Baseball may not be New Zealand’s national pastime, but a growing number of Kiwis are making their mark in the United States. Nikau Pouaka-Grego, Jason Matthews, and Charlie Beilenson are all carving their own paths through the unforgiving minor league system, a journey defined by long bus rides, late-night packing, relentless competition, and the unwavering pride of representing New Zealand on a stage where so few Kiwis have gone before.
For every minor leaguer, there’s a single moment that alters the trajectory of their career whether that be the promotion call, or in Charlie’s case, the draft. Nikau’s came after a Sunday game in Florida. When his coach called him into the office, his first instinct was nerves. A moment that often signals bad news, “especially this time of year, with the new draft players coming in and roster moves being made, you never know,” he said.
But instead of bad news, he was told he was heading to High-A for a stint with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. “Firstly it made me feel emotional due to how this year started for me,” he remembered. “But then there was a smile you couldn’t possibly wipe off my face.”
Jason knows that feeling well. Each time he’s been promoted, the process begins with a knock on the manager’s door. “I was really excited and ready to make my mark at the next level,” he said. His recent stints in Triple-A, where he hit .349 in 15 games, gave him a taste of the highest level of the minors, and the confidence that he belongs.
For Charlie, the moment came not in a clubhouse but on draft day. Having been contacted by scouts from a number of teams, he had no idea when or where he might be drafted. Sitting at home watching the livestream, he got a text from his agent. “Check the stream,” it read.
Moments later, he saw the Seattle Mariners had called his name in the fifth round with the 154th overall pick. “Everything happened so fast that it’s hard to remember,” he said. “It was surreal, and I couldn’t be more excited that it was the Mariners.”
But promotions come with a price: sudden moves, long drives, and the need to adjust on the fly. Nikau recalls how five of his teammates were promoted on the same day. Within hours, they had packed their lockers and apartments, loaded up their cars, and began a 17-hour overnight drive to New Jersey. “We got paid mileage money and reimbursed for the hotel we got overnights, but it’s a fast process, I had my apartment packed up by 6:30 and was on the road right after,” he said.
Jason described it just as abruptly saying how promotions often mean packing everything overnight and leaving by morning, either on a flight or long drive to join the new club.
Charlie’s move to Double-A was equally hectic. “My manager called me on our off day and woke me up. I was really hoping this was going to happen, so getting that call was extremely exciting. But in this world, once you get news there really isn’t time to celebrate. It’s quick hopping on a plane later that day and joining the next team for their next game,” he explained. His car, shipped by the clubhouse staff, met him days later in Arkansas while he was already on the road with his new team.
With every step up, the game evolves. Nikau noticed the change right away in High-A. “Much the same atmosphere and competition,” he said, “but the difference is in how pitchers pitch due to experience levels, confidence, and who they have behind the dish.”
Jason, who has seen both Double-A and Triple-A, found the differences stark. “Pitchers in Triple-A are more polished and have more experience because most of them have been in the Big Leagues,” he said. “The atmosphere gets bigger and louder, which makes playing more intense and fun.”
Charlie, now a Double-A pitcher, felt his first true jump at that level. “AA was certainly a jump. The hitters are a lot more disciplined and harder to strike out. But in baseball, the pitcher always has the advantage. Just staying on top of the mental game to keep me on the attack has helped me find success so far.”
The mental game has translated into results for Charlie. In his minor league career so far, he has appeared in 48 games across the Mariners’ system, posting a 4-4 record with a 3.93 ERA over 66.1 innings while striking out 79. Along the way, he’s added 11 holds and 7 saves to his resume, converting all four of his save opportunities since moving up to Double-A. Numbers like that show both his versatility and his steady progress through one of baseball’s toughest proving grounds.
Despite their different paths, Nikau and Jason share the mentality forged by growing up in New Zealand. “There are no handouts where I’m from,” Nikau said. “If people want something, they will work hard until they get it. Growing up with that mentality eventually pays off when you’re able to outwork and prove your value.”
Jason points to the support system around him as fuel. “What gives me an edge is having a village of people behind me, supporting and being proud of the things I’ve accomplished. Making everyone proud and putting NZ on the map is what drives me.”
For Charlie, his preparation came from his years playing college ball firstly at Brown University then at Duke University. “The level of play at Duke really prepared me for what was to come,” he said. “It didn’t feel like a step up yet, especially because a lot of the good players I was facing in college are also the same good players in this league.”
For Jason, the proudest moment so far was winning the 2024 Double-A championship with Birmingham. For Nikau, his High-A stint is momentum towards bigger opportunities and towards the World Baseball Classic. He is not satisfied with just being a number and is determined to make his mark on the field and keep progressing.
For Charlie, the Mariners faith in his development as a pitcher fuels his confidence: “The Mariners are really good at developing pitchers. They’ve shown that they have faith in me, and that’s the most important support you can get as a minor leaguer.”
The road to the Major Leagues is long, uncertain, and often unforgiving. But for these three Kiwis, every mile driven, every night spent in a new city, and every inning pitched or at-bat taken is part of something bigger: proving that New Zealand belongs on baseball’s map.
As the 2025 minor league season comes to a close, Nikau, Jason, and Charlie can take pride in what they’ve accomplished and the barriers they continue to break. The offseason will bring time to recover, reset, and refocus, but the journey continues toward higher levels, greater challenges, and keeping New Zealand’s presence in professional baseball.