Jesse Winker
Jesse Winker is an American baseball outfielder and designated hitter who has played in Major League Baseball since 2017. He was born on August 17, 1993, in Buffalo, New York, and grew up near Niagara Falls before moving to Orlando, Florida, at age seven. He attended Olympia High School, where he starred as a hitter, and he chose to sign with the Cincinnati Reds after being drafted in 2012 (49th overall) rather than attending college.
Winker began his pro career with the Reds organization, reaching the majors in 2017. He quickly established himself as a productive bat, and in 2021 he was named an All-Star and started in right field for the National League. His time with the Reds ended after the 2021 season.
In 2022, Winker was traded to the Seattle Mariners with Eugenio Suárez. He had a memorable walk-off single for Seattle on April 24, 2022, but the season was marred by injury and he finished with a lower batting line. After the season, Seattle traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers, where he played in 2023, posting modest numbers and facing health and performance challenges.
Winker signed with the Washington Nationals in 2024 and later was traded to the New York Mets in July 2024. With Washington in 2024, he posted a solid on-base percentage and contributed 11 homers and 45 RBIs in 101 games. After the trade to the Mets, he hit his first Mets home run in August 2024 and added a postseason homer in the NLDS. In 2024–25 with the Mets, he delivered a productive postseason showing and helped the team reach the playoffs.
On January 17, 2025, Winker re-signed with the Mets on a one-year, $8 million contract. He began the season dealing with an oblique injury in May 2025, which sidelined him for several weeks, followed by a back issue later in the year. He returned briefly in 2025, appearing in 26 games for the Mets and posting a .229 batting average with 1 home run and 10 RBIs before being shut down due to the back injury.
Career highlights and stats:
- All-Star (2021)
- Career batting average around .261 with about 96 home runs and 334 RBIs through the 2025 season
- Notable moments include multiple 3-homer games in 2021 and a pair of walk-off moments in 2022 and 2024
Off the field, Winker has a daughter named Wren. His father Joe runs a baseball training facility, and his older brother Joey spent time in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:32 (CET).