By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
The path for the next great New York Yankee relief pitcher just might run through an unlikely place, the community around Brandenburg, Kentucky. That’s because Will Brian, a 23-year-old lefthander raised there, was drafted by the Yankees this summer after finishing his career in Richmond as an EKU shut-down closing reliever and winning national recognition in doing so.
Will originally made the Eastern team as a walk-on, and he finished his senior year with highly impressive credentials. He had a 3-1 record with a 1.83 ERA and 15 saves in 31 appearances. He allowed only 16 hits while walking 14 and striking out 53 in 39 innings. He made three All-American teams, and his 15 saves now stand as an EKU record.
I recently caught up with Will in Versailles, where he lives with his wife, Makenzie, and did this Q & A with him as he participated in a fall Yankee instructional program in Florida. I quickly realized how polite and well-grounded he is, and I’ll be rooting hard for this special Kentuckian, as will many others.
I also had a chance to ask Makenzie — also polite and well-grounded — if she is a little nervous about the possibility of someday living in New York City if Will makes it to the Yankees.
“Yes, it makes me a little nervous” she said. “I have never been to NYC before, and while it’s exciting, it is also daunting. But I know this is part of God’s plan, and I will go where he takes me. I am so proud of the man Will is, and how much he has worked for this. I know that if this is meant to be, we will be happy no matter where we go.”
Here is the interview with Will Brian:
SF: You were a small-town boy from Meade County who walked on to the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team, made great strides, and later was drafted in the tenth round by the New York Yankees. That’s an inspirational story, for sure. Describe what it was like growing up in your community, playing sports, gaining core values… and of course, dreaming big dreams.
WB: So, I first moved to Meade County when I was 9 years old, and every kid’s worse fear is moving and having to meet new friends and get used to an entirely new area. For me, Meade County wasn’t like that. It is a small town (area) where everyone knows everyone and there are great relationships in that community. It was very easy to make friends and wanting to play sports is something that Meade County excels at so it was easy to get my “foot in the door.”
When it comes to sports, our community was very big on sports as our sports were no joke. We are one of the best high school sports programs in Kentucky, in my opinion. A distinguished school all around. Growing up in that community, even as a young child and (as) teenagers, you felt as if there were standards when it comes to sports. We are a winning school in sports and we push the limits as if we were a college team. If it weren’t for that, I don’t think I would be where I am today.
The support, the constant push for success, and the lessons I learned at such a young age (came) at such a young age from these sports. I learned to be more mature, be professional at what I do, and learn that things are not gonna be given to you to you and you have to work for what you want.
Now dreaming big… I felt every kid’s dream in Meade County is to play for the Yankees as I felt as if most of my friends or people in the community were Yankee fans. So when I got drafted, it wasn’t just special for me but for everyone in the community. I’m hoping I can encourage many young and even older kids to pursue their dreams.
SF: After joining the EKU baseball team, you didn’t immediately perform at the high level you did later. Discuss the maturation process, including your personal growth and the influences you received from your coaches and others in those years.
WB: Coming into Eastern as a walk-on and a freshman, there was many nerves for me. I knew there was a lot to learn and a lot to get accomplished. This was the first time being away from my home, friends, and family so I was very sealed off from everyone. I finally had to realize that this was my life and the only person that can do something about it is me.
God had a plan for me; I just had to take the first step. After I made that first step, I started maturing as I was becoming a man and being independent and not relying on others. You meet people all over the world and it’s a great opportunity to just be you. The coaches at Eastern played a big role in me maturing and just being major influences in my life. Our coaches loved what we did on the field, but they also cared a lot about our off-field experiences as well. They constantly asked us how our life was going and what they could do to make our time there better, which is something that I loved. They taught me how to play at an entire new level that I didn’t know I was capable of and that opened my eyes to the draft actually being an option when I get older.
SF: You have already had a taste of minor league ball and are currently furthering your development in an instructional league in Florida. How has this experience differed from your time playing for EKU, and what are the current and future challenges?
WB: EKU is very competitive and so is the Yankees. No matter what taking that next step will also be different because in college it goes from balancing school and baseball at once to only playing baseball and it becoming a profession real fast and all I do is baseball. Eastern prepared me for the opportunity to play pro ball, so I am very thankful for that but with the resources we have at the next level, it’s definitely a big difference. Now with challenges, it’s just like any job. Nothing is going to be easy and you have to work your tail off to get where you want to be, so the only challenge I face is myself and how hard I am willing to work to get where I want.
SF: Realizing that lots of things are beyond your control, ie. injuries, competition, and a certain amount of luck, what might hopefully be a reasonable timeline for you to reach your ultimate goal—playing in the majors?
WB: As long as I stay positive, work hard, be strong, pray, and trust in God things will work itself out. If someone asked me if I could be in the majors tomorrow, I would say yes. There is so much to learn, but who doesn’t want to be there? I don’t want to put a timeline on anything because ultimately the only one who knows where you will be the next minute is God. Since my freshman year of college, I have strengthened my relationship with God every year. There have already been ups and downs and he has still put me in the position that I am in. Being able to trust in him and trust in him and trust no matter how hard things get, he will always bless me. So I rely on him and I believe as long as I do the right thing and do what my heart tells me, it’s what he would want for me.
SF: You were married in 2021 to a beautiful young woman from Versailles. Talk about your relationship and the careers each of you are pursuing. Make sure you also discuss the three special canines in your family.
WB: As I could talk about my wife forever and our journey, I’ll keep it short. Me and my wife met my freshman year of college. I was injured during the time and she met me at one of the hardest times in my life. Mentally and physically, I was struggling but she gave me hope and gave me a reason to want to keep pushing. At the time we met, I didn’t know she would be attending Eastern which would later be the icing on the cake. Both of us being together all the time was something that assured us both in our relationship. She was majoring in recreational therapy with a minor in equine therapy while I was majoring in accounting and finance. We both graduated this year while getting married in 2021 and being together for four going on five years. About a year of us being together, we both knew what we wanted in life which involved each other. We just needed to get down to the details.
We always wanted dogs, but she wanted to breed pure bred golden retrievers and I wanted to be a professional baseball player. Well, the ultimate goal was we both wanted each other to be happy and support each other’s goals, so that year we bought our first golden. Now after years later we have three pure breed goldens, working on four, and are about to start our business and I am a professional baseball player. What may seem like a hassle, me and Makenzie have a great balance between everything which makes our marriage stronger and just shows us both we are willing to do anything for each other.
SF: You have already accomplished much at your age, with hopes and plans to accomplish much more. What advice would you give to young person to inspire them to reach their full potential and gain success in life?
WB: For ones who struggle mentally and physically like myself, I would tell them that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and times may get tough but trust in God, yourself, and lean on loved ones who support you and continue to push yourself and results will show. Just give it time.
For ones that are maturing… for a long portion of my life, before I started maturing, I consistently watched people and wanted to fit in with people who were better than me, or, I just compared myself to. But comparison is the thief of joy and just drags you down. Stay positive, don’t let people bring you down, focus on yourself and loved ones, and add value to yourself and others around you.
Overall, doing stuff halfway will not get you where you want to be. Do what you are supposed to do the right way and more. Stand out, set standards, and excel.