Biggar’s Garrett Hawkins closing in on Major Leagues
By Kate Winquist
From a small west-central Saskatchewan community better known for grain elevators than radar guns, Garrett Hawkins is steadily pitching his way toward baseball’s biggest stage.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander from Biggar has emerged as one of the San Diego Padres’ top pitching prospects, capping a remarkable comeback season in 2025 that earned him a spot on the club’s 40-man Major League roster and put him firmly on the radar for a future big-league call-up.
Drafted by San Diego in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Hawkins has taken a long and winding road to this point — one that included leaving the province to chase elite competition, battling serious injury, and proving he belongs among the game’s rising arms.
After developing at the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball in Alberta and pitching collegiately at the University of British Columbia, Hawkins entered professional baseball with promise but faced a major setback in 2023 when an arm injury led to Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for most of two seasons.
When he returned to the mound in 2025, the results were emphatic.
Used primarily out of the bullpen, Hawkins dominated at both High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio, posting a 1.50 earned-run average over 60 innings, striking out 80 batters and allowing very little solid contact. At one point, he rattled off a scoreless streak approaching 40 consecutive innings, one of the longest in the minor leagues last season.
The Padres took notice.
In November, the organization added Hawkins to its 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft and signaling confidence that the Saskatchewan product could soon contribute at the major-league level.
Armed with a fastball that has touched 98 miles per hour and a sharp breaking pitch, Hawkins has transitioned seamlessly from starter to power reliever — a role increasingly valued in today’s game. The Padres recognized that progress by naming him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
For Biggar and the surrounding west-central Saskatchewan region, Hawkins’ ascent is a source of pride. Saskatchewan has produced only a handful of Major League players, and Hawkins is now within striking distance of becoming the next.
While his journey has taken him thousands of kilometres from home, those roots remain central to his story — proof that elite talent can emerge from even the smallest prairie towns.
As spring training approaches, Hawkins will arrive with a legitimate chance to push for his Major League debut, carrying with him not just Padres expectations, but the hopes of a hometown that has been following every inning.