'Put me in the right direction': From Auckland Tuatara to MLB World Series champion

Things might have turned out very differently for Jared Koenig had he decided not to play baseball in New Zealand.

The 32-year-old southpaw pitcher has walked a unique path in his professional baseball career, but one that has led him to the biggest prize in the sport – a World Series championship.

Koenig has spent the last three seasons with Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers, who made good on the promise they had shown over the past few years to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

The American joined the now-extinct Tuatara baseball team for their second campaign in the Australian Baseball League, signing with the franchise as a starting pitcher for the 2019-20 season.

At the time, Koenig had been playing in the American independent leagues after being drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2014 but not signing.

Koenig made just six appearances for the Tuatara before being scouted and signed by the Oakland Athletics, eventually earning his MLB debut with the team in 2022.

In the years since, he spent a brief period on a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres, before settling in as a bona fide MLB talent with the Brewers.

Reflecting on his journey in the sport, Koenig said the decision to join the Tuatara turned out to be a crucial one in his career.

Jared Koenig played for the Auckland Tuatara in the 2019-20 Australian Baseball League season. Photo / Photosport

“I was able to get noticed by [Athletics scout] Dan Betreen and that was able to get me signed to an affiliate club, which I hadn’t done and hadn’t had the opportunity for,” Koenig told the Herald.

“So, yeah, me going there definitely put me in the right direction in terms of someone seeing me to hopefully want me and add me to their organisation. It did that, which was awesome.”

While he ends this season as part of the World Series-winning franchise, a disrupted year saw him fall down the depth chart with the Brewers and he watched the World Series unfold from home.

Despite not playing in the World Series, Koenig did feature in MLB for the Brewers this year and is expected to receive a ring as he contributed to a championship-winning team.

There are no set rules on who gets a championship ring and it comes down to the discretion of the owner, but almost always, any player who suited up in at least one MLB game for the team will receive a championship ring.

“Obviously, I would have liked to have been there and playing, but to be a part of that team and everything is still a fortunate blessing to have,” Koenig said.

“It’s still awesome. Like, you get to be a part of that. That’s every kid’s dream. Obviously, you want to be one playing on that team when you get the chance, but I mean, I contributed over the last three years to the team and did a lot for them, and so I think I did my part to help build that and help that team reach that goal in the long run.”

Overall, the season was a challenging one for Koenig. An elbow injury saw him sidelined in April and, while he made his MLB return in late June, he was ultimately sent down to Nashville Sounds – the Brewers’ Triple-A minor league affiliate – where he finished the season.

“They didn’t keep me around for the playoffs, which was frustrating in itself, but it is what it is, and that’s the business side of the game,” Koenig said.

Jared Koenig spent the last three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. Photo / AFP

“But watching from [home], it was fun to watch and see them go out there and compete.

“I was pulling for my bullpen guys to be dominant, and they did exactly that. They dominated to basically win most of those games for the teams ... especially the close games when the hitters were finding a way to scratch across a couple runs, which they did when it mattered especially.”

Koenig’s season ended on a note of uncertainty, with the Brewers outrighting him to their Nashville affiliate.

It is an option teams can make to free up space on the 40-man MLB roster, though it leaves the player available on waivers for 48 hours for any other team in the league to make a claim for.

Having cleared waivers, perhaps surprisingly given the impact he made for the Brewers in the two previous seasons, Koenig opted to enter free agency, likely ending his time with the Milwaukee franchise as he seeks an MLB opportunity elsewhere.

“It’s disappointing to have it end that way,” he said.

“You’d like to go out and do well for the team and everything, but it is business, and that’s what they decided. I mean, I still was a part of a championship team, and that’s pretty special to have in general.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.