From the Herd: Adam Macko
IL Buffalo Bisons

From the Herd: Adam Macko

Published on August 6, 2025 under International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


BUFFALO, N.Y. - For many, baseball is a game that can be a journey filled with experiences and lead to many opportunities. The Toronto Blue Jays' 14th-ranked prospect, Adam Macko, is a testament to that.

The 24-year-old pitcher was born in Bratislava, Slovakia, a country that has had three players in its history play in the MLB. Macko's discovery of the game of baseball occurred in grade school.

"I discovered baseball on the first day of grade one," Macko said. "Nobody in Slovakia knew what baseball was, but it was offered as a free extracurricular activity at school that my friends and I did, and I really liked it."

At the age of 11, the Macko family moved from Slovakia to Ireland in an attempt to obtain work visas in Canada. With the lefty pitcher away from the North American game, Macko turned to YouTube videos to learn how to pitch.

"I learned a lot from YouTube," Macko said. "Once I found out what the MLB was, I looked up who the best pitcher in the MLB was at the time, and it was Justin Verlander after he won the Triple Crown and MVP in 2011. I wanted to be as good as he was, and I tried to emulate and learn from him when it came to mechanics."

When the pitcher was 12, the Macko family moved once again, this time from Ireland to Alberta, Canada. The transition from European culture to North American culture was a challenge at first.

"There were a lot of language barriers as I didn't have much of an English base," Macko said. "The first half of the school year was hard with language, but a lot of the [curriculum] we learned in Slovakia was a few years ahead of what I learned in Canada. I got better at English by watching baseball movies in English with Slovakian subtitles, and when I came back in the fall for sixth grade, I was able to socialize a lot more."

In tenth grade, Macko attended Vauxhall Academy of Baseball in southern Alberta and spent three years with the Jets. The Slovakian, when asked about the academy, was quick to give praise.

"I wouldn't be where I am without Vauxhall Academy of Baseball," Macko said. "I moved seven hours away from home to live in dorms, and they taught us how to be independent. The coaches there were tremendous, and they were probably the best coaches I could've asked for then. We even had some of the Blue Jays' strength coaches come in, and that was exposure no other high schools had."

As the 2019 draft approached, Macko felt internal pressure to perform well, as each performance could dictate where he was selected.

"I put the most pressure on myself," said Macko. "There was a draft number my parents and I set that was like if we went any lower than that, then I probably wouldn't sign, and we got close to that number, but it all worked out."

On Macko's draft day, he was joined by his now fiancée, his family, coaches, and friends in Vauxhall. During the draft, Macko received a call that he was going to be drafted but had to act like he didn't know.

"I knew a couple rounds before me that I was going to get picked," Macko said. "I went to the back room and talked to the Mariners and my agent, and I came back out and had to pretend like I didn't know I was getting picked, and that was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

On November 16, 2022, Macko's journey drastically changed. The Toronto Blue Jays traded all-star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez in exchange for pitchers Erik Swanson and then 21-year-old Adam Macko. At first, the Slovakian pitcher was stunned.

"I was shocked," Macko said. "I thought I was staying with the Mariners forever, and that was one of the two teams I wanted to get drafted by. The other team was the Blue Jays, and it turned out to be a win-win for me."

The six-foot pitcher is currently in the midst of his sixth season of professional baseball. Throughout Macko's development, he has learned that it's crucial to have a stable and confident mindset.

"It's important to trust yourself... and confidence is everything," Macko said. "When something goes wrong, we don't always have to reinvent the wheel. You have to look at yourself objectively and know what you need to improve on, but that doesn't mean you have to change everything."

In 2022, Macko missed a majority of the season, and in July 2024, he suffered a forearm injury that sidelined him for nearly two months. This past February, the lefthander suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery and kept him out of game action until May 6. Macko acknowledged injuries are tough, but he has no choice but to get back healthy.

"There's no choice but to overcome [injuries]," Macko said. "You just have to roll with the punches, and you learn how to take care of your body better over time. Every injury I've had, I've learned something from it, and I try to implement things into my daily routines to keep myself healthy."

After joining the Bisons in early June, Macko has made nine starts for Buffalo. The prospect has surrendered a 6.35 ERA with a 1-6 record in his first full season at Triple-A. Macko knows that he can be better and feels he isn't too far away from finding success.

"The beginning of my season has not gone the way I wanted it to go," Macko said. "I know I have a lot more in me. I've done it not too long ago where I felt [I was playing good ball]. The confidence is still there. I feel it. I feel close to everything clicking together, and I'm excited for when that happens."

The southpaw pitcher is just one call-up away from being the fourth Slovakian in history to play an MLB game. For Macko to have the opportunity one day would be immense.

"It would mean a lot to put Slovakia on the baseball map," Macko said. "I hope that I can motivate some kids back in Slovakia to get into baseball more and enjoy the game. What's always at the forefront of my mind is the people who have supported me. Just the journey I've had and the influence from [those around me], I hope others get to be as lucky as I do."

For Macko to have a chance to play for the lone Canadian team he grew up watching, he realizes the organization represents more than just a city.

"I wanted to be a part of the Blue Jays because it doesn't just represent a town or city," Macko said. "It represents a whole country, and that's special."

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International League Stories from August 6, 2025


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