The second British Columbian on the Winnipeg roster, Eli Saul joined the Goldeyes in 2026 after spending parts of four seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

Eli was twice selected in the MLB Draft. The Texas Rangers first chose him in the 29th round out of high school in 2019 before he elected to attend Sacramento State University. Three years later, the Diamondbacks selected him in the 13th round of the 2022 draft, beginning a professional career that took him through several levels of Arizona’s minor-league system.

One of Eli’s favourite memories from affiliated baseball came while pitching for the High-A Hillsboro Hops in the Northwest League. A road trip brought the Vancouver native back home, giving him the opportunity to pitch professionally in front of family and friends.

In Winnipeg, Eli is reunited with a familiar connection in fellow British Columbian James Bradwell. While Bradwell was playing collegiately at the University of British Columbia, Eli was still in high school and took part in UBC’s development program for young players. It was there that Eli began attracting the attention of college scouts, helping set him on the path that eventually led to professional baseball.