St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright takes one final at-bat at Busch Stadium, Oct. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Last time on “Get in the Game,” Houston Astros infielder Mauricio Dubón shared about how Water Mission and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright together made a life-changing difference in his community when they established a clean water project near his town in Honduras. Earlier this season, Dubón shared that story with Wainwright following a Cardinals-Astros game, and Wainwright was blown away.
This week, Wainwright joins the show to share his side of the story and catch up with Scott Linebrink, someone Wainwright credits for making a major difference in his own life. The 2023 season was Wainwright’s last in what has been a storied career in Major League Baseball, and the story of how he made an impact in Honduras was shared during his retirement ceremony at Busch Stadium. In response, the Cardinals and the Cardinals Care Foundation donated $100,000 to build a safe water project in Honduras near the town where Dubón is from, further investing in that community.
Linebrink was invited to be on the field with Wainwright during his ceremony and spoke with him for the podcast while there. In this episode, Wainwright reflects on his 18-year career and how his faith in God shaped what he did on and off the field.
Georgia Tech pitcher Tate McKee, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Tate McKee has become a key piece of one of the best teams in college baseball this season, the ace of a staff with sights set on its first national championship.
The Georgia Tech right-hander is 6-0 with a 3.50 ERA through nine starts, leading the team with 43.2 innings pitched and 45 strikeouts. He’s made 25 consecutive series-opening starts, and the Yellow Jackets are 21-4 (.840) in those games. They have won each of the last 12 series begun by him, including a program-record nine series wins to start this season.
His consistency has helped power Georgia Tech to a 31-5 record and No. 2 national ranking, after a sweep of No. 5 Florida State this past weekend and a mid-week win over Georgia Southern on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets have tied the best 36-game start to a season in program history, and are on a 13-game winning streak, their longest since 2011 and the second longest active streak in Division I, behind only No. 1 UCLA.
Seven of Georgia Tech’s wins during the streak have come against top-15 opponents (No. 14 NC State, No. 11 Auburn, No. 5 Florida State). The Yellow Jackets take that momentum into a pivotal ACC road series this weekend at No. 3 North Carolina. McKee will take the mound for the Friday-night opener.
Georgia Tech finished last season as the ACC regular-season champions and advanced to the 64-team NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years, but the program hasn’t reached the College World Series (the final eight teams of the tournament) since 2006. McKee and company are hoping to change that.
While McKee’s performance has been steady on the mound, his growth off the field has been a major part of his development. Speaking on the heels of the 2025 season, he said on Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up?” podcast that he’s seen a noticeable shift in the team’s spiritual culture, particularly through Bible studies and consistent connection among players.
“This year to last year we had a big growth in our team with Bible studies and more people coming in,” he said. “It’s a true blessing. We get to see how many guys were getting together with Christ. Then, building that relationship with that small group chat that we had … just to build a small relationship through that was great.”
That environment has helped shape how he approaches the game on a daily basis.
“Baseball itself, I feel like every day you see little bits of Christ through even a practice game, stuff like that,” he said.
WHAT'S UP Tate McKee!
On Monday, you can listen to our full conversation with the @gtbaseball pitcher. @TateMckee1 shares about this past baseball season, what he's all about right now, leading at FCA, and more! Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/Q9jaTOd0gA
McKee’s growth on the mound mirrors his development over the past two seasons. As a freshman in 2024, he struck out 61 batters in 47 innings but finished with a 7.28 ERA while adjusting to the college level. By 2025, he had taken over as the team’s Friday night starter, opening all 16 series and helping lead Georgia Tech through the postseason with a 2.03 ERA in ACC and NCAA Tournament play.
This season, he’s taken another step forward, becoming one of the most reliable arms on one of the top teams in the country.
As he’s grown as a player, McKee has also been intentional about his own spiritual habits.
“I set a bunch of different goals for 2025 — different ways that I could connect with the Lord and build my relationship,” he said on the podcast. “I would say this year has been just such a blessing with being a part of the FCA leadership team, this reading plan I’m doing every day, journaling about Christ every day, it’s been awesome.”
Those routines have stayed consistent regardless of how he’s performed.
“Even when I was struggling down in those times [last] season, I was keeping consistent with what I was doing every day,” he said on the podcast.
That faith is something he carries with him onto the field as well. Through Georgia Tech’s partnership with 44 Gloves, McKee designed a custom black alligator-skin glove that features a teal and mint green cross along with Philippians 4:13.
“That’s probably one of my favorite gloves I’ve ever gotten,” he said. “To be out there pitching with Him on my glove, it’s very meaningful.”
His faith is also reinforced through relationships within the program, including with head coach James Ramsey and teammates. McKee is part of a group chat where he, Ramsey and other coaches send a Bible verse to each other every day.
“That’s just kind of how our relationship is,” McKee said. “Just knowing the guy running the show has a relationship, like me, with Christ, that means so much.”
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt celebrates a walk-off hit, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
It didn’t take long for JJ Wetherholt to get settled in at the major-league level. His first big-league hit came in his second at-bat with a solo home run to center field.
The next game, he delivered a two-run walk-off base hit in extra innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals start the season 2-0. Through five games, he’s batting .300 with that one home run, four RBIs and a stolen base.
Since Wetherholt was drafted as the No. 7 overall pick in 2024, he’s been touted for his calm demeanor and ability to stay composed in big moments. He’s “unflappable,” as some would describe it.
That’s a good thing, considering the expectations for him are sky high. He’s the organization’s top prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB.com. But perhaps more importantly, he’s the centerpiece of a young, rebuilding Cardinals team hoping to get back to consistent winning after a few down years.
The Cardinals wasted little time getting him to the big leagues as he progressed through the minor-league system in less than two years and made the opening day roster this season as the team’s starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. All of this could be a lot of pressure for a young player, but he’s grounded enough in his faith in God that he’s able to stay confident on the field.
“I honestly just give praise to God for giving me the spirit of calmness in situations like that,” he said to reporters after his first game, in which he hit the home run. “I really just look to Him in those moments.”
After his second game and the walk-off hit, he told reporters that singing his walk-up song — “Bring Heaven Down” by Christian hip-hop artist Hulvey — as he’s approaching the plate helps him get in the “zone.” He also peeks at his wrist to see his bracelets, which reference Philippians 4:13 and Matthew 28:20.
“I read those every single time,” he said to reporters, “and when I’m in big situations like that, it’s just a constant reminder that God’s with me, and that’s what I take to the plate.”
Wetherholt is still young at just 24 years old, but he’s maturing quickly in his faith, especially considering that he started to really pursue a personal relationship with Christ just a few years ago as a sophomore in college at West Virginia University. While speaking last year at a Faith and Family Night for the Memphis Redbirds (the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate), he shared how he grew up Catholic in Pittsburgh and was confirmed in the faith when he was young, but didn’t really feel like he knew the Lord personally.
“I had a Bible that I liked, but I never really read it,” he told the crowd. “I didn’t really understand the Word at all. I just knew about this guy named Jesus and that He would forgive me of my sins.”
As he grew older and went through high school, he lived a life that was not exactly honoring to God. That continued when he first started playing baseball at West Virginia.
During his sophomore year, however, he was approached by a chaplain, who told him about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Wetherholt started attending meetings. He convinced a few teammates to go at first, and about 20 ultimately started attending regularly.
“That’s kind of where it all started for me — where I started to read the Word, where I started to listen more, engage in conversations with community, and just really learn about actually who Jesus was and how much He loved me and cared for me,” Wetherholt said. “That was probably the turning point of my life.”
Though he was supremely talented, he dealt with performance anxiety and constantly found himself worried that something bad might happen. But he was able to change his approach and focus on playing for an audience of One.
Around that same time, he became a leader for the campus chapter of FCA. As his faith grew, he started having a breakout season on the field.
“That’s kind of when everything changed for me,” he told the Memphis fans. “That sophomore year was the best year I’ve had in my life in baseball. I became a nationally ranked prospect, and it was also the year that I came to the Lord. I can say that year I just took pressure off myself and just gave it all to God.”
Now as a pro, Wetherholt — who says he’s a “Follower of Christ” on Instagram — stays in contact with that team chaplain and is working to grow deeper in his faith every day.
“I try to keep my routines good and read the Word every day,” he said during the Faith and Family Night. “Although I slip many times, the Lord still loves me and I feel that love each and every day. So I go out there just trying to be a light, trying to shine some light for those who may not believe and those who do believe. Trying to show that you can still live this lifestyle while being a professional athlete.”
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING PATRICK BAILEY
Patrick Bailey is the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was a first-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Giants and made his MLB debut with the team in May 2023. Bailey won back-to-back Gold Glove awards in 2024 and 2025, and last year became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off inside-the-park home run and a walk-off grand slam in the same season.
Today on the podcast, Matt Forte talks with Patrick Bailey about his faith in Jesus, winning two consecutive Gold Glove awards, and the identity battle he’s faced in keeping baseball in proper perspective.
