MOOSIC, PA  — “There’s an old saying in baseball that luck is the residue of design. That if you work your tail off, you’ll catch your lucky break.” 

That is the voiceover for the beginning of the Yankees’ 2023 season commercial on the YES Network, and for Monticello native Dylan Price, it couldn’t be more true. Price grew up as a huge Yankees fan and has always been super passionate about sports. Having knowledge and passion for something is one thing, but actually applying yourself to it is another. 

“From the get-go, I just always loved sports,” he said. “[My grandfather] was my original spark plug for my sports interest.”

Now a sophomore journalism major at Penn State in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, Price’s journey started with somewhat of a lucky break. 

When he was just 13 years old, while in line for a Miguel Andujar autograph signing at the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, Price began talking to a nearby attendee about his vast knowledge of the Yankees’ organization. 

The attendee, impressed by the young man’s knowledge, offered an unpaid writing position for his website. The gig for the website started as unpaid but eventually paid him to write about the Yankees and the Jets. 

But just getting a lucky break isn’t enough, it’s what you do with it. Price got that lucky break and ran with it. 

“I’ve always believed in that [idea],” he said. “A few months ago for a class project, I was lucky enough to interview Bob Kesling, the [now former] voice of the Tennessee Volunteers for football and basketball. He just retired a few weeks ago. 

“One of the pieces of advice he gave me, which I guess Lindsay Nelson gave him when he was coming up, was ‘Everyone’s gonna get a break. It’s just how you’re ready for it and how you prepare for it.’ That immediately resonated with me.”

Price wrote 100 articles in under a year for that first website, before starting his own podcast called “Ambitious with Dylan Price” shortly thereafter. He also began freelancing for a New York sports-based website, “Empire Sports Media.” 

The Monticello High School graduate contributed Yankees and Jets content to the site and co-hosted their “Fireside Football” and “Fireside Jets” podcasts.

Price accomplished all of this before college was even much of a thought in his mind. He knew all along that he wanted to go to Penn State, as it was his dream school. 

After all his hard work over the years, Price is starting to see his dreams come true at the young age of 19. This summer, he will be able to get a firsthand look at the organization he grew up loving, joining the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders broadcast and media relations team as their intern for the 2023 season. The Railriders are the Yankees’ Triple-A team and the last stop on the train to the  Bronx for prospects in the organization. 

“I’m excited to have [Dylan] join our broadcast and media relations team,” Railriders’ Director of Communications and lead Broadcaster Adam Marco said. 

“At any age, experiencing minor league baseball is extremely important and certainly a helpful resume builder. I think we have the ability to help Dylan grow as a broadcaster and understand all that goes into media relations in Minor League Baseball.” 

Price said he will be starting the internship with the Railriders next weekend, shadowing Marco and the number two broadcaster Emily Messina. 

The Railriders will be home for all of next week, before heading on the road for six games. When they return home for a homestand beginning on May 23, Price will be able to fully dive into the internship. 

“[Just] to learn,” Price said of what he is most excited about. “Adam and Emily are two people who are incredibly respected in minor league baseball and people that I already look up to. Now I get to work with and learn from them.”

Price mentioned how he knows this time of his life will be very busy, but said “game on,” that he’s ready to roll. 

“I definitely think the first day I’m there, I wanna take a step back and just realize, that ,anytime from that point, I get stressed or overwhelmed, I’m working for one of the New York Yankees’ minor league teams.”