| Jesse Winker | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Winker with the Mets in 2024 | |
| New York Mets – No. 3 | |
| Outfielder/Designated hitter | |
| Born: (1993-08-17)August 17, 1993 (age 31) Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 14, 2017, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Batting average | .262 |
| Home runs | 95 |
| Runs batted in | 324 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Jesse Winker (born August 17, 1993) is an American professionalbaseballoutfielder anddesignated hitter for theNew York Mets ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theCincinnati Reds,Seattle Mariners,Milwaukee Brewers, andWashington Nationals. He made his MLB debut in 2017 and was anAll-Star in 2021.
Winker was born inBuffalo, New York, and lived nearby inNiagara Falls before moving toOrlando, Florida, at the age of seven.[1] He attendedOlympia High School in Orlando.[2] As a junior at Olympia, he had a .509batting average.[3] He had committed to playcollege baseball at theUniversity of Florida for theFlorida Gators,[4] but chose to sign with the Reds rather than attend college.
TheCincinnati Reds selected Winker in the first round, with the 49th overall selection, of the2012 Major League Baseball draft. Winker made his professional debut for theBillings Mustangs in 2012.[5] In 62 games, he hit .338/.443/.500 with fivehome runs in 228at bats. Prior to the 2013 season, Winker was ranked byBaseball America as the Reds sixth-best prospect.[6] He played the 2013 season with theDayton Dragons[7][8] where he became a Midwest League All-Star and Home Run Derby champion.[9] He hit .281/.379/.463 with 16 home runs in 417 at bats over 112 games.
Before the 2014 season, he was ranked byBaseball America as the Reds fourth best prospect.[10] He started the season with theBakersfield Blaze. In June he was promoted to the Double-APensacola Blue Wahoos.[11] In July, Winker played in theAll-Star Futures Game, going 1–2.[12][13] His season came to an end in July after suffering a partially torn tendon in his right wrist in a car accident.[14] In 74 games, he hit .287/.399/.518 with 15 home runs and 57runs batted in (RBI). Winker returned after the season to play in theArizona Fall League.[15] Winker spent 2015 with Pensacola, where he posted a .282 batting average with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs.[16]
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The Reds added Winker to their 40-man roster after the 2016 season.[17] He began the 2017 season with theLouisville Bats of theClass AAAInternational League,[18] and was promoted to the major leagues on April 14.[19] In 2017, Winker batted .298 with seven home runs in 47 games played. Winker began 2018 with Cincinnati, and was a starting outfielder before a right shoulder injury in July ended his season.[20] Prior to his injury, he slashed .299/.405/.431 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs.[21]
In 2019 for Cincinnati, Winker played in 113 games with a batting line of .269/.357/.473 to go along with a career-high 16 home runs as well as 38 RBI.[22] In 2020, Winker played in 54 games for the Reds, slashing .255/.388/.544 with 12 home runs and 23 RBI.[23] He was nominated byMLB.com to play as thedesignated hitter for the National LeagueUnofficial 2020 All-Star team.[24]
On June 6, 2021, Winker hit three home runs in a narrow 8–7 victory against theSt. Louis Cardinals, helping the Reds complete a four-game sweep with his second three-homer game of the year. He also became the first player in Reds history to log multiple 3-homer games in a season.[25] That season, he was named the NL starting right fielder for theAll-Star Game.[26]
On March 14, 2022, the Reds traded Winker andEugenio Suárez to theSeattle Mariners in exchange forJustin Dunn,Jake Fraley,Brandon Williamson,[27] and aplayer to be named later, which turned out to beConnor Phillips.[28][29] The transaction was a cost-cutting measure that saved the franchise just under $36 million, and was unpopular with Reds fans.[30]
On April 24, Winker hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning for his first walk-off as a member of the Mariners.[31] Winker and the Mariners agreed to a two-year contract on June 16.[32]
During a June 26 game against theLos Angeles Angels atAngel Stadium, Winker was hit in the thigh by an allegedbeanball from Angels pitcherAndrew Wantz. Winker proceeded to charge the Angelsdugout and abench-clearing brawl ensued. He first confronted injured Angels third basemanAnthony Rendon, and Rendon proceeded to strike Winker in the face with his left hand while wearing a cast on his right, then Winker later got into an altercation withRyan Tepera. Winker was later seen arguing with Angels interim managerPhil Nevin shortly before another skirmish broke out near them. Winker, along with several other players from both the Mariners and Angels, was ejected from the game.[33] Upon leaving the field, Winkerflipped off the Angel Stadium crowd sitting behind the visitors' dugout, a gesture for which he later apologized.[34]
In 2022, Winker batted .219/.344/.344 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs, with a career-worst .688OPS.[35][36] After the season, he had surgery on his knee and his neck.[37][38]
In October 2022, Seattle Mariners beat writerRyan Divish of theSeattle Times spoke about Winker's work ethic and future with the team. Asked why Winker wasn't with the team during anAmerican League Division Series, Divish said:
I think he was home.... I think they probably just told him to go home.... I think by the end of the season, it's what scouts call a tired act. I just think some of his teammates were done with him, were just tired of putting up with him. I think the team is frustrated with him. Everything thatMitch Haniger does to prepare for a game to get ready, Jesse Winker's kind of the opposite.... I don't think he puts in the time to be better defensively or to have a better arm or any of the work that should be done.... And it's noticeable. Players notice it.... And once you lose your teammates, why be there? So there's gonna be some hard conversations either with Jesse from this front office, or they're just gonna move on.[39]
On December 2, 2022, the Mariners traded Winker andAbraham Toro to theMilwaukee Brewers forKolten Wong.[40]
In the 2023 regular season, Winker batted .199/.320/.247 in 166 at bats with one home run, 23 RBIs, and 51 strikeouts with the Brewers, withisolated power of .048.[36] He was in the bottom 1% of all major league players in speed, had career lows in his exit velocity (86.8 mph) and hard hit percentage (31.9%), and had a career-high strikeout percentage (25.9%).[41] He played 49 games at DH, and six games in the corner outfield.[36] In the post-season, he went hitless in two at bats.[36] He became a free agent following the season.
On February 12, 2024, Winker signed a minor league contract with theWashington Nationals.[42] On March 24, the Nationals selected Winker's contract, adding him to the major league roster.[43] In 101 games for Washington, he batted .257/.374/.419 with 11 home runs, 45 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.
On July 28, 2024, the Nationals traded Winker to theNew York Mets in exchange for minor league pitcherTyler Stuart.[44][45] On August 21, during a game against theBaltimore Orioles, Winker hit his first home run as a Met, awalk-off home run off of pitcherSeranthony Domínguez, giving the Mets a 4–3 victory.[46] In 44 games for the Mets in 2024, Winker batted .243/.318/.365 with 3 home runs and 13 RBI.
On October 8 in the2024 National League Division Series against thePhiladelphia Phillies, Winker hit his first career postseason home run, a solo home run to right field off of pitcherAaron Nola.[47] In the2024 MLB postseason, Winker played in 10 games for the Mets, batting .318/.531/.636 with one home run and 4 RBI.[48] After the season, he became a free agent.
On January 17, 2025, Winker re-signed with the Mets on a one-year, $8 million contract.[49]
Winker has a daughter named Wren. His father, Joe, runs a baseball training facility. His older brother, Joey, was an outfielder/first baseman in theLos Angeles Dodgers organization from 2011-2013.[50]
Media related toJesse Winker at Wikimedia Commons