Brewers’ Cooper Pratt Links Tithing to Baseball Success in Latter-day Saint Church Post

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt thanked his Heavenly Father in a postgame interview with Fox Sports on Wednesday, minutes after the team won the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida. Pratt, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared his testimony of God and his commitment to living his faith the next day on the church’s official social media accounts.

In that post, Pratt wrote that growing up, “it was always God, family, and baseball.” He described many late nights of practice and a lot of travel, and said it was sometimes hard to get to church. “But my parents helped me build a foundation on a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he wrote.

Pratt, a rookie who made his MLB debut in June, became a breakout star this postseason. He hit a home run and drove in seven runs in the World Series. He became the first rookie in World Series history to record four hits and a home run in a single game, and he recorded a hit in six straight at-bats, according to the Deseret News.

Pratt had always held a testimony, but after the Brewers drafted him in 2023, he decided to read the Book of Mormon in its entirety for the first time. He said a fellow draftee who shared his faith became a roommate, and the two studied the scriptures together. “As I read, I received personal revelation. That’s when my testimony really became stronger,” he said.

Pratt said his mother taught him about paying tithing and the blessings that come from it at a young age. “As I’ve kept that commitment, I’ve learned that the blessings can be physical, too,” he said. “For me, being able to play baseball at my best is a blessing I connect directly to paying my tithing.” He also said he has tried to reflect on how God has blessed him in both the “good” and “rough” years of his career. “Looking back helped me recognize the opportunities and blessings he had already given me,” he said, a habit of remembering what God has done (Psalm 78:4).

Pratt said his faith also shaped his decision to follow the Word of Wisdom, the church’s health code, which teaches members to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, coffee and tea. “Living the Word of Wisdom is a choice I made early,” he said. “I’ve never wanted to drink or smoke. In high school, I watched people try vaping, get addicted and struggle to stop.”

His commitment drew wider attention after the Brewers won the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres. Pratt did not want to celebrate advancing to the National League Championship Series with alcohol, as his teammates did, and no sparkling cider was available for him. He took a couple of glass bottles of Fanta from the fridge instead. “I didn’t even want to hold alcohol because I didn’t want to give the impression I was drinking it,” he said.

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