Life Changing: Noah Millikan and the Road from Oakland to Winnipeg (Draft)
Dispatches Catches up with Championship Starter Noah Millikan
By Chris Drue, Ballers Beat Writer
“Life changing.”
That is how Noah Millikan sums up his time with the Oakland Ballers.
When the Berkeley native first took the mound for the B’s 2025 season, he was a collegiate pitcher who had just graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, looking for a way to keep his career alive: “I came into Oakland just looking for a chance to extend my career.” Noah had emailed the B’s to express his interest in joining and, after a roster spot became available due to an injury, he was signed by the club and flown straight to Ogden for the first start of his professional baseball career.
Not only did Noah ultimately extend his career, but he left Oakland as a champion, a fan favorite, and one of the most dominant arms in the Pioneer League.
Now, he’s taking the next step in his journey, signing with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association. The American Association, which like the Pioneer League is a MLB Partner League, is a highly-scouted pipeline to Major League organizations.
For Millikan, the move to Winnipeg is a calculated leap forward. “I chose the [American Association] because it is the next step up in terms of competition,” Millikan told Dispatches. “I feel like if I can get outs there in the same way I did in Oakland, with some improved velocity, I’ll have a good chance of getting picked up by an [MLB] organization.”
The Oakland Evolution
Transitioning from collegiate to professional baseball required Millikan to develop new attention to detail when taking the mound. Noah credits the Ballers’ coaching staff for helping him master the art of constant adjustments: “I learned how to make quick adjustments, whether that be pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat, or game to game,” Millikan said. “Learning how to make those helped me adapt…and led to the success I was able to have.”
That success was undeniable. Millikan anchored the B’s 2025 rotation with a staggering 2.12 ERA in 14 games started, going 7-1 over 85 innings pitched with an eye-popping 0.91 WHIP and 96 strikeouts. Across the Pioneer League, Noah ranked third in ERA and seventh in strikeouts, he earned PBL Pitcher of the Month honors for July (alongside a Pitcher of the Week nod in August), and was selected as a 2025 Pioneer League Postseason All-Star. “Millikan has been a cornerstone of the Ballers’ success all season,” the Pioneer League noted when awarding him Pitcher of the Month.
Awards aside, Noah gave the B’s plenty of memorable starts throughout the campaign. In the batter-friendly Pioneer League, Millikan surrendered more than three earned runs only once throughout the season. In the second half of the schedule, he turned in five scoreless starts and recorded double-digit strikeouts in three starts. On the back of a 22-inning scoreless streak, Noah’s dominance continued into the playoffs—in Game 1 of the first round, Noah helped settle the crowd at Raimondi Park by going 7 strong innings, giving up just 1 earned run and collecting 7 strikeouts, collecting the big win.
A Rare and Special Connection
Beyond the stats and championship, Millikan says that the true highlight of his time in the East Bay was the unforgettable environment.
“The community surrounding the team stands out most,” he reflected. “I think it’s super rare, especially in indy ball, to get an organization with a fan base as dedicated as we have in Oakland. It makes everything we were able to accomplish so much more special.”
As for anyone who is looking to join the Oakland Ballers to advance their careers and be a part of this special baseball community, the Berkeley High graduate’s advice is to focus on the current task at hand. “What was super important for me was being able to take things one step at a time. Just go out every time with the mentality of giving your team the best chance to win and good things will happen,” Noah advised. “I think where a lot of players, myself included, go wrong is putting the weight of your career on every outing. Things can tend to spiral.
Chasing the Dream
Millikan is currently training in Arizona, preparing for the bats of the American Association. While he’s doing it alongside a familiar face—pitcher James “Big Dipper” Colyer—Noah will now be taking the trip to The Great White North solo. Colyer, who also previously signed with Winnipeg for 2026, recently achieved the ultimate goal for independent baseball players by signing with the Washington Nationals. (Dispatches recently interviewed James on his signing.)
Noah is thrilled for his former teammate. “I’m super happy for James to be able to take his career to the next level, and hopefully I can follow in his footsteps,” Millikan shared. “I was super excited to play with him; we’ve been able to get close throughout the season…but obviously he just achieved what everyone’s goal is in Indy ball, so I’m super happy for him.”
If Millikan continues the success he found during his championship season in Oakland, we should all expect to see him in MLB-affiliated ball soon as well.
All images and video used with permission from the Oakland Ballers and Noah Millikan.
Chris Drue is an East Bay native who has loved baseball since visiting the Coliseum with his dad as a kid. His favorite combo at Raimondi Park is a Fieldwork Day Money and a veggie dog (in a helmet!). His favorite pitch is the eephus, with a Barry Zito 12-6 curveball (circa 2002) a very close second. Find him on Instagram.
