Wil Myers arrives:
Padres outfielder says health key to his resurgence
A few frustrating, injury-filled seasons have yielded lessons and perspective for the Padres first baseman during a breakout season.
San Diego Padres first baseman Wil Myers got tired of hearing the same questions from the media.
While he struggled to develop into a reliable major league regular after a strong debut in 2013, Myers was asked about meeting the high expectations some set for him as he rose through the Kansas City Royals system after the team drafted him in 2009.
He didn’t get a break from the questions away from the ballpark, his Twitter mentions filled with people calling him a bust.
He endured injuries that limited him to 88 or fewer games in those three seasons, as well as two trades, first to the Tampa Bay Rays and then to the Padres in a three-team deal.
Myers has finally settled in with the Padres this season, compiling a team-best .846 on-baseplus-slugging percentage and earning his first trip to the AllStar Game this month.
Entering the week, Myers had missed just three of the Padres’ 99 games this season and has broken his single season-best numbers in almost every offensive category, including home runs (20), RBI (63), runs (65) and walks (42).
“I knew if I could stay healthy, I could put up these numbers,” Myers says. “This is the first year I’ve really been able to find a groove in the box, and playing every day obviously helps. This is the most I’ve ever learned in an entire season.”
The Royals drafted Myers in the third round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft out of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C. Myers hit .307 with power and stayed healthy in his first four minor league seasons. The lone exception came in 2011, when he missed about a month with a staph infection and hit .254 in Class AA. But the following season he hit .314 with 37 homers and 109 RBI in 134 games between Classes AA and AAA and was named USA TODAY Sports’ Minor League Player of the Year.
Still, the Royals wanted to win at the moment, so they traded Myers to the Rays in the deal for right-handers James Shields and Wade Davis in 2012. Though some observers criticized the Royals for trading a young talent such as Myers, the 6-3, 205-pounder who had played the outfield, third base and catcher wasn’t surprised by the move. He was happy about getting an opportunity to play on the East Coast, closer to his hometown of Thomasville, N.C..
Myers played 64 games at Class AAA in 2013 before getting called up. His transition was smooth, hitting .293 in 88 games to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award. From there, Myers thought he would continue to improve.
But four games into the 2014 season, Myers said he hurt his right wrist. And then in June, he broke the same wrist, causing him to miss nearly three months. In 87 games, Myers batted .222 with just six home runs, both career lows. To Myers’ surprise, the Rays traded him to the Padres in December 2014 in a deal that sent shortstop prospect Trea Turner to the Washington Nationals.
“There was always an expectation based on his minor league track record that he would be a great major league hitter,” Padres manager Andy Green says. “People could rely on that and understand like, ‘Hey, once this guy is healthy, he’s going to hit.’ ”
In 2015, injuries continued to haunt Myers. He missed almost three months with a bone spur that caused sharp pain in his forearm each time he took swing, and he played 60 games. Myers said that injury was the toughest point of his career, as he more frequently heard “bust” alongside his name.
Still, given his past success, Myers was confident he could be one of the best players in the National League if he could stay healthy. So he focused on getting stronger and playing every game this season.
In the minor leagues, Myers was allowed to sit out a game whenever he was dealing with a minor injury to prevent the pain from escalating. While Myers didn’t always play through nag- ging injuries in his first three big-league seasons, he has learned how crucial it is for him to be on the field every game this year.
So he focused on strengthening his wrist this past offseason and throughout the year to avoid a recurring injury. For the first time in his career, he’s lifting weights once every series.
“He’s learning what it takes to take himself to the next level, which he’s really showing this year,” Padres center fielder Jon Jay says. “He can start off the game 0-for-3, but he’ll come along later in the game when you really need him. He’s been doing everything that I’ve seen from great players.”
In June, after batting .229 in May, Myers adjusted his batting approach. He had a tendency of drifting away from the batter’s box through his swing. His new technique involves using his front foot to lean into the box to maintain his swing and reach almost any pitch.
Myers also received help from Jay and right fielder Matt Kemp through his May struggles. Jay offered advice on playing defense and baserunning. (Myers was fifth in the NL with 17 stolen bases.) Kemp, meanwhile, told Myers how pitchers typically throw to batters in the middle of the lineup and helped ease the 25-year-old into his new approach at the plate by showing him how to get his legs more involved.
Myers hit .327 in June while leading the league in home runs (11) and RBI (33) for the month.
“It’s taken him time to develop because of injuries but also because it sometimes takes time for guys to adjust themselves to this level,” Green says. “We’re all thrilled with the progress he’s made and thrilled that he’s anchoring our lineup. He’s a big part of our future.”
This month, Myers participated in the Home Run Derby in San Diego. At the All-Star Game the next night, the crowd cheered as Myers doubled.
Myers thinks he’s just beginning to display his potential.
“Baseball was really taken away from me for two years,” he says. “For what I’ve come through from 2014 to now has really been a tough road. I’ve been through a lot of things I never thought I would go through. But that’s how this game works. It’s who can survive the ups and downs.”