Tyler Wade talks Murrieta, baseball, mental health and his dream destination in this Q&A with the Union-Tribune
Tyler Wade grew up in Murrieta. In his sophomore year of high school, he committed to play baseball at San Diego State under coach Tony Gwynn. But scouts began showing interest his junior and senior year, leading him to sign with the Yankees, who drafted him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft .
Wade spent five seasons with the organization before being traded to the Angels, then signed minor-league deals with the Athletics and Padres . He was re-signed by the Padres last November but was designated for assignment out of spring training before clearing waivers and returning to the organization. A savvy, versatile player, Wade has played every defensive position except first base, catcher and pitcher.Yeah, I was a travel ball junkie. I feel like it was every weekend we were playing five or six games, which is crazy to think about, but couldn’t get enough of it. I played football but actually grew up riding dirt bikes as well, just because that was big in Murrieta. But definitely lived and breathed baseball.No, no. I broke my leg and my dad sold everything. He’s like, ‘All right, that’s enough of that.’Yes. My dad served in the Marine Corps for four years and then worked at Camp Pendleton my whole life. He’s retired now. And my grandfather did as well. Big military family.It was pretty mild but, you know, my dad was strict. He had his rules. But I think it formed me into who I am today. Very thankful for it. You have quite a few connections to San Diego, that being one of them. You toured old Yankee Stadium as a kid. Did that manifest itself into you being drafted by the Yankees?Yeah. I was, I think, nine or 10 years old, and going to old Yankee Stadium and seeing the Hall of Fame and being in New York and seeing that atmosphere really made me a New York fan. I was on a ferry on the way to the stadium and I was sitting next to this older lady. She asked what my name was and I said my name. And she goes, ‘That sounds like a Yankee baseball player.’ Super weird. … So it kind of was full circle being drafted by them and debuting and spending a long time with them. It was really cool. And you know, I grew up coming to games and games. So San Diego’s got a lot of ties for me. New York Yankees’ Tyler Wade warms up before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. It can be tough to play in New York, especially for a young player. There’s more scrutiny, more pressure. The media is intense. How did you acclimate?I never realized it until I was out of it, just because that’s all I was accustomed to. I grew up and breathed that from 18 years old to age 27 so that’s all I really knew. … I thought the big leagues was just like that anywhere you go. And then I get traded to Anaheim. I was like, ‘Oh.’It’s different, it’s different. But was a blessing to me, just because it taught me how to deal with pressure and different certain things, and understanding each game is very important. It molded me and I take those experiences wherever I go. I can help the younger guys, because I was really lucky to have an older clubhouse and a lot of veterans with a lot of success in this game and learning from them. Was there anyone specifically that told you or showed you something that really shaped your big-league career?I don’t have a specific thing. But Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge and CC Sabathia were the three guys that were just there for me. I feel like Brett was like my second father, and then Aaron’s one of my best friends, and CC was just, he’s a Hall of Famer, so I would always ask him questions or if I was doing something wrong, he would lean on me. And honestly, Austin Romine as well. He was big for the development part and how to act as a big-leaguer and things like that. 2015. I remember the phone call. I was in Double-A and our farm director Gary Denbo calls me and says ‘Hey, what do you think about being a utility player?’ And back then, that was almost like a death sentence on your career. Still kind of old school, like, you don’t want to be the utility guy. And he kind of explained to me, ‘Hey, this is the way that the game is transitioning and going towards. Being a utility guy is going to be the new best thing.’ And he used the name Ben Zobrist. I looked up Ben Zobrist and I’m like, this is a very successful player. So I said, ‘You know what, I’m all in.’ I go to the fall league that year and I learned second base and the outfield and that was just kind of the beginning of my career. It ended up being the best decision I’ve made.Nothing, because I blacked out. I was in Chicago. I do remember the very first fly ball I had in left. Gardy ran into me and we dropped it. ‘Gardy, come on man, you know that was my ball.’ But yeah, that was my very first big league experience, dropping it. The first freaking fly ball.Always. So there was that. I remember I started off, like, 0-for-4 and Rob Refsnyder comes up to me and goes, ‘You may never get a hit in the big leagues.’ I was like, ‘Come on, man.’ And then in my next at-bat, I hit a double. Welcome to the big leagues, right?! You’ve been around long enough that you’ve weathered some storms in the majors. When did you first realize that baseball is a business and things happen sometimes that don’t seem fair or right?I feel like you’re still starting to realize that . I would say probably 2018. I break with the and I get sent down. I feel like once you get to the big leagues, you never think you’re gonna get sent down again. And like, that’s a very small percent of people that do that. I got called up at age 22, I was like, ‘I ain’t ever going nowhere.’ And then you get sent down. Just the business part of it. It took me a little while to understand and comprehend that. But once you understand and accept it, it’s part of it. San Diego Padres third baseman Tyler Wade in the dugout before their game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024 in San Diego, CA. I was so happy for you in November when you re-signed with the Padres, because I figured you got to exhale a little bit. You didn’t have to be in the abyss of not knowing where you were going to play or who was going to sign you. And then you don’t make the team out of spring training. Was that experience similar to what happened with the Yankees?Yeah. It’s similar, but I understood it a little bit more and I didn’t take it as, like, heavy. But at the same time, you play with the chip on your shoulder. I know the value that I bring to this organization and this team. I was a big believer in everything will work itself out and I know where I belong. And now we’re here. When you’re not in the lineup every day, it can be tough to stay sharp, especially at the plate. How do you stay ready and mentally prepared?I make my work harder than the game. The velo machine, I make it literally impossible to hit. So when I come into the game, if I haven’t played in two or three weeks or whatever it may be, the work I’ve been doing is a little bit harder. So when I step into the box, it’s a little bit slower, like, in terms of my game clock. Not necessarily the velocity, but just my mind and everything slows down a little bit. Because when you’re playing every day, you get in the flow of the game and when you’re not, things can speed up a little bit.. A portion of the proceeds benefits San Diego Youth Services. How has your perspective on mental health evolved over the years?So talking about, like, getting sent down and the business side of stuff, you can kind of go into a spiral sometimes. You’re like, ‘Am I good enough?’ or whatever it may be. Or like we talked about, you don’t play every day and your numbers when you play every day are different than when you’re not playing every day. So you’re like, ‘Am I cut out for this?’ All these negative thoughts start to creep in your head, and I just think that as an athlete or just anything that you do in your life, you’re obviously talking to yourself more than you are to anyone else. So it’s important to, like, give yourself flowers and talk to yourself positively and shed light in any way, even if it’s not true; you’ve got to trick your mind sometimes, because I do believe in the power of manifestation. The more you talk about yourself in positive ways, the more you’re gonna project that. So it’s about being nice to yourself and spreading positivity. … I just think it’s very important to have positive thoughts and if you are dealing with something, to talk about it. Tyler Wade and Jackson Merrill walk to the field during Padres spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 in Peoria, Ariz.. You and Jackson Merrill share a fun and genuine friendship. When did that bond start to really take shape?I would say middle of the year last year. Spring training, I was just watching him, seeing how he goes about his business. And then obviously, the first couple months of the big leagues last year was probably pretty quick for him, so I just let him settle in. And then we just started hanging out. I was 29, he was 21 and I was like, ‘This kid’s a lot more mature for that age gap.’ I see a lot of similarities in myself and him and we just started hanging out and bonding. And this offseason I saw him a bunch. That’s my boy.Brett Gardner. Prankster. You would never know. Just very serious, but he’s very funny.I have one. It says, “Confidence is key.”I would never know that about you. You’re pretty social in the clubhouse and you have a good feel for what your teammates need. When did you cultivate that?More or less, just watching my teammates. And being so young in New York … Being a rookie, you don’t want to talk much and in a room like that, I was just very observant, seeing how you’re supposed to operate. So I kind of got a feel for that.In a loving way. Like the whole prank thing, right? There’s one I’ll tell you. Gardy put a fake bomb in my locker and the drug dogs were freaking out. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, what is going on?’ So that was one, yeah.He had set it up . But just making me have a heart attack, essentially, before a game.Or that I’m going to prison. Good point. That’s awful, actually. Do you do pranks on anyone in the clubhouse? Is that still a thing?I haven’t pulled any pranks here, but I feel like I should start. It’s a bag of worms I don’t know if I want to open. Because once I start it, you’re not ending it. San Diego Padres center fielder Tyler Wade celebrates after his double against the Tampa Bay Rays at Petco Park on Saturday, April 26, 2025 in San Diego, CA. That’s a good party trick. If you were commissioner of baseball for the day, what would you change?Something on your bucket list?
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