Days after daunting diagnosis, resilient Broughton drafted by Brewers

The past few months have resembled a wild roller-coaster ride for Northville High School senior Joey Broughton, who has experienced exhilarating highs, dispiriting lows and every imaginable emotion in between.

Throughout it all, he has maintained a steadfast faith that everything would turn out well — and his faith has been rewarded.

Early this year, while displaying his pitching skills at a Chicago-based showcase event, the left-handed 6-foot-2 flame-thrower lit up Major League Baseball scouts’ JUGS guns with pitches that reached 95 miles per hour.

“There were about 150 scouts there,” Broughton estimated. “To see 95 on the gun was pretty awesome because just a year earlier, I was topping out in the 80-to-85 (miles per hour) range.”

 Perilous ‘pop’

Just weeks after the showcase, while prepping for the 2024 high school season, Broughton felt a pop in his left elbow, which led to extensive testing.

“The first MRI showed I had a partially torn UCL (ulnar collateral ligament),” revealed Broughton, who, because of the injury, didn’t throw a single pitch during the Mustangs’ state championship season.

While unable to contribute on the mound, Broughton thrived as a first baseman/No. 2 hitter for the state champion Mustangs once he returned to the field mid-way through the season — and he was pitching on the side with no pain.

“Right after the state championship game (June 15), Major League Baseball teams asked me to undergo another MRI because of what I’d been through,” Broughton explained. “That MRI showed my UCL was fully torn.

“I’m not sure if the first MRI missed something or if I did something to make it worse (since early-March).”

Successful surgery

Broughton underwent a 45-minute “Tommy John” surgery on his left elbow on July 2, just days before the 2024 MLB Draft — a procedure that certainly caused his draft stock to fall.

But he didn’t panic.

“I don’t even like to focus on what could have happened had I not suffered the injury,” Broughton admitted. “I just tried to stay optimistic considering the cards I’ve been dealt, and I think I’ve done a decent job of staying positive.

“Ultimately, I’m grateful for how everything turned out.”

Love from the ‘Brew Crew’

On Tuesday, while following the third day of the MLB Draft on his iPhone, a lifelong dream became reality when Broughton saw his name pop up as the 13th-round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I was sitting in our living room with my mom when it happened,” Broughton reflected. “My immediate reaction was I was super-excited. My emotions were all over the place.

“I had dreamed about getting drafted since I was like 2 years old. When teachers in elementary school would ask the class what we wanted to be when we grew up, I always said, ‘Be a baseball player’.”

Broughton credited diligent work in the weight room for his meteoric ascension to reach MLB scouts’ radar.

“I made a huge jump in (velocity) last summer to this winter,” he said. “I did really well at the showcase events I attended.”

The ride’s not over

Broughton’s 2024 rollercoaster ride is not yet over.

As he embarks on a 12-to-14-month recovery period in the wake of his UCL surgery, Broughton must decide by Aug. 1 whether he will sign a professional contract with the Brewers, or pursue academics and pitch for the University of Pittsburgh, for whom he signed a National Letter of Intent.

“I still have some things to work out with the Brewers and Pitt,” he said. “With my family’s help, I’m confident I’ll make a decision that will be the best for my future.”

If he foregoes an MLB contract with Milwaukee, Broughton will be eligible to be drafted again by any of the 30 MLB teams after his junior season at Pitt.

“Getting drafted has been such an amazing experience,” he said. “Right after it happened, my phone blew up with calls and texts.

“My family (parents Kevin and Shawna) and friends are as excited as I am. My dad is a huge baseball fan (and the announcer for Northville’s home baseball games) and he just thinks it’s crazy how everything has worked out. I’m just thankful that I have options. It’s a win-win.”

Fitting choice for college major

If he chooses the collegiate route, Broughton said he will study toward a degree in exercise science — a decision he made before his injury.

“I want to someday have a job that includes helping athletes maintain their health,” he said.  “It’s been a tough few months, especially sitting on the bench and recovering while my teammates were playing, but I think I’m stronger mentally as a result.”

What advice would Broughton offer a young athlete whose dreams of playing at the next level have been temporarily sidetracked by an injury?

“I’d tell them to hang in there, work hard at your physical therapy and never lose your faith,” he said.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.