Wyatt Thompson throws a pitch against Gulls (Colton McKee, coltonmckeephotography.com)
BY TRUMAN BARTMAN ON JULY 27TH, 2024. THE MAVERICKS.CA
Wyatt Thompson has become a staple of the Mavericks bullpen in 2024. His ability to outwit batters with a wide selection of off-speed pitches has helped him achieve a phenomenal 1.12 ERA.
The Orillia, Ontario, native was a late addition to the Mavericks roster this season, but he has certainly earned his stripes by maintaining a sharp mental state.
“For me, it’s less about physical preparation and more mental preparation. It’s staying level-headed, and when you mess up or make a mistake, you’re not beating yourself up for it.”
This has helped Thompson deal with times of success better as well, and throughout this Mavs season, he has been a part of a lot of it.
“When you’re successful, you know you get excited, but you’re not letting it kind of shake you up sort of thing, kind of stay like ice cold is like how I like to think about it.”
Thompson likes to keep his approach consistent, but he says that “most people often mistake consistency for trying to be perfect all of the time.”
“Nobody can be perfect, and it’s really about not letting a mistake or error stop your momentum and continuing to show up the next day after a setback or mistake. That’s what real consistency is.”
Thompson has never been the type of pitcher to beat batters with speed; rather, he uses trickery and movement to deceive his opponents. Similar to his favourite player, Kevin Gausman, who has been doing that exact thing for the Toronto Blue Jays over the past few seasons.
For Thompson, he understands himself as a pitcher and wants young pitchers to know that it is more than okay to play your game.
“For anyone a little younger, that’s coming up as a pitcher. There are lots of ways to get guys out. Like, you know, there’s not just one way to do it. You know, when I grew up, I was never thrown gas or blown up by guys, but I’m able to be crafty and get guys out. And, you know, I think that’s a big thing because not everybody’s throwing 100 miles an hour.”
When Wyatt was young, his dad helped mentor him and introduced him to the game. As a child, he used to go into the backyard with him, throw on a catcher’s mitt, and have Wyatt throw mini bullpen sessions for him.
“When I used to play catch with my dad, he taught me that it is important in life to pay attention to detail, do things meticulously, the right way, and be consistent, and all of that has transferred to not only baseball but everything in life, and I owe him for that.”
The memories that Thompson made throughout his upbringing have helped define him as a player. None more than during his time under coach Wes Winkel, who led the team Thompson to the Ontario provincial baseball championship.
“Wes has coached me and the rest of my teammates since we were teens up until my 20s. He has been a huge role model for me and how I have approached the game.”
“We were in the provincial championship when he coached me and ended up winning it. Looking back, I loved playing with those guys. A lot of them are at different schools now. I don’t talk to them as much. We had been playing together since we were 11 years old. So that was special and made me love the game of baseball even more.”
Throughout his baseball career, Wyatt Thompson has had many memorable experiences that have helped mould him into the player that he is today.
As the summer moves along and the Mavericks tip-toe closer to the postseason, Thompson and his teammates will look to make a couple more, and who knows, maybe a championship will be at the forefront of those memories.