Born in Braddock Hills, PA to Slovik parents Petr and Alena Marcinko, Steven Josef Marcinko grew up as an only child loving two sports and two particular teams: Pittsburgh's Steelers and Pirates. Being from Slovenia (where soccer, basketball, and hockey reign supreme), Petr tried to get his son to tune in to the Penguins games. However, the sports that spoke to young Steven were football and baseball, and Petr supported him fully in his pursuit of both.

As a youngster, Steven (or "Esjay" as his friends called him) starred for his local Swissvale/Braddock Athletic Association Wolverines football and North Braddock Little League baseball teams. August through November on the gridiron and January through June in the dirt on the diamond. As he progressed through his youth careers, he grew lean and strong, ultimately gravitating toward baseball.

Esjay loved tackling as a middle linebacker, using his speed to navigate sideline to sideline, but he didn't relish nearly as much getting tackled. Coach kept putting him in on offense as a second-option receiver because of his hands and speed, but being on the receiving in of a couple of bone-crunching tackles had him rethinking football.

As an 8th-grader, Marcinko went through his first growth spurt, adding 8-inches and 35 pounds to his young frame, moving him to 5'6" and 145 pounds. A second and final growth spurt in the summer between his sophomore and junior high school years, adding another 5-inches and 20 pounds, bringing him to 6-1 and 175 pounds. Amazingly, Marcinko's athletic ability did not decrease at all while his body changed. In fact, Marcinko amazingly grew with his body, maintaining the speed and fluidity he always possessed patrolling centerfield, handling the keystone, or pitching. (Because every youth player pitches, right?)

Steven's junior year is really where he began to catch scouts' eyes for baseball. Pitching only as needed, Steven's primary focus was at the plate and in the field. Determined to not be known for one or the other, Esjay had always worked diligently at both, spending long afternoons at the batting cage and many an evening under a setting sun with his father lofting or grounding ball after ball after ball.

As a Junior, his athleticism and statistics spoke to scouts, specifically that with his moderately-upright stance (hands at shoulder level), his lightning quick hands and short, compact swing allow Marcinko to get to the zone quickly - and stay there a long time. Marcinko also possesses excellent barrel awareness and supreme hand-eye coordination, which allow for easy hard contact. Uncanny plate approach for a 16-year-old, seeing all pitches well, making at-bat to at-bat adjustments easily. He won the "triple crown" east of the Mississippi, batting an eye-popping 0.720 with 16 Home Runs and 53 RBIs while compiling at least one hit in each game played (34), leading his team to the Pennsylvania 2A State Title. (Braddock Hills is a small-ish school in a small-ish District.)

Esjay continued his work throughout the summer and fall, returning for winter workouts even bigger and stronger. Checking in at 6'1" 190 pounds, he looked like a collegiate starting centerfielder. Rallying his teammates (and even inspiring his coaches), Marcinko's work ethic was the embodiment of his parental influences. Petr and Alena led by example, work for everything you earn, and the younger Marcinko took that to heart, in every endeavor in which he undertook.

Moving quickly up draft boards, as a senior Steven put on a show for the record books. The team played 33 regular and post-season games with Steven batting an astounding 0.835/ 0.890/ 1.752. Again, understanding he's in a 2A district, he was a man among boys, recording an amazing 2+ hits in each game played (33), ending his high school career with a 67-game hitting streak. Braddock Hills made it to the Pennsylvania 2A State Final again, ultimately losing 1-0 in 13-innings. Marcinko went 5-for-5 in that game with 2 walks, but the BHHS Lions left a state-record 23 men on base, never able to push a single run across.

Taking the loss in stride - externally - that moment would seer into his soul and be motivation upon which he would call for the remainder of his life.

Lost in the batting accolades was his prowess in centerfield. Over his final two seasons in high school, he led the nation with 33 outfield assists, possessing the rocket-arm that has been likened to Ramon Laureano of Oakland's Athletics. He committed a single error in two seasons, and that was because he overran the ball. The coaches chuckled and teammates chided, so to shut them up, Esjay homered in his next 3 at-bats.

Esjay's legend grew well beyond Western Pennsylvania and he is now projected to be top 3 in the 2038 MLB Amateur Draft. He has reportedly professed to prefer playing for his favorite Pittsburgh team, close to home, but he understands that at the professional level, baseball is as much a business as it is a game. Marcinko will always have a special place in his heart for PNC Park (what he says is the most beautiful park anywhere), but he's just looking forward to joining a team and playing well, getting better every year.

Steven turned 18 three days after the championship loss, celebrating with his family and friends at a club-level suite at PNC Park. His high school resume complete, he is patiently waiting draft day, having opted to go directly to the Major Leagues instead of heading to college. His 3.9 GPA, 1420 SAT score, and 32 ACT scores certainly suggest that college could have been in his future, but his preference is to play the game he has loved since he first held a baseball card, nearly 15 years ago. (Petr had a small collection that Esjay had fallen in love with, always telling his parents he would be on a card one day.)

It looks like young Esjay will have his dream come true.