Wynton Bernard makes debut after 10 years in minor leagues: 'Is this a dream, or is this real?'

Wynton Bernard isn't a household name just yet, and frankly, he may never be. The 31-year-old just made his major league debut in center field for the Colorado Rockies after over 10 years of toiling in the minor leagues.

Bernard played 863 minor league games over 10 years before playing his first in the big leagues, but he delivered when the moment came.

In fact, batting eighth for the Rockies in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 12, the journeyman went 1-for-3 from the plate. He notched his first MLB hit, steal, and run. He also made his surprised and shocked mother — who has been watching his long journey from 35th round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft to actual big leaguer — very proud when he called and told her the news.

“It never dawned on me that he would be calling to tell me that he just got called up,” Janet Bernard said, according to the Washington Post. “My reaction was like, ‘For real?! I can’t believe this, but you deserve it. You’ve worked so hard.' And you know, after we hung up I just fell to my knees and I just started thanking the Lord.”

Bernard was drafted by the San Diego Padres and spent three years in their minor league system before bouncing around in the minors with the Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs. He played winter league ball in Mexico and Venezuela and also had a stint with the Brisbane Bandits in the Australian Baseball League.

A true baseball farmhand, it's incredible to realize that Bernard never gave up on his MLB dream. Now, with the big club after being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, he has no intentions of giving his dream away.

“I was in the outfield in the ninth inning just like, ‘Is this a dream, or is this real? And it’s real,’ " he said after the game. “It’s truly a dream come true.”