A Malverne native with family ties to Queens has been drafted by Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Joe Ariola, 21, in the seventh round and 213th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Ariola has since signed a contract with the team on July 21.
Ariola is a left-handed pitcher who played for the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League in June of this year. For the last three seasons, he’s pitched for the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons as a reliever. His best pitches are a 92-94 MPH fastball that can reach 96 MPH and an upper-70s curveball with a high spin rate.
Joe’s ties to Queens run deep. He is the nephew of Queens’ District 32 City Council Member Joann Ariola and has spent most of his life traveling between Long Island and Howard Beach to visit his extended family.
“ My entire family lives in Howard Beach other than us,” Joe said. ”Every Christmas was spent at my grandmother’s house in Howard Beach. Summer days were spent at her house going to the pool, and all family gatherings were at her house,” he said.
Joe said he’s been playing baseball since he can remember. As a child, he played in his local Little League and he played baseball while attending Chaminade High School in Long Island.
The recent draft pick said he’s been drawn to pitching since he first began playing baseball.
“ I feel like I had talent for it when I was younger,” he said. “You have control of the game. Nothing starts until you want to do something. And it’s a very powerful position to hold.”
Joe felt mixed emotions when he heard his name called for the draft.
“ Definitely a sigh of relief and excitement for sure,” he said.
To Joe, being drafted represents a culmination of his lifelong journey as an athlete.
“I feel as though it represents overcoming challenges, perseverance, and determination. My journey hasn’t been smooth sailing the entire time,” he said. There’s been dark days, like injuries, time-outs, and not playing well. There’s gonna be hurdles to overcome, and I feel like that’s kind of what this represents.”
Joe said he’s looking forward to advancing his career with the Diamondbacks.
“ I feel like I’ve met a couple of people who work within the organization and all of them are very professional. They put in a lot of time to see us succeed,” he said.
Joann Ariola said that from a young age, Joe had exceptional talent.
“He played Little League, and it was something that I saw in him, even as a T-Ball player…my brother realized it, and his wife realized it,” she said. “They really worked hard with him, made sure he had the right instructors, batting practice, pitching practice — every opportunity possible for him to hone his craft.”
She confirmed that Joe’s Queens roots run deeper than her nephew may realize.
“ [He] probably wouldn’t remember it, but he originated here in Queens. He lived here in Queens before their house on Long Island was ready. So he was brought home from the hospital to Queens in Howard Beach. So, we’re taking claim for that,” the council member said.
She described Joe as an all-around athlete. Before choosing to pursue a professional baseball career, he was sought after to play on a Canadian hockey team, she said.
“ He’s an amazing hockey player as well,” the council member said. “He is just an all-around athlete, and we’ve just been so proud of him.”
She said that her family was moved to tears the day Joe was drafted.
“ This is every little boy’s dream, every Little Leaguer out there thinks they’re gonna make it to the big leagues, and he did,” she said. “It came with a lot of family support and the fact that he was determined and he has really great talent.”
She not only credits Joe’s talent, but also his love of baseball for his current success.
“ That’s something that really sets him apart from a lot of other players, is that he has an absolute love of the game, and he was thrilled to be drafted by the Diamondbacks,” she said.
The council member said that a strong support system is an integral part of the Ariola family dynamic.
“ When he went to Wake Forest…he just bloomed from there, and we were watching him on ESPN+. Everybody was wearing Wake Forest T-shirts. We would get together just to watch him play the games, and my brother and my sister-in-law, they’ve supported him throughout the entire thing,” she said.
She recalled how her mother — Joe’s grandmother — had watched his baseball games since he was a toddler.
“She’s 87 years old, and she has yet to miss a game that he’s played. Whether it was on the Little League field, she and my dad would go while he was still here on Earth. Now, she gets her jersey on and she watches on ESPN,” the council member said.
