By Kayla DeKraker
MLB player Zach McKinstry puts his faith before the game, recently sharing how he focuses on God’s word as he steps up to the plate.
“I changed my approach to going to the plate,” the Detroit Tigers third baseman said a recent Instagram video posted by Purpose Church. “I started referencing Proverbs 3:5-6: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your path.'”
“I do that before every [game],” McKinstry explained, “And if I kind of like feel myself kind of slipping away from that, I say it again to myself as I’m stepping in between pitches.”
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The church’s post emphasized that McKinstry’s “breakout season didn’t start with mechanics. It started with perspective.” The post encouraged fans to follow the athlete’s example and stay “centered on Jesus.”
People in the comment section applauded McKinstry for being vocal about his faith.
“Praise God! Good to see professional athletes actually living it out!” one person said.
Another added, “You are being looked down upon from above in so many ways. Go forward and praise the lord above! Love you Zachary!❤️❤️❤️”
McKinstry’s MLB debut came in 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2022 and soon after was traded again to the Tigers, where he’s been since 2023. He won the American League Silver Slugger Award in 2025, which goes “to the best hitter at each position and are voted on by MLB managers and coaches.”
McKinstry has talked about his faith throughout his career, even getting involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He admitted that at the beginning of his career, “I was always kind of self-serving,” but as he dove deeper into his faith, he began helping others.
“Once I found my faith and my calling, it was more like, ‘All right, it’s not really serving yourself anymore,’” he said. “It’s serving other people and the people around you. Not really looking for it, but it kind of comes and finds you.”
“That’s where it turned for me,” McKinstry added, “when faith became the center of my life.”
He has served in BBQ Mission, a non-profit that feeds people experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix, Arizona. Founders of the organization Jeff and Kate Simpson said of McKinstry, “He just wants to roll up his sleeves and serve shoulder-to-shoulder with everybody else. He’s willing to talk about baseball if one of our patrons wants to talk about baseball. But mostly he’s just there to give back.”
McKinstry’s life is a beautiful reminder that no matter your talent or status, at the end of the day what truly matters is loving God and loving others.
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