New Shade of Blue: Macon Winslow Finds Fit in Chapel Hill

Macon Winslow was born under his own lucky star. Well, not so much born but he did sleep under his own version of a fortunate constellation when he was an infant: a Trot Nixon jersey. The No. 7 Boston Red Sox threads hung above his crib and then his bed when he was a bit older.

Fortuitously, that jersey must’ve leaked baseball love onto the young Winslow. Nixon and Winslow are from North Carolina, and without Nixon, Winslow’s family would not have committed what some may see as a cardinal sin: switching from being a Yankees fan to joining Red Sox Nation. Northeastern North Carolina bled pinstripes for Catfish Hunter until native son Nixon arrived in Beantown.

Winslow has ironically committed a similar switch, playing two years at Duke before transferring this offseason to UNC to take up his glove behind the dish at Boshamer Stadium.

“What really did it for me here is the pitching staff here,” Winslow said. “Having the chance to catch these guys, the starters and this bullpen, it’s something special.”

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The day after Duke lost to Murray State in the 2025 Super Regionals, falling two runs shy of Omaha, former Blue Devil head coach Chris Pollard announced his intention to become the new head coach of Virginia.

Winslow scored the final run of Duke’s season, a homer to left in the bottom of the eighth. 

His baseball future was uncertain. He thought that feeling would come just a bit later, when he was eligible for the Major League Draft. But he was put into an early limbo. 

He hadn’t been that uncertain since his freshman year of high school, in the few months before he committed to become a Blue Devil. He didn’t waver in his decision when he joined Pro5 Academy for his final two years of high school and even roomed with his future teammate, Gavin Gallaher. 

But there he was, his team had almost tasted Omaha and then immediately his head coach jumped ship to ACC opponent Virginia. 

Winslow spent two years of development at Duke. His freshman year, after being recruited as the No. 1 catching prospect (ahead of former Tar Heel Luke Stevenson) in the state, he split time behind the dish and the outfield. 

“So learning to play with guys that were 24 years old was interesting,” Winslow said of catching Duke’s graduate pitchers. “So that was probably my biggest area of growth, just growing as a person under those guys who’ve just been around that much longer and from different ways of life than me.”

It wasn’t until his sophomore year that Winslow began to step into his own. He felt more comfortable. He had been in a college environment with college routines for a year. He had a championship ring from a summer playing with the best in the Cape Cod League. 

The work paid off. He recorded a .278 average at the plate as a sophomore with 55 hits, 13 doubles, a triple, and nine home runs—all metrics miles above his freshman campaign. 

One of his best days at the plate was April 4 vs. UNC, collecting hits against Jason DeCaro and Cam Padgett, both players he will catch this season

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The post-Pollard uncertainty didn’t last long. 

Head coach Scott Forbes and assistant coach Scott Jackson reached out as soon as Winslow hit the transfer portal. 

To fans in the Triangle, the switch in the shade of blue may seem dramatic, but to Winslow the breadcrumbs had been there all along. Roommates with Gallaher at Pro5 under coach Sean Gallaher (Gavin’s father), he played against Folger Boaz in the 3A state championship in high school and lived with Olin Johnson during his time on the Cape with the Harwich Mariners. 

With the switch came big cleats to fill. Stevenson led the Tar Heel battery for two seasons, being both a rock to support the pitching staff and as a weapon at the plate. Stevenson was taken in comp-round A — 35th overall — to the Seattle Mariners.

Winslow is taking the transition in stride. He knows he’s not Stevenson and he’s not trying to be.    

“The main thing [with Forbes] is he wanted someone that could best serve the pitchers,” Winslow said. “Not just from a physical standpoint, but mainly a mental standpoint, and what I can do to make them comfortable.”

What sets the newest UNC catcher apart is his experience in the ACC and his even keel. His drawl is slow, you can hear the eastern North Carolina in his voice. His father is a sod farmer who maintained fields with Jackson during their time at Barton University. Catfish Hunter’s house is a mile from Winslow’s.

He’s caught 17-year-olds, 25-year-olds, and everything in between. He faced Jonah Tong and Ryan Clifford, two of the Mets’ top prospects, in high school. He’s learned how to help young pitchers still figuring out how to drive their arsenals—like Tar Heel Caden Glauber, who should still be in high school—and those that can describe their pitch shapes in their sleep. 

“Macon Winslow is very similar to Kane Kepley,” head coach Scott Forbes told Inside Carolina. “The guy’s a leader and you have to make them understand that this is your first year here, and it might be your only year here, but this is your team.”

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Thus far in his time at UNC, Winslow has leaned on new pillars. Namely, Brandon Martorano, who was the Tar Heels’ starting catcher for three years. Martorano has been working with Winslow and backup catcher Colin Hynek to help them maximize their ability to serve the pitching staff. 

However, for Winslow his impact starts off the field of play. His job as a catcher is more than setting up his pitchers. 

“Knowing them as human beings, just off the field,” Winslow said. “Just knowing a lot about them, their lives and where they come from and what they like to do. That’s step one.”

He knows his pitchers’ tendencies on the mound and on the grill. He knows which songs they like pregame and what call is coming in a bases loaded, two-out, 3-2 count. 

Winslow’s job is to enrich the people around him.  He starts within himself.  He’s not uncertain. 

“The main thing is having conviction in your calls, and even if you’re wrong, just truly believing,” Winslow said. “Having confidence in everything you say, because that rubs off on everything and everybody else around you.”

He knows his role: to anchor the young Tar Heel team up the middle and steer the ship. 

Winslow’s head coach, for one, is certain he’s up for the task. 

“When you have a young man that’s caught in our league, like Macon, that’s a leader,” Forbes said. “I just explained to him be a leader. Don’t be afraid to speak up. The guys are going to respect you with how you carry yourself, and if you’re a good teammate, which you are.”

It may not be the No. 7 that hung over his bed for so long, but Winslow is more than ready to suit up in No. 6 for a new blue.