Mack Estrada, a FishHawk Youth Sports Association alum, signed with the Yankees after being taken 331st overall in the MLB draft.
“I felt like I was being rewarded for my hard work and reaping what I sowed,” Estrada stated after getting drafted.
While he wasn’t a fan of any particular team, he decided he wanted to wear the iconic pinstripes after learning more about the Yankees.
“Just everything about them is world class,” he claimed.
Among these ‘world-class’ attributes are the crew, which includes three biomechanics trainers with whom Estrada will work at the Tampa training center.
He stated the opportunity to train so close to home strengthened his dedication to the Yankees’ minor league system.
Estrada’s route to the majors began in Little League, as it does for most developing baseball players. At the age of nine, he met family friend and retired MLB pitcher Joey Eischen, who has been instrumental in shaping the Yankees’ commitment.
Aside from being Estrada’s pitching coach, Eischen has been a mentor on and off the field, encouraging him to be strong, work hard, and refuse to take handouts.
Estrada was specifically taught to perform as if he were a warrior in the coliseum, not just as a pitcher but also as a Christian fighter. Estrada’s faith and this reminder have played a significant role in his rise to the majors.
“It gives me a greater reason other than myself to play and do things that I might not want to do,” according to him.
Estrada had previously planned to play for Florida State University in the autumn, but his decision to join the Yankees now will allow him to begin his playing career immediately and go through the minor leagues.
His draft day selection had been a long time coming. Scouts have been watching Estrada and he has spoken with the Yankees during predraft workouts.
“It would be nerve-racking if you didn’t believe you belonged in the position that you’re in,” he said of playing in front of scouts.
He stated that there were games in which he felt so scared that he wanted to puke up.
“But by the time I stepped on the mound,” he recalled, “all those nerves are gone, and I just feel confident.”