Ben Blotner
Senior Sports Writer
Shortly after completing a monster 2018 season that cemented him as one of the most dominant baseball players in Wooster history, shortstop Michael Wielansky ’19 is living out his lifelong dream of playing professionally. Selected in the 18th round of the 2018 MLB draft by defending World Series champions Houston Astros, Wielansky is playing the remainder of this season with the Single-A Tri-City ValleyCats. While the former Scot has had ups and downs so far in pro ball, he is adjusting to the highest level of competition he has ever faced.
“I’m just going to keep working hard every day and stay positive through it all,” he said. “Most of all, pro ball has been a great experience so far and has been a lot of fun!”
Another fun time for Wielansky came on the day of the draft, when he and his family learned that he would be fulfilling his childhood dream.
“The day I was drafted I was at my house. . . my parents, sister and my girlfriend were all with me the entire day,” Wielansky said. “My dad was watching the feed on his phone and my name popped up. Then everyone started screaming and hugging each other. It was so surreal because it was my dream from the time I was about three years old to be a professional baseball player and now it came true … I have had so much support throughout my entire career and I am so thankful for everyone who has been a part of it and who has helped me along the way.”
While Wielansky is thoroughly enjoying his first pro ball experience, he has had the challenge of adjusting to dramatic lifestyle and cultural changes. “The first couple of days I got to New York it was me, three other draft guys and almost the rest of the team were from Latin America,” Wielansky said. “It was a huge change but also very cool because they have taught me a lot about the culture in places like the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. It’s difficult sometimes with the language barrier, but I am picking up a little Spanish as I talk to them more.”
Wielansky, who attended Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, earned many honors during his time on the diamond at Wooster. He hit .425 and won a Gold Glove award as a sophomore in 2017. That summer, Wielansky was MVP of the Valley Baseball League, a prestigious collegiate summer program. The star shortstop continued to tear up the league in 2018, hitting .401 and breaking the program’s career records for assists and triples. In both ’17 and ’18, Wielansky was named a first-team All-American and Mideast Region Position Player-of-the-Year.
More important than statistics and awards, however, were the friends and experiences Wielansky enjoyed during his time at Wooster.
“The Wooster baseball experience was three of the best years I’ve ever had playing baseball,” he reflected. “I think a lot of alumni and players will tell you that it’s much more than a team, we’re a family. It really felt like that playing there. From Coach P [Tim Pettorini], Doc [Barry Cruddock] and the rest of the coaching staff to all of my teammates and even the parents, I wouldn’t even be close to where I am today without them all.”