The Teacher Who Made It to the Big Leagues
Allan Winans dominated for the Atlanta Braves last weekend. His students know him as, “Mr. W.”
For millions of Americans, this week marked the beginning of the school year. New textbooks, sharpened pencils, and a heavy backpack—it’s an annual tradition. Teachers are finalizing lesson plans and learning names. Well, most of them are. There’s one notable exception.
Mr. W is getting ready to pitch.
His students might know him as Mr. W, but perhaps you heard his full name recently on TV or saw it in newspapers this week: at 27, Allan Winans got his first major league start with the Atlanta Braves. His pitching performance last Saturday earned him an A+: seven shutout innings, nine strikeouts, and a win against the New York Mets.
Every path to the Big Leagues is unique, with its own twists and turns. But Winnans took a special detour that immediately makes him one of the most likable players in baseball. Allow me to explain—but don’t worry, there won’t be a quiz on any of this later.
In college at Campbell University, Winans was known as a dominant starter with an unmatched work ethic. He had one problem: MLB teams didn’t think he had much of a future in the sport. After all, his fastball topped out at just 90 mph.
The Mets drafted him in the 17th round and signed him to a measly $10,000 signing bonus. Eventually, New York thought so little of Winans, that they made him available in the Rule 5 draft, which essentially gave the Braves the option to sign him for free. The money was terrible. Many people would have given up.
“I don’t think it was even an option,” Winans said of quitting. “I think when you don’t have a Plan B, it puts you a little more focused on Plan A.”
Instead, the focus shifted onto how Winans could extend the lifespan of his dream. Money was tight, and so, every offseason, he went back home to Bakersfield, California and worked at his local high school as a substitute teacher. “Mr. W” would teach English, P.E., whatever was needed. He found himself in front of a math class the day that he learned the Braves had acquired him from the Mets.
“It’s a fun thing to do to connect with some of the kids that are in there that kind of maybe aspire to be somewhat successful in life,” Winans told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Some of those kids are athletes that want to kind of do the athlete thing throughout their life. And if I can give a little bit of advice when it comes to that kind of stuff, then it’s cool with me.”
This season, Winans was so dominant in AAA that the Braves had no option but to call him up. Maybe it’s no coincidence that he finally realized his Major League dream at the start of a new school year. Life, like the start of each new grade, is all about new beginnings. How can we approach these moments with intention? How can we fill every blank page? It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time. It’s one hell of an opportunity.
Winans passed the first test. Let’s hope he keeps hitting the books.
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