Nate Garkow, a starting pitcher on the 2018 Pasadena City College baseball team, signed a professional minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last week. He is the first Lancer in 18 years to be signed by a Major League Baseball organization.
Garkow, an All-South Coast Conference North Division First Team selection, hooked on with the Blue Jays after pitching for the Gateway Grizzlies (Sauget, Illinois), an independent pro team in the Frontier League.
In 2023, Garkow was 7-2 in 40 appearances and a 3.80 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 18 walks in 47.1 innings as a Gateway reliever. He was spectacular in the first month of this season as he did not surrender a hit over his first 11 scoreless appearances spanning 9.2 innings from the start of the year until June 12.
Over 17 total appearances, the right-hander was 3-0 this season with a 1.72 ERA, using a devastating changeup to strike out an impressive 37 batters, with just four hits allowed in 15.2 innings.
During his one season under head coach Pat McGee in '18, Garkow led the Lancers in strikeouts (73) and saves (three) in 75 innings, posting a 6-6 overall record and 3.96 ERA. He helped PCC advance to the SoCal Playoffs for the second of now six straight complete seasons the program has reached the postseason.
Garkow went on to pitch and continue his education at NCAA Division II Point Loma Nazarene University (San Diego) from 2019-2022. He was an All-PacWest Conference Third Team selection as a sophomore.
Garkow is the first Lancer since Raul Barron, a 30th round draft choice from the 2006 team, to sign with a MLB club, ironically also a pitcher in the Blue Jays' organization. Barron played five seasons with Toronto affliates and is still active professionally at age 38 in the Mexican League for Tigres de Quintana Roo. Barron is also the last Lancer player to be selected directly from PCC in the MLB Rookie Draft.
The last PCC alumnus to play in MLB was relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler (2003 Lancers), a 12-year veteran for Milwaukee, Minnesota, Washington, Chicago (Cubs), Miami, and Philadelphia from 2010-2021. Kintzler was an All-Star with the Twins in 2017.
