Celebrating his team’s victory with a bottle of orange soda recently gave Milwaukee Brewers rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt an unexpected opportunity to talk about his Latter-day Saint faith.
A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pratt doesn’t drink alcohol. Nonalcoholic drinks, such as sparkling cider, are usually available for him at team celebrations.
But after the Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres, 3-1, to win the National League Division Series on Oct. 7, the sparkling cider had been forgotten.
That was no big deal to Pratt. Wanting something to spray during the celebration, he went to the cafeteria and found glass bottles of Fanta.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this will work,’” Pratt told the Church News.
The 22-year-old returned to the clubhouse, unaware that his choice of drink would draw attention to his beliefs.
“What turned into me just grabbing a soda to celebrate turned into a bunch of people realizing and talking about my faith,” he said. “I didn’t expect it to blow up the way that it blew up. ... I just don’t drink.”
For Pratt’s family, the moment demonstrated his quiet confidence in living his faith.
“He’s comfortable in his own skin. He knows who he is,” said his father, Russell Pratt. “He’s not ashamed of it at all.”
His mother, Heidi Pratt, said her son’s example and joyful disposition invite questions about his faith without him having to push his beliefs on anyone.
“Cooper’s always happy. He’s always joyful,” she said. “And I think people recognize that maybe he’s a little bit different. People are starting to ask questions.”
His uncle, BYU head baseball coach Trent Pratt, received about 20 text messages from various people praising Cooper for staying true to his beliefs, including some from his own staff who didn’t know Cooper was his nephew.
Trent Pratt said he sees Cooper as an example to young people.
“I think that gives young kids ... a chance to see that, to stand up and do what you believe,” he said. “His faith matters to him. He’s not afraid to talk about it, which I think for a 22-year-old on that stage is pretty impressive.”
Amid Milwaukee’s postseason run, Pratt and family members reflected on the journey — and faith — that brought Pratt to baseball’s biggest stage.
Built on faith, bonded by baseball
Baseball runs deep in the Pratt family.
Cooper’s father, Russell, played baseball at the University of Utah. Four of his five uncles also played college baseball, with Trent and Scott advancing professionally. Another uncle, Mark, played college football.
Cooper’s older brother, Ozzie Pratt, played baseball at BYU and Southern Mississippi. His younger brother Quincy is committed to play at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), and his youngest brother, Jett, plays high school baseball.
Their mother, Heidi Pratt, played college softball at Utah Valley University and Nova Southeastern before spending a year coaching at the college level.
Baseball and faith shaped Cooper Pratt’s upbringing.
Russell Pratt grew up with a backyard batting cage and later helped create “The Farm,” a baseball development complex near Oxford, Mississippi. There, Cooper and his brothers practiced alongside other children and their fathers, pushing one another to improve.
Married in the Salt Lake Temple, Russell and Heidi Pratt sought to build their home around gospel principles. Amid busy schedules, Heidi said, they wanted their sons to know they were loved, were children of God and could stand by their beliefs even when others made different choices.
Both parents saw baseball as a way to teach hard work, resilience and perspective. For Russell Pratt, the game’s setbacks offered opportunities to learn about trying again and remembering that Heavenly Father never gives up on His children. The sport also kept his sons active and connected with others.
“There’s always another at-bat,” he said. “We fail in life, we pick ourselves up, we start over. There’s always hope. There’s always something to look forward to.”
Heidi Pratt noted similar life lessons in the game: “Some days you’re going to be the hero and some days you’re not. But you just kind of trudge through and trust the Lord.”
Russell also credited their Latter-day Saint ward in Oxford, Mississippi, where he currently serves as bishop, as a place where youth leaders and other members helped shape their sons’ faith.
Gaining a testimony
Russell Pratt described Cooper as an easy child to raise.
“I think he’s always done the little things,” his father said, such as consistently attending Church services and seminary each morning. “I don’t know of a bad decision Cooper made growing up. He’s really conscious of doing what’s right.”
As some of the few Latter-day Saints at their school, the Pratt boys learned early that their actions could shape how others understood their faith, their mother said.
“They’ve had to really decide and know that they’re an example in whatever they do,” she said.
During his high school years, Pratt described his father as someone whose gospel knowledge helped answer his questions. His mother, a family physician, taught him through her love and compassion. Both provided examples of strong faith.
“Their testimonies definitely helped me build mine,” he said.
After being drafted by the Brewers in 2023, Pratt read the Book of Mormon all the way through for the first time. About halfway through, he said, he received personal revelation that “this is true.”
“That’s where I started to really build my faith,” Pratt said.
Although attending Church during the baseball season is difficult, Pratt said he nourishes his faith by listening to general conference talks and studying the scriptures regularly.
He said he has also felt blessed for paying his tithing.
Growing up, his mother encouraged him to pay tithing and shared her testimony of the blessings she had received. After being drafted and beginning to earn money, Pratt followed that counsel.
“I’ve seen so many blessings in my life because of tithing,” he said.
During a difficult stretch in the minor leagues, Pratt prayed for help. Looking back on the opportunities and progress helped him to see how much Heavenly Father had blessed him.
“There’s a lot of things that go unnoticed, but I definitely feel like the Lord plays a role,” he said. “I can see the blessings.”
Faith beyond the draft
Cooper Pratt’s path to professional baseball did not unfold as his family expected.
After a successful high school baseball career, Heidi Pratt said Cooper was projected as a second- or third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft. As those rounds passed without his name being called, excitement gave way to disappointment. By the fifth round, Cooper had returned to Ole Miss, where he had already started classes.
The Brewers selected him in the sixth round, 182nd overall, and offered what she described as “second-round money.”
Leaving Ole Miss was not an easy decision, his father, Russell Pratt, said.
“He prayed about it and he felt like this was the right decision for him.”
Looking back three years later, Heidi Pratt recognized unexpected blessings. Milwaukee’s minor league affiliates in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Nashville, Tennessee, allowed the family to attend games and support their son.
“Now we can look back and see that Heavenly Father had a bigger plan for him than what we could see,” she said. “He knows us better than we do.”
Family and big-league dreams
Pratt made his major league debut with the Brewers on June 16, after signing an eight-year, $50 million contract with the team, reported MLB.com.
As Milwaukee’s starting shortstop, Pratt hit .281 with 3 home runs, 34 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 74 regular-season games. Through 6 games in the 2026 postseason, Pratt is batting .286 (6-for-21) with 1 run and 1 double.
Family members described watching Cooper reach the major leagues and compete in the playoffs as “surreal,” “amazing” and “stressful.”
“The emotions go from elation to devastation within minutes,” Heidi Pratt said. “We just want him to be successful.”
His brothers have balanced that pride with their usual competitive teasing. Quincy Pratt, a younger brother, said they root for Cooper but are quick to point out an error and give him a hard time. “We talk a lot of smack but we hope he does his best,” he said.
Uncle Trent marveled at seeing his nephew fulfill a dream so many in the family — generations of baseball players — have shared.
“We are real proud of him and what he is doing now, not only on the baseball field but off the field,” the BYU baseball coach said. “It’s cool for our family to see Cooper play on the biggest stage and represent our Church the right way.”
Hoping for another celebration
For young Latter-day Saint athletes, Cooper Pratt’s advice is to make time for the Lord, keep their priorities in order and work hard.
“I promise that if you make time for the Lord, you will be blessed,” he said. “Choose the right, do your best and work hard.”
As Milwaukee resumes its series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in California, Pratt is grateful for an opportunity some players never experience.
“There are guys that play forever and never even have the opportunity to play in the playoffs,” he said.
Reaching — and winning — a World Series in his rookie season would be especially meaningful. Pratt said he and his teammates want to win for Milwaukee, the organization and its fans.
Since his orange soda celebration, he has also heard from Church members offering encouragement. Some have joked that they are Dodgers fans who are now cheering for the Brewers.
And if another celebration comes, Pratt will be prepared. He said he returned to the clubhouse recently to find five cases of Fanta waiting for him.
“Hopefully we win it all and I’ll celebrate with Fanta,” he said.
