Boushley is the 340th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Eau Claire Express alum Caleb Boushley made his Major League debut for the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, September 29, 2023. Boushley is the 340th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Boushley, who played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, played for the Express in 2016. He was drafted by the Padres in the 33rd round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
In 2016 with the Express, Boushley appeared in 10 games and was 8-2 with a 2.95 ERA. He struck out 47 batters in 61.0 innings while walking seven.
Boushley started his professional career in 2017 with the Padres Rookie Level team in the Arizona League. After 10 games he was sent to the Lake Elsinore Storm of the Hi-A California League. Between the two clubs he appeared in 11 games and was 2-2 with a 5.83 ERA. He pitched in 41.2 innings and had 37 strikeouts.
In 2018 Boushley started the season with the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Lo-A Midwest League. After 31 games he was sent back to Lake Elsinore for six games and then finished the season with the El Paso Chihuahuas of the AAA Pacific Coast League. Overall, he was 6-4 in 38 games with a 2.71 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 73.0 innings while only walking 14.
Boushley spent the full 2019 season in Lake Elsinore where he went 5-4 with a 3.61 ERA across 26 games. He struck out 104 batters in 102.1 innings and had one save.
In 2021 Boushley started the season with the San Antonio Missions of the Double-A Central League. After eight games he was sent back to El Paso to finish out the year. Between the two clubs he was a combined 5-11 with a 5.21 ERA in 24 games. He struck out 109 batters in 115.2 innings.
Boushley was selected in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft by the Brewers in December of 2021. He began the 2022 season with the Nashville Sounds of the AAA International League. In 25 games he was 12-2 with a 3.25 ERA and he had 91 strikeouts in 127.1 innings.
Prior to his call-up to the Brewers, Boushley had spent the season in Nashville and was 9-8 with a 5.11 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 135.1 innings. In his Major League debut against the Chicago Cubs, Boushley entered the game in relief and pitched 2.1 innings allowing one run on one hit while striking out five and earning the win.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 340 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
