El Paso has a new reason to cheer: Drew Gonzalez, a graduate of Americas High School, has signed with the New York Yankees and is officially embarking on his professional baseball career, according to the El Paso Times.

For a city that takes enormous pride in its athletic talent, the news is a feel-good milestone that connects a hometown kid to one of the most storied franchises in Major League Baseball history. Gonzalez’s signing is a testament to the hard work he put in on the diamond right here in El Paso, where he honed his skills at Americas High School before catching the attention of big-league scouts.

Stories like Gonzalez’s remind the Sun City community of the deep well of athletic talent that El Paso produces year after year. Americas High School, located on the city’s west side, has long been a competitive program, and seeing one of its own graduate to professional baseball is a proud moment for coaches, classmates, and fans alike.

While the details of his path through the draft or signing process were not fully detailed in the report, what is clear is that Gonzalez is now a professional baseball player with a Yankees uniform — a dream that countless young athletes across El Paso share every time they step onto a local diamond.

El Paso baseball fans will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Gonzalez as he works his way through the Yankees’ farm system, rooting for the hometown kid to make it all the way to the Bronx. For now, the city is simply celebrating the moment — one of its own has made it to the pros, and that is worth cheering about.

Sources: El Paso Times