Nick Podkul was born in Munster and attended Andrean High School in Merrillville. The 28-year-old was a standout for the 59ers, helping the team win back-to-back State Championships during his junior and senior seasons. Podkul was ranked as the No. 2 shortstop in the state by Perfect Game. 

After graduating from Andrean, Podkul went on to play at the University of Notre Dame, where he started 36 games as a freshman for the Fighting Irish. In his junior season, he was named to the All-ACC Second Team. That year, he played in 54 games, hit eight home runs, posted a .312 batting average, recorded a .957 OPS, and walked as many times as he struck out. 

In that year’s draft, the Toronto Blue Jays selected Podkul in the seventh round. In 2022, he reached Triple-A Buffalo with the Blue Jays. In 2023, he played his first season in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, appearing in 68 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley and hitting nine home runs. Last season, Podkul played 25 games in Double-A for the Chicago White Sox affiliate, the Birmingham Barons. 

He finished the 2025 campaign in the Frontier League with the Schaumburg Boomers, where he put up impressive numbers. Podkul recorded a .426 on-base percentage, a .908 OPS, and drove in 23 runs in 31 games. In his short time with Schaumburg, he became a postseason hero by blasting a two-run home run to complete a series sweep of the Lake Erie Crushers. 

Across his professional career, Nick Podkul has played in more than 450 games, hitting 50 home runs with 340 hits and 200 RBIs. The right-hander also brings defensive versatility, having logged innings at first base, second base, third base, and shortstop.