Northville grad Broughton brewing up an inspiring MLB story

Like the cloudless Arizona skies he’s lived under for the past several months, Joey Broughton’s future is bright and sunny.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been at least one ominous storm cloud the 2024 graduate of Northville High School has had to outlast.

Following an unforgettable 2024 that included his vital role as a sweet-swinging first baseman in helping Northville’s baseball team win its first-ever state title, and getting drafted in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Broughton also underwent Tommy John surgery July 2 on his left throwing elbow — a procedure that requires at least a year of arduous rehabilitation.

Which will make this baseball-loving young man’s return to the mound even more compelling.

Key ingredient: hard work

While still months away from unleashing 95-miles-per-hour fastballs again like he did pre-injury, Broughton’s beyond-diligent work habits have put him on a course to take the mound for a Milwaukee minor-league affiliate as soon as this fall.

When Broughton’s parents, Kevin and Shawna, spent a week in Arizona visiting their son earlier this month, it would be an understatement to suggest it was an emotional moment when they first saw Joey wearing a No. 62 Brewers uniform.

“I definitely had a tear in my eye,” reflected Kevin. “It was a surreal moment. Joey has had one goal since he was a little kid: to become a Major League baseball player. There never was a Plan B … it’s been his one mission. So to see him in that uniform, well, it was special.”

After chatting with Joey at the Brewers’ spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona, a Milwaukee coach approached the Broughtons.

Coach’s feel-good compliment

“The coach asked us, ‘Is that your son?’, pointing to Joey,” Kevin said. “He told us Joey is one of the hardest-working kids they’ve ever had. That was a proud-parent moment for us, to say the least.

“We are so fortunate Joey was selected by Milwaukee. It’s a smaller-market team that doesn’t spend millions and millions on free agents. They draft a lot of high school players like Joey and really invest their energies into developing these young players. It’s definitely a first-class organization.”

Just days after Broughton was drafted in mid-July, he flew to Arizona to start on his rehabilitation — a process he said has required hard work and patience.

“I want to be out there so bad throwing as hard as I used to before the injury,” Broughton admitted. “I’m feeling better every day, but I think the patience part of it is as difficult as the physical rehab I’m putting in.

“Putting on my uniform for the first time was amazing because it’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. It’s something I’ve worked toward every day, so to experience it has been very cool.”

Making steady progress

While he probably won’t be able to let it rip 100% until August or September, the hard-throwing lefty’s pitches have been timed at around 77 miles per hour in limited throwing this spring.

“It’s fascinating to see how detailed the organization is with his workouts,” Kevin Broughton said. “They monitor and document every pitch he makes, charting the velocity, movement, everything.”

Joey Broughton said he’s embraced the opportunity to meet many of the Brewers’ Major League players, like Christian Yelich.

“I’ve met them, but I haven’t really gotten to know them real well yet,” he said. “There are veteran pitchers, though, who are going through or have gone through rehab like I am, and they are very helpful, offering me advice and telling me what to expect.”

Win-win decision

Offered a full-ride scholarship by the University of Pittsburgh, Broughton faced somewhat of a life-impacting dilemma once the Brewers drafted him last summer: college or pro.

His son’s decision was made easier, Kevin Broughton revealed, knowing that MLB players who sign out of high school are guaranteed $300,000 ($200,000 for tuition, $100,000 for room and board) to spend on a college education upon their retirement from professional baseball, as long as they use it within two years after hanging up their cleats for the last time.

Broughton is one of two former Mustangs who were drafted by MLB teams last summer. Dante Nori, an ultra-talented outfielder, was the Philadelphia Phillies’ No. 1 selection, setting up a potential Northville-vs.-Northville match-up in an MLB stadium in the coming years.

“That would be very cool,” Broughton said, smiling. “I know we’d both be pretty excited if that came to be.”

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