(WGXA) — A former WGXA Game Changer is now headed to Major League Baseball (MLB).
Macon-native Keon Johnson, 18, got the phone call on Saturday evening informing him that he was drafted by the Houston Astros, surrounded by family and friends.
“When I picked up the ball and the bat at just 7 years old, I was just playing it for fun, but coaches and a lot of mentors were saying, ‘Dude, you’re really good at this game,’ and lo and behold, twelve years later playing this game, you get the call, and it’s pretty surreal,” said Johnson.
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This comes after Keon Johnson helped lead the FPD Vikings, his alma mater, to a GIAA Class 4A Baseball State Championship. Johnson was a top 20 prospect for the MLB draft and also committed to Vanderbilt earlier this year.
Keon Johnson receives phone call informing him that he’s been drafted into the MLB by the Houston Astros on July 11, 2026, (Carlos Stephens/WGXA).
WGXA Reporter Carlos Stephens attended Johnson’s MLB watch party, where he said he’ll skip college and go straight to the League and had spoken with the head coach at Vandy.
Johnson’s mother also spoke to WGXA following the draft, who expressed no doubt that her son will work hard with the Astros every day.
“They are getting a great athlete, the boys and young men are getting a great teammate, they’re getting a kid who knows no boundaries when it comes to his work ethic, because he’ll be the first one there, the last one to leave, and he’s gonna put in the work every single day.”
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