Winans was a 17th-round draft pick by the New York Mets in 2018 out of Campbell University in North Carolina. After three seasons with the Mets, the Braves selected him in the Rule 5 Draft. He made eight starts for Atlanta during the past two seasons, collecting a 7.20 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 40 innings.

Winans blanked the Reds on just 24 pitches over the first three innings in his Yankees debut. But the Reds scored three in the fourth.