By IAN WILSON
Outfielder Jacob Melton, a former player with the Okotoks Dawgs, is now officially a major leaguer.
The No. 2 prospect of the Houston Astros was called up over the weekend and made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on Sunday, June 1st in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“It’s been a whirlwind, obviously, very surreal. I don’t think it really set in until I got on the plane this morning. There was really no part of it that felt real at all,” said the Medford, Oregon native in an interview with Space City Home Network before the game at Daikin Park in Houston.
“This is something I’ve been working for, really my entire life. Since I started playing this was the dream and something that when you’re young you don’t really see an achievable way to get there. Obviously as you work through your career you see it start to inch closer and having this day finally come is very special.”
Melton started the 2025 season with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, a Pacific Coast League club that plays in the greater Houston metropolitan area, and was getting ready to do his pre-game stretches with the team on Saturday when he received word from manager Mickey Storey that he was going to the big leagues.
“I don’t think I really have the words to describe how I felt in that moment, definitely a lot of emotions, trying to hold back tears for quite a while, but a very special moment,” recalled the Oregon State University alum.
His first call was to his wife, Maizy, who he described as a major supporter throughout his baseball journey.
“She’s been by my side through a lot of hardships and she’s a lot of the reason I’m here today, honestly. She kept pushing me forward and encouraged me to be the best version of myself, so really without her I don’t think any of this would be possible,” said Melton.
Maizy and Melton’s father, Joe, were fortunate enough to be at the game. They drove for five hours from Medford, Oregon to Sacramento, California to catch a 5 a.m. flight to Houston.
Melton – whose walkup song was “Rooster” by Alice In Chains – batted eighth in the lineup and played centre field during the 1-0 win for the Astros.
The lefty batter picked up his first MLB hit in the fifth inning by showing off his speed for an infield hit to second base. He was clocked racing up the first base line at 30.5 feet per second. The Rays called for a replay challenge but Melton was ruled safe following the review.
“I put the ball in play and got half way down the line and I was like, wow, I am moving faster than I’ve ever moved, so that was really cool and really special for me … little bit delayed with the challenge, had me sweating it a little bit but obviously very excited to get the first one and keep rolling,” said Melton during a post-game interview with Julia Morales.
“To come in today and have the club get the win, that’s all you could ask for. It’s a great group of guys, embraced me with open arms and let me enjoy the day and really soak it all in, so I really appreciate that out of everybody here.”
In the outfield, Melton made a nice read in the ninth inning off a ball hit by Yandy Diaz. It looked like it might fall in for a hit, but Melton charged it hard and made a catch to record the out.
Joe Espada, the manager of the Houston Astros, spoke highly of Melton’s performance.
“I thought he handled himself really well,” said Espada in an article by reporter Brian McTaggart.
“He’s overcome some injuries. We know about the talent he has, things he can do offensively and defensively. He came in my office and probably one of the favorite parts of my job is when I get that initial conversation when somebody is called up. To see the light in their eyes and a dream come true, I love that part of my job.”
Melton played 50 games for the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) in the summer of 2019.
In 42 regular-season games, he batted .310 with 26 runs, 19 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He played even better in the playoffs, posting a .455 batting average, scoring six runs, hitting five doubles and producing four runs batted in over eight games.
His play at the plate and in the outfield helped the Dawgs win a WCBL championship that year.
Melton was drafted in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros as a 64th overall selection.
He joins Jim Henderson, Andrew Kittredge, Kody Funderburk and Alejo Lopez as Okotoks Dawgs alumni who have played in the majors.
