Finnegan relishes fatherhood experiences

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

During the season, late-inning reliever Kyle Finnegan closes out baseball games.

In the offseason, father of three Kyle Finnegan carpools from soccer practice.

“Baseball’s what I do, it’s not who I am,” Finnegan said. “I’m a dad and a husband. It’s easy [to switch modes]. I look forward to it.”

When Finnegan, 31, made his hometown debut at Minute Maid Park in Houston this week, his massive cheering section included his 11-year-old daughter, Brayden, and teammates from her soccer team. He hosted the group during batting practice, where they wore matching blue t-shirts that read “Finnegan drives my carpool.” (Brayden donned her Nationals gear.)

“It’s been something cool to allow her to have that experience,” Finnegan said. “She’s been great with her friends, kind of bringing them in on what it’s like a little bit. It’s been really fun.”

Finnegan’s schedule stays busy when the baseball season ends. Soccer practice is held three to four nights a week, and it runs later when there is strength and agility training, too. Those evenings, Finnegan has an important task to complete before pickup from practice.

“We’ve got a little rotation with the moms, and I get in there and do my days,” Finnegan said. “Their soccer schedule is crazy. There’s nights where they don’t have time to eat dinner. So, you show up, you pick them up with Chick-fil-A and they eat Chick-fil-A in the car on the way home so they can get to bed.”

Finnegan appreciates Brayden’s dedication to soccer. He was a huge sports fan growing up and she is, too. Now, Finnegan gets to share that passion with her as his profession.

“It’s special because I remember as a kid how obsessed I was with sports,” Finnegan said. “I didn’t know what the daily life is like and what it’s like to be a professional athlete, so to show her around -- she plays sports, too, and loves sports, so she’s kind of getting that behind-the-scenes look, which is really cool.”

There also are lessons Finnegan hopes his daughter learns from his journey as a pro athlete. Drafted by the Athletics in 2013, Finnegan worked his way through the Minor Leagues until he made his Major League debut in 2020 with the Nationals.

“She knows all the work that I put in the offseason and at home and how stressful it can be at times, and that it all pays off when the game starts and you get to enjoy it and go play a game for a living,” he said. “I hope she learns that it takes hard work to get here, but if you put in the work, then it pays off.”

This week was a precursor to Finnegan’s Father’s Day celebration. Finnegan had not seen his family for about a month, and he was able to stay at home with them during the Houston road series. Now that the school year is over, his wife and children (they also have 21-month-old twins) are joining him in Washington, D.C., for the summer.

Looking for a few dad jokes? Finnegan has you covered. Watch the video below as he humorously stumps his teammates.