From Little League to the Minor Leagues, Woodward always looks on the bright side.
JP Woodward Finds The Right Perspective
Setting His Sights
A Dream Come True
The Plan Falls Apart
Pushing Ahead and Going Pro
JP's Eyewear Picks
On the Field
For the Sun
Credit: JP Woodward
If you told JP Woodward as a kid that he’d grow up to be a professional baseball player, he probably wouldn’t have believed you. JP got involved with baseball as a young kid and stayed purely because he loved it, though he says he was never the most talented player. It’s been a long journey for that little kid in glasses to go pro, but at the heart of it is JP’s philosophy: stay committed and remember why you love the game.
Setting His Sights
Growing up in Baltimore, JP played lots of different sports, but by high school, he had committed to baseball. “As I got older I started to love it more and more and more, and realized that it was kind of a second side of my personality,” he says. It was in high school that he started wearing Oakleys while pitching, a look that’s now become his signature.
“I remember I saw Joe Kelly pitching,” Woodward explains. “He was pitching on TV and I was like, damn, like, those [glasses] are really cool.” (Fun fact: SportRx helped Joe Kelly get his glasses too. Watch more here.) Woodward knew he wanted the same pair. He got those glasses in his senior year of high school and has been wearing the same style ever since.
Credit: JP Woodward
Though he loved playing in high school, he didn’t put a lot of thought into playing college ball. When choosing colleges, he didn’t prioritize athletics, but rather academics. He ultimately decided on Lafayette College, a school his grandfather had attended. Still, he wasn’t ready to give up playing entirely. Woodward trained all summer, preparing to try for a spot on the team. When he arrived in the fall, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
A Dream Come True
He didn’t need to worry. Woodward found out he made the team as a walk-on, and one week later, he got called into the game. “I almost peed my pants, I didn’t even feel like I was in my body,” he says. He just remembers thinking “I’m playing division one baseball.” For a kid who had never been the best or the strongest, it felt like a dream come true.
From then on, he was committed. While he may not have the most natural talent, JP knew one thing was in his control: how hard he worked. His philosophy on self-improvement is ambitious but realistic: he just tried to improve a little each day. As the years went on, his dedication paid off. He was getting stronger, his pitch was getting faster, and he was growing into a leadership role on the team. By his junior year, Woodward would be going in as the number one starter. The future looked bright.
Credit: https://goleopards.com/sports/baseball/roster/jp-woodward/7999
The Plan Falls Apart
But everything changed one night in March. The team got a text saying their next game had been canceled due to Covid. Then their entire season.
“I think we were all just numb,” he remembers. That night, he says “our coach, who announced before the season he was retiring…he brought us all to one of the two college bars that were right off campus, and the whole team was there. I just remember we were all just hanging out, having a good time…and he just started bawling his eyes out about how much he was going to miss us…and I just remember sitting there [thinking] if I go into pro ball, this is the last time I’m gonna see some of these guys…it’s just not the way it was supposed to happen.”
Credit: JP Woodward
It was a brutal time, he says. “I think at that point it was either crumble under the ‘woe is me’ self-pity train, or decide to just stand up and say ‘screw it, let’s just keep going’ and obviously I chose the second option.”
Pushing Ahead and Going Pro
Although nothing had gone according to plan, the only thing to do was keep pushing forward, just as he’d always done. With the draft shortened that year, Woodward knew he’d have a tougher time than he’d expected. He’d have to sign as a free agent. Still, he was optimistic.
That positivity paid off. The morning after the draft, Woodward was driving to get donuts when calls started coming in. There were a lot of compelling offers, and he knew he’d have a tough decision to make. But when the Phillies called, it felt right. He trusted his gut and signed with them. It was a huge feeling to finally go pro after so many years, he says. He kept asking himself “is this really happening?”
Credit: JP Woodward
Now, with some pro experience under his belt, he’ll acknowledge that the life of a pro ball player isn’t always easy or glamorous. The schedules can make it difficult to keep in touch with friends and family, and training can be a grind. But, he says, “the thing that gets me through it really easily is just remembering…playing professional baseball, it’s every kid’s dream, you know?” Ultimately, no matter the challenges, he’s grateful to be where he is. “It’s all perspective,” he says. “When you choose to look at things positively and in a brighter light, it makes life a lot easier and a lot more fun.”
JP's Eyewear Picks
From his high school years to now, we're proud to be JP's source for prescription eyewear. Here are the pairs we made for him to use on and off the field.
ON THE FIELD
Oakley Flak 2.0 XL
Oakley Flak 2.0 XL in Matte Black with Clear Lenses
Shop Oakley Flak 2.0 XL
FOR THE SUN
SportRx Huckson
SportRx Huckson in Matte Grey
Shop SportRx Huckson
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