THIS IS EPISODE 169 OF THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST

Will Startup was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft. He played his college ball at the University of Georgia, for whom he pitched in the 2004 College World Series.

He was a minor league pitcher for 10 seasons from 2005-2014 with the Braves, Padres, Orioles and Tigers organizations. In 2006, Startup quickly moved through the minor league system and made it all the way to Triple-A Richmond. He did pitch in a major league spring training, but never made it to the big leagues and finished his pro career in 2014, pitching in one game for Triple-A Toledo (Detroit Tigers organization).

But the trials Startup faced on the field paled in comparison to the adversity he and his wife, Lauren, went through off the field with their son, Copeland.

In Part 1 of this two-part episode of the podcast, Startup shares his roller coaster baseball journey, being selected by the Braves, why being traded devastated him, how he lived out his faith as a pro pitcher, and the day his world changed forever while he was walking around a Houston mall in 2012.

https://twitter.com/will_startup/status/937400912028499970

Watch the Startup family’s Increase story below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HruRakzMHNY