When Jesse Winker landed in Queens last July, New York Mets fans were far from thrilled. Not that he didn’t have talent; it’s just that he has a history of getting under their skin. From waving at them after a grand slam to his “I hate Milwaukee” comment, Winker played the role of a villain well.

So when the Mets traded for him, were the reactions mixed? Could they cheer for him?

Well, they sure did. It didn’t take fans long enough to warm down to Winker. His energy was infectious, and his bat came alive at the right time. And suddenly, he wasn’t Citi Field’s enemy anymore. He was also a key part of the Mets’ playoff push. So, it wasn’t surprising when the franchise extended him for $7.5 million a year.

And here is the thing: Winker has always played with emotion. He didn’t do any actions planned; he just went through with the emotion. He plays with fire, and he is not shy about it. No Wonder he compared his emotional resemblance to Michael Jordan.

Winker admitted, “I think the best emotion is like when you win, I think a lot of emotion comes from that, and you’ve seen guys that have won, it appears that when they’re done, they’re exhausted. I remember watching documentaries on Michael Jordan and all that, and you’d see him after winning a championship how exhausted he was because he literally put everything he had into that title run, right?” That’s the inspiration for Winker.

This mindset isn’t something one can build in a few years, it was ingrained.

See, Jesse Winker has always been an emotional person. As a kid, he had to keep up with his older brothers in playing baseball and football. It was a time when complaining was not an option. You either played hard or got left behind. Winker said, “And you weren’t able to like whine or complain or bitch and moan; you just had to go play.”

Winker is ever so pumped for what’s next for the New York Mets. He did mention being just two games close to the World Series, and not going there was a pincher. But he learned from the losses and put the bow on it. For now, he has a message for fans: “Can’t wait to go play hard for them. It’s going to be fun. I respect the hell out of them.”

But even then, being the outfielder is not his favorite role.

New York Mets star Winker’s favorite role? Being a girl dad

Jesse Winker is emotional not just with his sport but in other aspects of life too. If you ask him now what defines him, he would not say game, but—him being a dad. He is one of those dads highlights are made about.

In 2023, he gave the world a glimpse of his fatherly side when he stepped on the field.

Playing for the Milwaukee Brewers back then, he didn’t wear a gold chain or flashy jewelry; he wore a handmade necklace from his daughter Wren. It was not top quality, but it was a piece of his home, crafted with stars and sparkles.

For Jesse, he says that ever since Wren came into his life, his entire world changed.

The New York Mets star mentioned, “My daughter [Wren]. … I just think being a girl dad is a privilege. It’s an honor, and I’ve learned so much from my daughter because obviously she’s turning 5 in May. I just want to represent her to the best of my ability, and I want her as she gets older and she starts figuring out who she is and what she wants to be, I hope she could look at her father and just know that her dad’s doing exactly what he loves. He gets to be your dad, and then he gets to play baseball. Those are the two things I want to do.” 

That’s the legacy he wants to leave behind – first, as a dad and then as someone who plays baseball. So when the uniform of blue and orange comes out, his favorite role begins. “When I get home, and I have my daughter with me, I get to go be the dad version of myself, and that’s my favorite time.”

Indeed, someone out of the box, don’t you think?