Add two more names List of Billies signed opportunities On Saturday, the international market opened for players aged 16 and over.
Phils landed 18-year-old outfielder Lou Helmick of Germany and 17-year-old midfielder Nikov Bukka-Greco of Australia.
The name Helmic is synonymous with German baseball. The young player’s father, Martin, grandfather, Klaus and great-uncle, Jürgen, are all inscribed in the German Baseball Hall of Fame.
Klaus Helmick played the Baltimore Orioles on the farm system in 1956.
Martin Helmick played college ball in the United States and pursued a professional athletic and coaching career in several European countries.
Lou Helmick was a 6-5, 190-pound outfielder who scored from the left touchline. He has played for many German national teams. Here are some videos of the game that took place in Mexico last summer.
Pouaka-Grego, listed at 5-10, 175 pounds, is a left-hander with youth international experience. Here’s some of the work he did in the batting cage.
It’s a long road to the big leagues and not everyone gets there. But the journey has to start somewhere, with Helmick and Pooka-Greco taking to the streets in 2022 as members of the Pillis organization.
