Five years ago, Aaron Wilkerson was stocking the frozen foods section of a local supermarket in his hometown of Waco, Texas. He had completed a notable career at Cumberland University in Tennessee, including at one point pitching an NAIA record 54 consecutive scoreless innings. But Aaron injured his arm while at school, was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery and was subsequently passed over in the draft.
After his arm healed up, Wilkerson made his way to the independent leagues. Stints with the Florence (KY) Freedom, Fort Worth Cats, and Grand Prairie AirHogs wound up paying off with a chance at pitching in affiliated ball when the Boston Red Sox signed him to a minor league deal in 2014.