"Cherishing Every Day": Tyler Wells Not Taking a Moment for Granted

When Tyler Wells walked off the mound at Angel Stadium on July 2 after throwing two scoreless innings, he finally allowed himself to look up to the stands. He hit his chest with his right hand and pointed.

His dad, Jeff, and brother, Ryan, who just watched him pitch in the Major Leagues for the first time, instantly started crying.

“That was my recognition that I’m here because of you guys,” said Wells. “I had a lot of people who were there and that was my recognition to my family. It hit a lot of people really hard.”

For Wells and his family, that moment was 21 years in the making. To get there, they had to overcome loss, numerous moves, a Tommy John surgery, and a Rule 5 Draft. But to finally experience that moment, in the place that helped inspire Wells’ dreams, made it all worth it.

Wells grew up in Oklahoma with his grandparents but would spend the summers visiting his dad and mom, Tonya, who was completing her medical school residency in Southern California. While he was there, they would spend their time going to Angels games.

“My dad came down [to the field] and he started crying,” said Wells. “He said, ‘It’s surreal to actually see you other there.’ Because that’s the stadium I basically grew up going to. Even though I didn’t live in Southern California at that time, during the summers I would always go out to California, and we would go to Angels games all the time.”

He cannot remember who exactly his first autograph was from – either Joe Maurer or Justin Monroe – but Wells knows it came at Angel Stadium, and it was from a Minnesota Twin. That’s why, when he was selected by the Twins in the 15th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft, it seemed like fate. But getting there wasn’t easy, and because of that, Wells made a promise to himself.

“The whole draft process was actually very stressful,” explained Wells. “You have a lot of expectation for yourself. I wasn’t sure where I was going to go. I had a great junior year, and I was looking forward to actually getting out there and playing; that’s really all I wanted. I always said if I had the opportunity to play professional baseball, I would not waste that opportunity. I would do whatever I can to get to where I want to be.”

So far, that’s exactly what he has done. Even after a stint on the 10-day Injured List with right wrist tendinitis, Wells ranks fourth among rookie relievers in strikeouts, was one of two MLB pitchers to throw at least 14 innings and not issue a walk in June, and leads the Orioles in WHIP. But, he is also making the most of his opportunity off the mound.

Wells has spent the past five months talking to the coaches and other Orioles pitchers. Some of those conversations have been about pitching, but they are mostly about how they got to where they are today, and how they manage their success. Wells believes he can learn a lot just from hearing about their experiences.

One piece of advice that has really stood out to him was from bullpen coach, Darren Holmes.

“He said, ‘Don’t shy away from yourself,’” recalled Wells. “Take the opportunities that you have and don’t leave anything on the table because you never know how short this game is really going to be. You don’t know if you are going to be here tomorrow and that’s just the nature of the beast.’ And I really took that to heart and am cherishing every single day I have here with these guys.”

Wells learned at a young age that not every day is promised. In fact, it was that lesson that led him to baseball.

When he was four years old, Wells lost his biological mom, Chasity, to cancer. When he was five years old, he picked up a baseball for the first time. At first, the sport was a way to distract himself from the loss of his mom. But it soon became more than that. Wells knew he wanted to be a baseball player.

“I wrote it down in elementary school,” said Wells. “When they asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, it was always, ‘Major League Baseball player.’ That’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always loved it. I was always a good student in school, but I never wanted to do anything other than this.”

After his mom passed away, Wells and his brother moved in with their grandparents. When he was in middle school, Wells was once again reminded tomorrow is never promised, losing his grandma suddenly to heart failure.

He and his family then moved to Morgantown, West Virginia. Halfway through his junior year of high school, Wells and his family moved again, this time to Southern California. That move, along with a growth spurt, led him to believe that he truly had a future in baseball.

Wells ended his sophomore year of high school standing 5’10, and entered his junior year at 6’4. He continued to play baseball after moving to California, and played well enough his junior season to get the opportunity to play for a Kansas City scout the fall of his senior year.

“The accessibility of baseball, being able to see that level of competition, Southern California is a powerhouse for that,” said Wells. “It really amped up everything for me, to be able to live in Southern California, and to be able to face some of the best competition in the country in my age group.”

That competition helped him prepare for college and professional ball, but he knew he still had work to do when it came to his mentality. Two years after being drafted, it was tested more than ever when he found out he would have to undergo Tommy John surgery.

“Whenever I got the initial surgery, I was like, ‘Okay, you can do whatever you need to do, but you need to come out of this better than what you were before,’” said Wells. “That was always my mentality. I am going to get better from this. I am not going to regress. Making sure that I had a good mentality and preparing myself mentally for the long journey was really important.”

Right after he started his rehab throwing progressions in January 2020, the season got shut down. Wells was able to stay in Florida and continue throwing with his roommate, Tom Hackimer, a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, but he had no idea what the future held.

He certainly did not expect to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft after not pitching for two years. But, when he did, he knew he had another opportunity.

“It was another one of those things where, I wasn’t like, ‘Oh my Gosh, I’m going to the big leagues,’” recalled Wells. “I knew that wasn’t the case. I knew my spot was not guaranteed. I told myself, ‘Okay, work starts now. You have to earn your spot. This is your opportunity. This is the thing you’ve always wanted, do not let it go to waste.’ And that’s exactly what I thought I did.”

When he made his Major League debut on April 4 at Boston, it became clear his work was paying off.

On that July night in Los Angeles, as he walked off the mound to the cheers of his family, Wells showed he did not let any opportunity go to waste. And while there may have been two missing voices cheering him on, Wells knows they were with him. He thinks of them every time he looks down.

Wells has two tattoos on his left arm. On the inner part of his left wrist is the date his biological mom passed away in roman numerals. On his left forearm is a boat with water above it, representing that he is at peace with the events that have happened in his life. There are trees that represent growth, and mountains that represent his everyday life.

“I look at this and I always think about them,” explained Wells. “I do think they are always on my shoulders. I don’t think I would be here without those events in my life. As tragic as they are, everything happens for a reason. My mom, my stepmom, my dad, my grandparents, my little brothers – I wouldn’t be here without those people. I know they are always there, regardless of the situation, whether it’s good or bad.”

Throughout his 26 years, Wells has experienced both good and bad, in baseball and in life. But right now, he knows he is exactly where he meant to be, living his childhood dream on the mound at Oriole Park.

“It’s been one heck of a journey so far,” said Wells. “I’m hoping I’m in Baltimore for the long haul and can contribute to a winning team here in the next couple years.”