KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — He’s still soaking it in.
“Man, I can’t believe I’m going to the MLB,” said Joephillip Guzman, reflecting on the whirlwind moment just days after signing with the Baltimore Orioles. The Shoemaker High graduate won’t be televised on Orioles broadcasts just yet—he’ll first work his way up the minor league system, starting at rookie-level camp in Florida.
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The journey, though, started long before the ink hit paper.
“I’ve had a baseball in my bag since I was born,” Guzman said. He remembers the spark catching when he was just four years old, and by his freshman year, he saw potential beyond high school. By his junior year, he knew: “I think I can get to the next level.”
His father, Jose Guzman, a Fort Hood Army veteran, saw it too.
“You’ve got to want it,” he said. “Freshman year, he destroyed the league at Killeen ISD.”
Through four dominant years in district play and grassroots showcases, Guzman built a resume worthy of MLB attention. But the moment didn’t come easily. During this year’s draft, nine rounds passed without his name called.
“My agent said, ‘You’re not getting drafted,’ and that hit me hard,” Guzman recalled. “But two hours later, he called and said, ‘Will you take this offer from the Orioles?’ I said yes. I’m going to the MLB.”
Now, he wants his success to echo across Central Texas—especially for young players still chasing their own diamond dreams.
“I think it’s a really big accomplishment,” Guzman said. “I want the little kids to see that if you keep working hard, people are going to find you.”
Jose added, “Killeen and the whole Central Texas area has a lot of good players. I don’t think Joephillip knows how big this really is.”
Outside of family, Guzman pointed to former teammate Gustavo Marquez as a major inspiration—another local standout he believes will join him in the pros.
“Remember that name,” he said. “I’ll see him up in the majors with me one day.”
For now, Guzman is sharpening his skills in Florida, one pitch closer to The Show. And back home, Killeen is watching.
