One Opportunity at a Time: Justin Fogel seizes Every chance to prove himself

By Lily Kocourek

 

Justin Fogel never expected to be here. 

Not when he first started playing at 8 years old. Not when he had Division II and III offers coming out of high school. Not when he made the jump to playing for the University of Pittsburgh in the ACC. And certainly not when he was serving as the bullpen catcher for the Trenton Thunder, waiting for a chance to prove he belonged on the field. 

The love of baseball was always there. 

The belief that he was good enough was not. 

“The love of the game was always there, but I didn’t think I was ever good enough, then I met the right people that gave me confidence in myself,” Fogel voiced. 

Those people helped Fogel see something in himself that he could not always see. 

Since then, his career has been built on seizing every opportunity that comes his way.  

A chance to play at his local junior college led him to Penn State Abington. Earning the title of Division III First Team All-American and United East Player of the Year opened the door for playing at the University of Pittsburgh where he got the chance to compete in the ACC. 

When Fogel stepped onto the University of North Carolina’s field he couldn’t help but think, “What am I doing here?”

Not long before, he had been playing baseball in public parks. Now he was competing against some of the nation’s top collegiate programs in the ACC.

The University of Memphis then followed, where Fogel used his 6th year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Looking back on his time at Memphis, Fogel credits the coaching staff with helping him continue his baseball career. 

 “If it wasn’t for that coaching staff, I wouldn’t be playing baseball right now.”  

Fogel had suffered a concussion during the fall and initially told the coaching staff he did not plan to return. With his health still a concern, he was unsure he would ever be cleared again to play. 

Rather than move on from Fogel, the coaching staff kept his roster spot open and made it clear they wanted him to remain on the team.  

“I was at the time one of the leaders on the team,” Fogel explained. “They said, ‘We think you deserve to be here, and we really like you. The guys want you to be here’.” 

After taking time to focus on his health and undergoing additional evaluations, Fogel was eventually cleared to play. He called the coaching staff and told them he wanted to return. 

“They showed me the most compassion I’ve ever experienced from anyone,” Fogel said. “They gave me that opportunity and left the door open.” 

Then came the MLB Draft League, where Fogel became the bullpen catcher for the Trenton Thunder. He was not supposed to be the one taking at-bats. But when some of his teammates left for draft workouts in Miami, Fogel got his chance.

He made the most of his few starts, and one morning around 3 a.m., on a bus returning from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, one of his coaches, Bobby Jones - who is now the manager of the New Jersey Jackals - asked him a question that would change the direction of his career. 

“Hey, do you have your passport?” 

To Fogel’s luck he did.

Jones followed up, “Well, do you want to go to Canada?” 

The Ottawa Titans needed a catcher and had an opportunity for Fogel to start the following week. 

He went.  

In 56 games with the Titans in 2025, his rookie season, he hit .338 with 35 RBIs. In 2026, he batted .370 with 24 RBIs in 22 games. 

Now Fogel is with the Windy City ThunderBolts after being traded from Ottawa in June. And he is coming off a week that he may once have not believed was possible.

Fogel was named Frontier League Player of the Week (August 10, 2026) after recording seven extra-base hits in six games, driving in 11 runs, and posting a 1.744 OPS. 

Against the New York Boulders, he went 5-5 with three doubles and a home run. 

For someone who once questioned whether they deserved to be here, the numbers tell a different story. 

But Fogel does not look at the award as proof that he has finally arrived. Instead, he sees it as another opportunity. 

“It’s nice to be recognized, but it’s a result of the work put in by the whole team,” Fogel emphasized. “Not just the players, but the coaches and staff who make it possible for us to go out and perform every night.” 

That response is what makes Fogel’s story bigger than one week at the plate. 

He is not chasing the next milestone by looking too far ahead. He is focused on taking advantage of what is in front of him – the same way he has throughout his career. 

Every step has come with some uncertainty. 

Every step has also come with a decision: take the opportunity or let it pass. 

Fogel keeps taking it. 

Even during his Player of the Week stretch, he was still looking for ways to get better. After a game against the Boulders, Fogel and his teammate James Dunlap stayed late in Pomona to hit. There were no coaches watching and no fans in the stands. 

Just two players talking through their swings. 

Dunlap, who serves as an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in the offseason, aided Fogel’s position in the box and his posture, but the bigger takeaway was the confidence that came from having someone there to work through it with him.

That is something Fogel has learned to value.

“I’m very fortunate for the people around me, because if it wasn’t for them, then who knows what would happen?” he remarked.

Now, as the ThunderBolts approach the playoff push, Fogel is not looking too far ahead. 

He has already learned that baseball can change quickly. 

A phone call can send you to another country. A few starts can change the direction of your career. A trade can bring you to a new team. And six good games can put your name among some of the best in the league. 

For Fogel, the goal is simple: keep taking opportunities as they come. 

He wants to continue playing for as long as he can and eventually reach the major leagues.

“Until they tell me to take my cleats off, I’m going to do everything I can to get myself in position to play,” Fogel stated. 

But for now, he is right where he wants to be – playing baseball, surrounded by people who believe in him and making most of his time as a ThunderBolt. 

The player who once wondered if he was good enough is now one of the league’s leading hitters. 

And he is still taking it one day at a time.