This Braden River High School grad is playing in the MLB 2025 World Series
Manatee County residents might have a rooting interest when the World Series starts Friday.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw is a Braden River High School alum. He’s played in nine of the Jays’ 11 playoff games this season as a role player coming off the bench.
Straw is 2-for-9 this postseason, delivering an RBI single in the deciding Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.
Now he’s part of a Blue Jays team making their first Fall Classic appearance since 1993. Game 1 of the World Series is Friday in Toronto. The Blue Jays face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers are attempting to become the first team since the 1998-2000 Yankees to repeat as World Series champions.
Bradenton connections in World Series
Another Manatee County connection with this year’s World Series is Blue Jays bullpen coach Graham Johnson, who lives in Bradenton.
He’s in his first season with the Blue Jays. He was hired in December after spending the past three seasons as the pitching coach of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate.
On the field, Straw is Toronto’s “glue guy” or player that holds the team together without the flashy stats or star power, according to Sportsnet.
Straw’s career has seen its ebbs and flow, even as far back as high school baseball. He was cut as a freshman, but worked to become a varsity starter as a sophomore and was a JUCO walk-on at St. Johns River State College in Palatka, according to The Athletic.
Straw earned a scholarship in his sophomore year at St. Johns River State College, where he led the team with a .413 batting average, .472 on base percentage and 85 hits.
That led to the Houston Astros selecting him in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Straw made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Astros. They traded him in 2021 to the Cleveland Guardians. Straw won a Gold Glove in 2022, but found himself in the minors for the majority of the 2024 season. The Blue Jays traded for him in January, and Straw earned a roster spot in spring training.
Now he’s on a World Series team.
Game 1 is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start on Friday and is televised nationally on FOX.
