I figure by the definition that would be barrier tanks who stop damage.
But Winston is usually always diving in and out of the enemy backline and very rarely standing in the way of direct fire. (unless im playing him wrong.)
He’s really only a main tank if your team is diving with him
Hes a main tank not an anchor tank they are dif things. a main tank makes space an anchor tank holds space. Hammond and Winston are main tanks but they are not anchor tanks.
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Because if your team is fast enough, you just need a tank long enough to begin the fight at close range, and block ultimates.
That said, Winston isn’t much of a Main Tank for uncoordinated teams.
He’s an initiator of engagement. If your team follows up, you will work as a Main Tank for them as an engagement initiatior.
He’s a main tank in the sense that he takes space and provoke the enemy into targeting him, thus allowing your DPS to attack freely. When he jumps in, the squishy and healer are his main targets.
This only works well if you enable him though. If you don’t work around the Winston, you will find him being unable to tank well.
Main tank is not something that stands in the fire soaking damage, main tank is the tip of the spear that goes in first, making space before everyone else.
Winston is a main tank because he dives in first, makes space for dive heroes to work their magic - Genji, Tracer, Dva, Doomfist, etc… The enemy is forced to invest resources into Winston or lose a squishy.
That’s the theory anyway. Currently the backline has so many resources to defend itself, Winston’s presence doesn’t really open space like it used to, so Winston is a main tank, a diving one, he’s just bad currently.
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I see. That makes sense. Typically when I go in to dive the backline as winston they just have a million things to stop me.
And my team just stays at the choke. 
What I like to do sometimes is put my bubble where an Orisa would put her shield and then start working on getting a flank or something going.
yup, that’s the problem. Dive require a good minimum of 2+ to focus a target down than escape. rinse and repeat as fast as possible in a safe manner.
The original method was zen discord a target, Winston and dva jump onto the same target, with flankers catching the taget from escaping.
You’re playing him wrong 
Unless i’m in an organised group with good comms, NEVER jump in. Walk to or pick a good safe spot to drop down on the enemy once your cooldowns are ready. Play safe if you’re not sure about your team 
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If you’re playing at plat and below, you’re best off sneaking into the backline through high ground/flanking routes, zapping a support and then jumping out. Diving in face-first should be reserved for more organized play where a team can follow up.
Winston alone can go in the backline, saving jump for a secure-ish return, and either kill a squishy or force ultimates out like Trans, beat, nano. At lower ranks the enemy team will communicate as well as you, meaning if you team doesn’t follow up on the dive, odds are the enemy team isn’t responding to Winston either.
Main Tanks aren’t damage sponges for you team to pass through an area.
Main Tanks create an area your team can work in with relative safety.
Winston does that through initiating with his leap and then maintaining the space he moves into with his Tesla cannon and Barrier or through creating a diversion which his team should take advantage of.
He doesn’t block much raw damage but he’s still a Main Tank nonetheless.
If this isn’t making much sense, think about this: What space does Rein create?
The space Reinhardt creates is behind his barrier and in close-quarters to him. But what makes this different from just blocking damage?
Well, if Rein puts his barrier down to brawl or Firestrike, the space he created isn’t gone. You don’t have to vacate the area just because Rein’s barrier went down. Reinhardt has still made space but, at that current moment, he’s not blocking anything.
Does that make sense? Sometimes these things make sense in my head but I lose the plot when writing it down.