In Memory of Tyler Skaggs: Always and Forever an Angel

Tyler Wayne Skaggs was born in Woodland Hills, CA to Debbie and Darrell Skaggs. Athletics became a fixture in his life early on as his family was born and bred with sports in their DNA. His mother Debbie, a highly respected softball and volleyball coach, would go on to become the biggest influence in her son Tylers life. His mother took on the role of his personal coach and would eventually retire from her own professional career in 2015 to give Tyler her fullest attention.

It’s been said that Tyler Skaggs had one of the best left-handed curveballs in the game, but that wouldn’t be the case if it wasn’t for his mothers attention and care to bring out the best out of the deep well of potential within her son. It really is beautiful to be able to look back at the life of Tyler Wayne Skaggs and see all the assistance he had in his life journey towards fulfilling his purpose to be an Angel in both life and baseball. His destiny truly was one that had to be lived for the good of all around him, it’s impossible to ignore this when you see how many guiding hands he had directed him towards his destiny. His life was one that was truly meant to be, for his life was one that elevated the lives of others.

Eventually Tyler would find himself pitching at the same school his mother was a profoundly respected coach and fixture of the local community. While pitching at Santa Monica High School Skaggs made the Varsity team his freshman year and threw 14.2 innings of 0.95 ERA baseball alongside 8 K’s and 2 BB’s with two wins in two starts. This was clearly only the beginning of a bright, vibrant career laying just ahead. His sophomore season saw him receive more responsibility as a team-mate, that year Skaggs pitched 43.1 innings to a 1.13 ERA alongside 42 K’s and 11 BB’s with 7 wins in eight starts as well as a complete game to boot. Not only was he a wizard on the mound, he has some good swings in him too as he hit .300 in 23 PA’s and scored 3 Runs while knocking in 6 RBI’s.

His junior year is when things would really take off; in 2008 Skaggs received the “Ocean League” Player of the Year Award, the Ocean League being an athletic conference affiliated with the CIF Southern Section.Skaggs junior season saw him twirl 63.1 IP and collect 89 K’s to 22 BB’s all to a 1.11 ERA. His senior year was strong as well, with Skaggs pitching 48 innings of 1.16 ERA baseball while collecting 76 K’s to 11 BB’s. He swung the bat really well that year as well as Skaggs hit .328 in 76 PA’s with 12 Runs scored, 6 RBI’s, and 9 Doubles. The talent kept growing and growing come senior year, but his explosive junior year is what solidified in everyones minds the actuality of Skaggs potential to be something larger than life itself.

After his high school career it was only a matter of time until life took off for Skaggs in a big way.