CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Former Austin Peay baseball pitcher Tyler Rogers is asserting himself as one of Major League Baseball’s premier relievers in 2021.
Now in his third year with the San Francisco Giants, Rogers has become a true weapon out of the bullpen, in large part due to finding a day-to-day regimen that helps him reach his potential.
“For me, it really just comes down to trying to get lost in the daily routine,” Rogers said. “Especially when there are a bunch of uncontrollables around you. My routine has really evolved over the years and has gotten pretty long, but that’s what I do when I show up to the ballpark. I also try to have some fun with my teammates and then not worry about anything else, really.”
The right-hander has appeared in 33 games this season and is 1-0 with an impressive 1.56 ERA.
What perhaps has stood out most for Rogers this year, statistically, is the number nine in the save column.
With Rogers’ teammate Jake McGee earning 13 saves of his own, it appears Giants manager Gabe Kapler has decided against naming an actual closer.
According to Rogers, just being called on to record outs in big spots is enough for him.
“As a bullpen guy, it’s something that you dream about,” Rogers said. “It really makes waking up and going to the field every day fun for me.”
Making the trip to Clarksville
Rogers came to Clarksville in 2012 as a junior transfer from Garden City Community College in Kansas.
“In the Jayhawk Conference there, they do a sophomore showcase where they hold a game in Kansas City,” Rogers said. “I pitched in that game. Joel Mangrum and Derrick Dunbar had driven out there to watch, saw me pitch and then two days later, I was on a flight to visit the campus. The rest is pretty much history from there.”
Despite growing up in Colorado, Rogers was more than aware of the high level of competition that baseball in the South had to offer.
“I liked the idea of going down South and was excited to get a chance to play there,” Rogers said. “I was able to be somewhat closer to my brother who was at Kentucky at the time, so that was appealing to me as well. Something about Raymond C. Hand Park just kind of felt like home for me.”
Rogers made an Ohio Valley Conference record-tying 38 appearances and recorded 10 saves in his first season as a Governor.
“I got really lucky,” Rogers said. “I showed up hoping for the best and was able to room with some guys who were a good time, but also extremely talented. I think that was also why we were so successful. Every one that was there were great people, we all got along and had fun together. We meshed on and off the field.”
Scouts from various professional teams noticed his efforts at APSU, and Rogers was later picked in the 10th round with the 312th overall selection of the 2013 MLB Draft.
Going viral
Over the course of his career, a lot has been made about the submarine pitching delivery Rogers adopted when he first got to Garden City.
“My coach approached me one day about it, and I guess I was receptive to it,” Rogers said. “It has evolved a lot since then, and I changed a lot of things at Austin Peay during my time there. The first big adjustment I made was standing straight up when I came set. I still tinker with different stuff today because your pitching delivery is never a finished product.”
Rogers, 30, has put the rest of the MLB on notice with his devastating slider that opponents are hitting just .116 against.
After Rogers struck out the Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman with his signature pitch coming in at 73 mph during the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, fans had a field day on social media.
“Surprised I guess would be my reaction,” Rogers said to the clip going viral. “It’s pretty cool and makes you feel good because it’s a combination of hard work and trusting it. To see it all come to fruition in a sense, has been rewarding for me.”
Family matters
In 2019, Rogers and his brother Taylor became the 10th set of twins to play in MLB. Taylor, a left-handed pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, played collegiate baseball at the University of Kentucky.
“It has to be really cool for my family, parents and everybody,” Tyler said. “It’s really cool for me. For example, the other night my game got over and I got on my phone and immediately checked the Twins score to see if my brother had pitched. They were in the eighth inning there in Seattle, so I immediately turned the game on.
“I just thought to myself, How cool is this that I just got done pitching in a big-league game and now I’m watching my brother pitch in a big-league game a half-hour later? I don’t even know how to describe that feeling, but it’s really fun.”
On top of the division
On Tuesday, Tyler picked up yet another save after throwing a 1-2-3 ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks to help secure the win.
“That game last night was awesome,” Tyler said. “It was so much fun.”
Tyler and the rest of the Giants are one game up on the Los Angeles Dodgers, sitting in first place in the National League West with a 42-25 record.
“Not to sound cliche, but I’d have to say our recipe for success has been pitching and defense,” Tyler said. “It’s kind of been our nucleus and our offense has been doing great as well. As you know though, 162 games is a lot, and we have a long way to go still.”
Ties that bind
With two Clarksville natives, Ryne Harper and Alec Mills, also pitching in The Show, Tyler believes it’s hard not to view Tennessee as a breeding ground for baseball.
“The proof is there,” Tyler said. “Being from Colorado, I knew that baseball not only in the South, but in the Tennessee and Clarksville area was really good. That’s one of the reasons why I went there.”
According to Tyler, Clarksville is a place he will always hold near and dear.
“I had four Austin Peay alumni in my wedding this offseason,” Tyler said. “I think that tells you right there how close I still am to a lot of them. Everybody is great there.”