Outspoken Christian Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen, who is trying to help his team win a second consecutive World Series, says he is on a mission to “make Heaven crowded.”
The 37-year-old proudly proclaimed his faith during a recent interview with CBN Sports published last week.
“I think my family’s name is great in the eyes of God, but in the eyes of the world, nobody really knew the Treinens, and I don’t really care if they do,” he said. “I want them to see Christ’s greatness and what He’s accomplished in my career.”
He pondered, “How do we make Heaven crowded?” stressing that he didn’t “want to see any of [his] teammates or anybody in the stands or anybody in this world face the alternative.”
“Making Heaven crowded,” the pitcher said, is his “goal.”
“Every single one of us have been given a gift and our way of repaying it to the Lord is how do we honor him with that gift?”
“When I am welcomed into the gates of Heaven, I want to hear ‘Job well done, good and faithful servant,'” he concluded.
The journeyman has bounced around a bit in his career, having been drafted in the 23rd round of the 2010 draft by the Miami Marlins. He first appeared in the big leagues as a member of the Washington Nationals in 2014, a team he spent parts of four seasons with before he became an Oakland Athletic in 2017. He made his only All-Star Game in 2018, finishing sixth in the American League Cy Young Award voting that season as he racked up a career-best 38 saves. He has been a Dodger since 2020.
Following his team’s victory in the World Series last year, Treinen told the MLB Network, “God is absolutely good.”
“I got to give a shout out to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this moment,” Treinen added.
When asked, “Who was the first person you thought of on the final out?” Treinen responded, “God.”
The Dodgers are headed to the World Series again this year after having pulled off a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. They will face either the Seattle Mariners or the Toronto Blue Jays.
Treinen’s X profile, which he has not updated in over three years, contains a statement reading “I love Jesus Christ he is my savior” in the biography. An emoji of a cross as well as an American flag appear next to his name on his account.
In 2023, Treinen condemned the Dodgers over the team’s plans to recognize the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of men in drag who dress up as Catholic nuns, as part of the team’s celebration of LGBT pride month. Treinen indicated that he was willing to accept consequences for speaking out: “I understand that playing baseball is a privilege, and not a right. My convictions with Jesus Christ will always come first.”
Treinen maintained that “Inviting the [Sisters] of Perpetual Indulgence to perform disenfranchises a large community and promotes hate of Christians and people of faith,” adding “This single event alienates the fans and supporters of the Dodgers, Major League Baseball, and professional sports.”
Expressing confidence that “Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins,” Treinen cited Galatians 6:7 as a passage that informed his view of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The relevant Scripture verse states, “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked; a man reaps what he sows.”
After reiterating his opposition to the Dodgers’ decision to recognize the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Treinen also quoted from Joshua 24:15, which declares “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
