Tyler Wayne Skaggs (July 13, 1991 – July 1, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. A starting pitcher, he played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels between 2012 and 2019.
A native of Woodland Hills, California, and a graduate of Santa Monica High School, Skaggs was a supplemental first-round selection for the Angels in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He was traded to the Diamondbacks the following year as part of an exchange for pitcher Dan Haren and rose through Arizona's farm system. After two consecutive appearances at the All-Star Futures Game in 2011 and 2012, Skaggs made his major league debut on August 22, 2012, against the Miami Marlins. He remained with the Diamondbacks through the end of the season, but was optioned to the minor leagues in 2013.
In December 2013, the Diamondbacks traded Skaggs back to the Angels, and he served as the fifth member of the team's starting pitching rotation until an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery derailed his season on July 31, 2014. Despite his initial plans to begin pitching in the minor leagues by the end of the 2015 season, Skaggs did not start practicing again until the beginning of the 2016 season and returned to the Angels mound that July. Although he figured prominently in the Angels' rotation between 2017 and 2019, Skaggs continued missing large parts of each season because of injury. Through June 2019, he posted a career earned run average (ERA) of 4.41, recorded 476 strikeouts, and had a win–loss record of 28–38.
On July 1, 2019, Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, where the Angels had been visiting for a series against the Texas Rangers. He was pronounced dead the same day. An autopsy concluded at the end of August that Skaggs had accidentally died of asphyxia after aspirating his own vomit while under the influence of fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol. That October, former Angels director of communications Eric Kay was indicted on charges relating to Skaggs's death when he admitted to providing opiates to various members of the Angels, including Skaggs. Kay was convicted on two counts relating to Skaggs's death in February 2022. The Angels wore a No. 45 patch on their jerseys for the rest of the 2019 season in memory of Skaggs, while his widow and mother set up a charitable foundation in his name.
Tyler Skaggs was born in Woodland Hills, California, on July 13, 1991. His parents were athletes: his mother Debbie was a longtime head softball coach at Santa Monica High School, while his father Darnell played high school baseball as a shortstop. His stepfather, Dan Ramos, played college baseball as well. Growing up, Skaggs attended his mother's softball practices, where he assisted the players by fielding balls.
Skaggs was a three-sport athlete at Santa Monica High School, playing baseball, basketball, and football. His favorite sport was basketball, about which he described himself as "not the greatest dribbler" but being able to shoot. His high school baseball coach, Rob Duron, gave Skaggs the nicknames "Tall and Skinny" and "Pole". In 2008, his junior year of high school, Skaggs was named the Ocean League's Player of the Year after posting a 1.11 earned run average (ERA), with 89 strikeouts, 44 hits allowed, and 22 walks in 63+1⁄3 innings pitched. During Skaggs' senior year, several professional baseball scouts watched Skaggs play, including Tommy Lasorda. Santa Monica athletic director Norm Lacy once called Skaggs the school's best baseball player since Tim Leary, who helped pitch the Los Angeles Dodgers to victory in the 1988 World Series.
Draft and minor leagues (2009–2012)
Going into the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had two first-round draft picks, as well as three supplemental first-round picks. With these five selections, they drafted two outfielders, Randal Grichuk and Mike Trout; and three pitchers: Skaggs, Garrett Richards, and Tyler Kehrer. Skaggs was the 40th overall selection in the 2009 draft, taken 15 slots after Trout. He had committed previously to play college baseball for Cal State Fullerton, but he chose to sign with the Angels on August 7, 2009, for a $1 million bonus instead.
Skaggs made his professional baseball debut on August 22, 2009, relieving starting pitcher Fabio Martinez with a scoreless sixth inning for the AZL Angels in a 2–1 win against the AZL Athletics. He pitched ten Rookie League innings that season, playing in both the Arizona League and with the Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League. Between the two teams, Skaggs posted a 1.80 ERA as a rookie. In 2010 Skaggs and Trout lived as roommates while they played for the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Class A Midwest League, befriending each other and the family that had rented out their basement to the players. Skaggs pitched in 19 games for the Kernels that year, starting 14, and posted a 8–4 win–loss record with a 3.61 ERA during that time. Skaggs was also one of seven Kernels named to the 2010 Midwest League All-Star team.
On July 25, 2010, Skaggs was one of several players sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for three-time All-Star pitcher Dan Haren. In exchange for Haren the Diamondbacks received pitcher Joe Saunders, prospects Patrick Corbin and Rafael Rodríguez, and a player to be named later, speculated to be Skaggs. Skaggs was not named officially at the time of the trade because Major League Baseball prohibited any player from being traded until they had played professional baseball for one full year. Therefore, while the trade was made at the end of July, Skaggs remained with the Kernels until August 7. Once Skaggs was eligible to be traded, the Diamondbacks assigned him to the Class A South Bend Silver Hawks of the Midwest League. There, he posted a 1–1 record and a 1.69 ERA in four starts and sixteen total innings. Between the two Midwest League teams, Skaggs' 2010 record was 9–5, and he posted a 3.29 ERA with 102 strikeouts.
Skaggs was assigned to the Class A-Advanced Visalia Rawhide of the California League to start the 2011 season, where he anchored the team's starting rotation. He started 17 games with the Rawhide that season, posting a 5–5 record and a 3.22 ERA while striking out 125 batters in 100+2⁄3 innings. Although Visalia finished in fifth place in the California League North Division, the league named Skaggs both a midseason and postseason all-star. On July 10, 2011, Skaggs was chosen as the starting pitcher for Team USA at the annual All-Star Futures Game. In the one inning he pitched Skaggs gave up one hit and one walk, recorded one strikeout, and left two batters on base. The next day, Skaggs was promoted from Visalia to the Double-A Mobile BayBears of the Southern League. In ten starts with Mobile, Skaggs went 4–1 with a 2.50 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 57+2⁄3 innings. At the end of the season, the Diamondbacks named Skaggs their minor league pitcher of the year.
The BayBears kept Skaggs through the beginning of the 2012 season. In thirteen starts with the team that year, he posted a 5–4 record and averaged more than one strikeout per inning. At the end of June, Skaggs was promoted to the Reno Aces of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. There, he went 5–5 with a 2.91 ERA and 45 strikeouts, and Reno captured their first Pacific Coast League championship title. Skaggs was one of five players to appear in both the 2011 and 2012 MLB All-Star Futures games, the others being Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, Wil Myers, and Jurickson Profar. He was not originally named to the Futures game but was selected to replace Trevor Bauer after Bauer was called up to make his major league debut.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2012–2013)
The Diamondbacks called Skaggs up to the major leagues on August 21, 2012, to start the first game of a same-day doubleheader against the Miami Marlins. He made his MLB debut the next day, giving up two runs in 6+1⁄3 innings in a 3–2 win against the Marlins. Skaggs stayed with the Diamondbacks until he was shut down for the season on September 24, following three consecutive poor outings and a drop in his fastball's velocity. He went 1–3 in his major league rookie season, with a 5.83 ERA in six starts.