ARLINGTON – The city of Warren, Ohio, is unabashedly football country, making Marlins All-Star closer Tanner Scott the exception.

Even Scott’s older brother, Tyler, went on to play football at Northwestern University. Growing up, Tanner chose baseball over basketball, mainly because he didn’t grow past his 6-foot frame. It also helped that Scott’s hometown, which is about 56 miles southeast of Cleveland, was near the Mahoning Valley Scrappers -- a Minor League affiliate for the Guardians’ organization until 2020.

“My mom [Bette] was the athlete of the family for sure,” Scott said. “She played softball and basketball, and my uncles played sports. My parents really said, ‘Try every sport that you can just so you learn whatever you like and whatever you don't like. You play sports or you go get a job.’ And me and my brother just always played sports, and we always played baseball in the front yard, and it just stuck.”

That’s quite the understatement for Scott, who is an All-Star for the first time in his eight-year big league career. But it wasn’t until his senior year at Howland High School, where home games were held at the same field he watched Cleveland legends Victor Martinez and CC Sabathia play, that Scott considered baseball to be a viable career option. Jason Stanford, a left-handed pitcher with 23 MLB appearances on his resume, was Scott’s head coach and helped him go to college for baseball.

“It was huge that someone with big league experience was my coach at 16-17 years old,” Scott said. “You really learn. You're like a sponge. It was cool to see, because he was in that Minor League process, and then he was in the big leagues. So it was cool to always pick his brain, someone that's been there.”

Scott attended Notre Dame College, an institution in South Euclid, Ohio, that no longer exists in 2024, then transferred to Howard College in Big Spring, Texas. With each step, the possibility of professional baseball became more real, until finally, the Orioles selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

But Scott didn’t sign immediately; he made one start for Chatham of the Cape Cod League before inking a $650,000 bonus -- more than $400,000 above the recommended slot value. Early scouting reports foretold his career path, including this one from MLB Pipeline in 2017: “With his big fastball from the left side and knack for missing bats, Scott's upside as late-inning reliever is undeniable. The Orioles will continue to develop him as a starter for the time being, though he's unlikely to stick in that role without making massive gains as a strike-thrower.”

Along the way, Scott garnered accolades. He made the Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team in 2015. Before his Major League debut on Sept. 20, 2017, he was named a Mid-Season All-Star at the Double-A level and represented Baltimore at the All-Star Futures Game, which was held in Miami. Scott was an AFL Rising Star that fall.

When Scott came over to Miami with reliever Cole Sulser toward the end of Spring Training in 2022, he was the wild card of the trade. Through his first 170 MLB outings, he had compiled a 95 ERA+.

"When you're a left-handed pitcher who throws 100 [mph], you're always going to have a job somewhere,” said Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who was teammates with Scott from 2020-21. “It sucks we got rid of him, but super happy for him that he's found a home over there, and for him to be in the All-Star Game is awesome."

During Scott’s early days with the Marlins, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and then-manager Don Mattingly held a closed-door meeting to give him some direction. They spoke about taking his throwing program more seriously and getting a handle on his delivery in order to reach his potential.

Scott, who turns 30 on July 22, has done just that in becoming one of the Majors’ most dominant relievers. He won National League Reliever of the Month in September/October for his efforts in helping Miami secure a surprise postseason appearance. Later this year, his football-leaning hometown will induct him into his high school’s Hall of Fame.

“Today, it's really fun and rewarding as a coach to watch, and it didn't come easy,” Stottlemyre said. “I promise you it did not come easy. And there was a lot of scrutiny from baseball people and even people in the organization, so I’m proud of who he is today and what he's doing in this game. People once knew of the guy with great stuff that sprayed the ball. Now, he's wiping the best hitters out in baseball."