “too hesitant” with walks at Wake Forest but acknowledged his intriguing potential.
Joe Ariola agreed with the assessment, expressing his excitement about joining the Diamondbacks’ minor league system.
Interestingly, while he had expressed it was “special” to pitch for the former minor league team Trenton Thunder in last month’s MLB Draft League, he wasn’t picked by the Yankees, the team he admired growing up alongside baseball greats like Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter.
“I made three starts and performed well. The coach there was great, really welcoming,” he recalled.
But now, his days of cheering for the Yankees seem to be a thing of the past.
“Getting drafted by the Diamondbacks was definitely an exciting moment,” he said.
