Matt Wieters is a catcher for the Washington Nationals. He was selected in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2007 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles. Two years later, he made his MLB debut with Baltimore and played eight seasons there.
In February 2017, Wieters signed with the Nationals and has spent the past two seasons there. The four-time MLB All-Star won the Gold Glove award as a catcher in both 2011 and 2012.
Matt is a follower of Jesus Christ and shared his Christian testimony with The Increase, which is part of the Sports Spectrum Network.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
It’s been a whirlwind couple of seasons, but outfielder Austin Hays is finding solid footing once again — this time with the Cincinnati Reds. After missing the first 16 games due to a calf strain, he’s provided a jolt to the Reds offense, hitting .361 with three home runs, nine runs batted in and a stolen base over nine games.
In his debut with the team on April 15, he went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run against former Reds pitcher Luis Castillo during a four-run fifth inning that propelled Cincinnati to an 8-4 come-from-behind win.
Hays picked up where he left off in spring training, where he finished with a .310 batting average to go along with three home runs and a team-leading 14 RBIs over 16 games.
“It doesn’t always work that quickly when a guy comes back, but I think we just missed him,” Reds manager Terry Francona said following Hays’ debut.
Hays was the only player the Reds added via free agency this past offseason when he signed a one-year contract for $5 million. He not only provides an extra source of power and production in the lineup, but at 29 years old and in his eighth season as a big leaguer, he provides a steady veteran presence for a young, energetic roster hungry to make it back to the postseason.
But Hays’ journey to Cincinnati has been anything but linear.
In 2023, he was named to the American League All-Star team as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, ultimately slashing .275/.325/.444 with 16 home runs and 67 runs batted in. He not only brought consistent offense but shined defensively as well, recording six defensive runs saved in left field — good for fourth among all AL outfielders.
But the Orioles dealt Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline, aiming to bolster their roster with pitching. Hays, meanwhile, was brought in to help the Phillies counter left-handed pitching, and he delivered when healthy — batting .328 with an .894 OPS against southpaws.
Yet a tough stretch of injuries, including a hamstring strain and what he described as a “mysterious” kidney infection, limited him to just 22 games in Philadelphia, where he hit .256 with two home runs and six RBIs. Members of the Phillies organization praised him for battling through the infection.
Through the ups and downs of baseball, Hays has said his peace comes from his faith in God, which really started to blossom when he and his wife, Samantha, became Christians in 2020.
“During the 2020 season, we were here at our home and just felt like something was missing,” he said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in March 2024. “We had just completed the first full season in the big leagues, felt like we were finally established, have everything you could want materialistically, and we just didn’t feel whole.”
They attended a Pro Athletes Outreach event in 2020, heard the Gospel and were saved.
“Couldn’t really describe what that feeling was like and the connection Sam and I had together,” he said. “We were looking at each other and asking, ‘Is this real? Are we both feeling this right now?’ We finished the three days there and just really felt like we were completed and we were whole and we had accepted Jesus into our lives.”
Wanting to make sure they weren’t just riding the high of the event, they got plugged in with a church near their home in Florida and continued to grow in their faith. Eventually, he and Samantha were baptized together.
“It’s been a great three years since that day,” he said in 2024. “We’ve grown a lot in our faith and continue to grow every day.”
Now, Hays hopes his play on the field can reflect the peace he’s found through a relationship with God.
“I can take everything that comes with baseball, I can take it to God,” he said. “I don’t have to do it myself. I don’t have to manage it myself and feel like I have to be in control of everything because, ultimately, baseball is a very difficult sport.”
“I can take everything that comes with baseball, I can take it to God.”
He noted how much failure is a part of the game of baseball, even for the best players. A career .263 hitter, he fails nearly 75% of the time, which would be unacceptable in most lines of work. But with baseball, it’s all about perspective.
“With that much failure, I can’t go at it alone,” he said on the podcast. “I can’t go at it by myself. You’re not equipped to do that as an individual. To be able to take it all to Christ and say, ‘I don’t want to do this alone and I don’t want to have to go about it by myself. I want to glorify You in everything that I do on the field.’
“Whether I play good or play bad, I’m alive in Christ and my identity is known from within. It’s known in front of the Lord that I’m living my life the way I was intended to no matter how my game is going on the field that day.”
Hays and the Reds (12-13) are off Thursday before starting a three-game series in Colorado on Friday.
Skip Schumaker in December 2023. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Skip Schumaker is a former MLB player who spent eight years with the St. Louis Cardinals (2005-12, helping them win the 2011 World Series), one season with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013), and his final two years with the Cincinnati Reds (2014-15). He later got into coaching and became the manager for the Miami Marlins in 2023, winning NL Manager of the Year honors that year, before stepping away from the role after the 2024 season.
Skip joins the show today to discuss his journey through baseball, including defining moments in his career, the importance of leadership and communication, and the impact of faith on his coaching style. He shares insights on transitioning positions, the significance of servant leadership, and how he finds purpose after retirement. The conversation highlights the importance of relationships in baseball and life, and the impact of giving back to the community.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The season is young, but the St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the hottest-hitting teams in the major leagues. A big reason for that has been second baseman Brendan Donovan, who is hitting .380 entering Thursday, which ranks third in MLB. In 71 at-bats, he’s collected 27 hits with two home runs, 11 runs batted in and two stolen bases.
The Cardinals are in the MLB’s top five in hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging percentage, and they lead the majors in batting average. Donovan, who is hitting in the No. 3 hole for the Cardinals, extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a hit in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Houston Astros. He enjoyed a four-hit game on Monday.
“Every day is so different up here,” Donovan told reporters following Wednesday’s game. “Everyone is trying to attack you so many different ways. Your body feels different each and every day. But, for me, I think my routine has been pretty consistent. I think the recovery aspect is something that I’m leaning more into as of this past year.”
Donovan had surgery in August 2024 to repair a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, which he credited for a renewed focus on daily recovery in an effort to stay as sharp as possible. He’s begun to focus even more heavily on his preparation as well, he said.
Teammate Lars Nootbaar, who has also enjoyed a strong start to the 2025 campaign, credited new Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown for implementing new approaches this season that have paid immediate dividends. One of those new tactics is for hitters to be more aggressive when they’re ahead in counts.
“The pressure’s on them, right?” Donovan said, referring to opposing pitchers. “I think we’ve done a good job making them come into our zone of, ‘What am I looking for? Where do I want it? And where do I want to hit it?'”
Donovan made his major league debut in 2022 and immediately made an impact, winning a Gold Glove Award as a utility player and finishing third in the National League Rookie of the Year race. Now with a career .286 batting average, Donovan has cemented himself as one of the most consistent players in the majors on both offense and defense.
He’s also been consistent in speaking publicly about his faith in Jesus and has credited his regular attendance at team chapel gatherings for helping him stay focused on his faith during the busy season, which often includes day games scheduled on Sundays, making it difficult for players to attend church.
“I think baseball actually does an amazing job. We do chapels in the dugout on Sundays,” he said in February on the “Dealin’ the Cards” podcast. “Last year we tried to go through the whole Bible. I think it’s pretty cool because not only does it bring you closer to your teammates, but it’s the most important thing you can do. It’s your framework or your guideline for how we’re supposed to live.”
Donovan was also a part of Christian Day at the Ballpark in July 2022, where he shared about the influence guys like former teammate Paul Goldschmidt and other veterans had on him during his rookie season. Donovan showed up to chapel shortly after he arrived in St. Louis and Goldschmidt immediately added him to their group text message thread.
That helped the rookie feel welcomed and encouraged right away, especially when it came to his faith.
“Going through the Word, going through chapels on the road, having our own Bible studies, it was immediate,” Donovan said during Christian Day. “The minute I got here, they pulled me in, and I’ve just been hooked since. To have those mentors out on the field and in the clubhouse that have great faith is just truly a blessing.”
Playing for an organization like the Cardinals, where winning is expected, can bring a lot of pressure, especially from a restless fanbase eager to see the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2023. But Donovan has maintained that regardless of the pressure or platform he might receive as part of playing for the Cardinals, he intends to steward his position well.
“All of us are given these blessings and this platform to show faith, to show what kind of people we are and how we can impact others,” Donovan said during Christian Day in 2022. “To have success out here, we get to use that platform and we get to promote our faith. Obviously, we want to have success out here, but people remember you for what kind of person you are, so that’s how I try to view it.”
St. Louis opens a four-game series against the Mets in New York on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Catcher Harry Ford, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Less than a year after becoming aware of the global water crisis, Harry Ford was standing in the hot and humid Amazon rainforest. He made the decision to join Water Mission on a vision trip to see its safe water work in Peru after learning about the ministry through attending Pro Athletes Outreach’s MLB Increase Conference. Ford, a 22-year-old premier prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization, felt a pull on his heart when he heard that the global water crisis leaves 2 billion people worldwide without access to safe water.
“It blew my mind to hear that many people were suffering,” Ford said. “It lit my heart on fire, and I wanted to be part of what Water Mission was doing to address it.”
The Water Mission team in Peru. (Photo courtesy of Water Mission)
It was this passion that led Ford to travel with Water Mission staff and partners to Peru, where 57% of the population lives without access to safe water. The group visited several remote communities located deep in the Amazon rainforest, where safe water is extremely scarce. Ford met with Water Mission’s country program staff in Peru, learned about the organization’s community development work in the region, and visited with residents who have benefited from those projects.
“It was not like anywhere I had ever been before,” Ford said, recalling the poverty and living conditions in the area. “I was constantly asking myself, ‘Is this real life?’”
Ford had been moved by what he learned about the global water crisis at the Increase Conference, but seeing the devastation of its effects firsthand had a profound impact on his heart.
“These are real people,” Ford said. “You meet them and hear their stories and realize they’re just like you and me.”
As difficult as it was to see and hear about suffering, hope shined through. Ford and the group met with a woman who detailed her struggles before Water Mission implemented a safe water project in her community.
“When her kids got sick from drinking unsafe water, she had to spend a lot of her money and time traveling several hours by boat to get medicine for her children,” Ford recalled. “But now, she has safe water directly connected to her home. She’s saving so much time and money and has a newfound freedom in her life. That was so beautiful to see.”
The Water Mission team in Peru. (Photo courtesy of Water Mission)
Returning home from Peru, Ford continued to feel God’s call to help those impacted by the global water crisis. Alongside other professional athletes, Ford now serves as a brand ambassador for Water Mission, using his platform and standing as a professional athlete to tell others about their safe water and Living Water work around the world.
“I really just want to use my talent to serve the Lord,” Ford said. “I love Water Mission’s purpose, and I love that they are also spreading the Gospel.”
Ford has started the 2025 season with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Raniers, and this year will be a special one. For every home run Ford hits, he will give a gift that provides two people with Water Mission’s life-saving safe water solutions. Ford is choosing to use these personal accomplishments to give back to a cause close to his heart, all in the name of Jesus.
“I’m just trying to find ways to incorporate what God loves into baseball,” Ford said. “It will be honoring to the Lord. My ultimate goal is to honor the Lord with this campaign.”
Ford understands the position that God has put him in to serve others. He considers it a blessing to serve the Kingdom through playing the game he loves. Not to mention, there’s the added motivation of knowing every home run he hits is providing people in need with the life-changing gift of safe water.
“The better I play, the more people will hear about the work and how important it is,” he said. “Hopefully, they’re moved the same way that I was.”
To learn more about Ford’s season-long campaign or join him in support, follow his Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about Water Mission, visit their website at watermission.org.
