'We live in a broken world': Cincinnati Reds' Jake Fraley says 'walking with Jesus' helped during daughter's cancer battle

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley got off to a hot start for the 2024 MLB season despite a troublesome offseason that saw his daughter battling cancer.

Fraley earned himself a new contract worth $2.15 million after putting up career-high numbers in home runs and runs batted in for 2023, but much of his focus heading into the new season has been undoubtedly with his family.

"Cincinnati Reds fans have been praying for your family and sending well wishes to your 5-year-old daughter Avery, who is in remission," WLWT's Olivia Ray told Fraley.

"Praise Jesus," Fraley interrupted.

"It's wonderful news," Ray continued. "A new perspective I'm sure for you this offseason and this past year. How are you walking into this season with everything that your family has been through?" the reported asked.

"Walking with Jesus. Simple as that," Fraley replied. "We’re going through the most challenging part that we’ve ever had to as a family. But to be able to understand who my Father is and how much He loves me and the fact that He can provide a true peace and a true joy and a true happiness that can only come from Him."

"We live in a broken world," the 28-year-old continued. "We live in a world that, unfortunately, has a lot of disease. It has sickness. It has a lot of awful things that happen to a lot of good people … but praise the Lord that we have a Savior that died on the cross for us and is allowing for a way for us to be able to still live with — like I said — that true joy, true peace, true happiness, no matter what circumstance you’re going through."

Just after the 2024 season started, Fraley announced that he and his wife had teamed up with a nonprofit to aimed at fighting sex trafficking, to which they would donate money for each homerun Fraley hits.

"My wife and I have teamed up with [This Mission] to join their mission in advancing the gospel while fighting sex trafficking and the sexual exploitation of minors[.] We’ll be donating $500 per homerun I hit this year and I encourage everyone to check them out & donate when you can!" Fraley wrote on X.

The charity's mission statement said that the organization "mobilizes believers on the mission field" and provides support for "organizations actively fighting sex trafficking and sexual exploitation."

After explaining that his daughter is now in a much better physical state, Fraley was asked about his expectations for the new season.

"I think we're just going to be here for each other," he predicted.

Fraley also emphasized "daily execution" as his preferred thought process as opposed to worrying about overarching expectations. The day-to-day process requires discipline, he noted, and the ability to push a set of defined goals to the back of his mind.

"I think expectations kind of cloud what we want to do in the present moment," the player concluded.

Fraley hails from Frederick, Maryland, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016.

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