This week’s Bells in the Bigs stays focused on the Northeast region of the United States where three former Bells play within three big-league organizations.
Ethan Paul was an infielder for the Bells in 2015 and is now listed at a second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Paul arrived at Bellingham late in the 2015 season and into the playoffs. He played eight games and took 19 at-bats, including playoffs.
The Bellevue, Wash., native then played four seasons at Vanderbilt which included three trips to the NCAA regionals, including two super regionals and an NCAA Division 1 championship title in 2019.
He also left his mark by becoming Vanderbilt’s all-time leader in doubles with 64, which still stands today.
After an impressive collegiate career, Paul was selected in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Pirates.
He began his minor league career with the single-A-short-season affiliate of the Pirates, the West Virginia Black Bears. Paul took 125 at-bats over 33 games in 2019.
After no baseball in 2020, Paul resumed play in 2021 with the double-A affiliate Altoona Curve where he played eight games before bumping up to the triple-A affiliated Indianapolis Indians.
Paul batted .205 for the Indians last season in 49 games.
Across Pennsylvania, 2017 Bell, RHP Tristan Garnett is assigned to the single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Garnett appeared in nine games for the Bells in 2017 including four starts and a total of 21.1 innings pitched and a 1-0 record.
He spent his junior and senior collegiate seasons at California State University, San Dominguez Hills. His senior year was 2020 but Garnett signed a minor-league contract as a free agent.
Garnett appeared in seven games for the Florida Coast League (FCL) Phillies in 2021. He started the 2022 season with the single-A affiliated Clearwater Threshers.
RHP Holden Powell was a Bell and West Coast League All-Star in 2017. He tossed 46.1 innings that summer in 10 starts with a 3.69 ERA and 3-4 record.
He spent the 2018 summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and joined the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League in 2019.
He spent three seasons as a UCLA Bruin from 2018-2020 and was selected as the 94th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals.
Powell was first assigned to the FCL Nationals in 2021 where he played three games before moving up to the single-A-long-season affiliate Wilmington Blue Rocks.
Powell is poised to start the 2022 season with the Blue Rocks.
Check back in for our final Bells in the Bigs article next week where we look at the southwest region of the States and three more former Bells.