Lugnuts Player Spotlight: Sean Wymer

LANSING, Mich. via TORONTO, Ont. - Lansing Lugnuts pitcher Sean Wymer always had confidence in himself as a pitcher. But it wasn't until his senior year of high school, when he started receiving offers from colleges, that he really started to believe in himself.
A native of Flower Mound, Texas, a town of 65,000 people, Wymer had to choose between Texas Tech University and Texas Christian University.

Ultimately, he chose TCU. With a rich baseball history - major leaguers Matt Carpenter, Jake Arrieta, and Andrew Cashner are all products of the Horned Frogs program - Wymer felt comfortable on campus. Of course, having his parents close by was also a huge bonus. "Having them being there to support me, especially freshman year, was great. It was definitely big."
While at TCU, Wymer, along with his Horned Frog teammates, learned vital lessons about the mental aspects of the game, thanks chiefly to mental performance coach Brian Cain and head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
Wymer, now 22, was impressed with TCU's concentrated and overarching approach to athletic development. With a tremendous focus on all aspects of life, he felt as though the program was an excellent point of preparation for a fulfilling life, regardless of which industry he ended up working in.
During his freshman year, it was difficult for him to process all the information that was being communicated to him, and for good reason. As a freshman pitcher at a Division I college, he had lots to learn, on and off the field.
"Everything they've been teaching you just sort of comes, and you can focus on using it," he said of his sophomore season. "It becomes second nature. I saw what routines did for me and that's when a big change came."
In his sophomore season, Wymer had a spectacular season, pitching to an ERA of 2.10 and striking out 66 batters in 55.2 innings pitched. He held opponents to a paltry .182 batting average and started the season with 10.1 scoreless frames out of the bullpen.
By his own admission, his delivery during his freshman year wasn't repeatable, due in large part to the awkward, over-the-top arm slot he used to launch pitches. In his sophomore year, TCU pitching coach Kirk Saarloos suggested he drop his arm slot a little bit to increase his stamina and control.
In fact, he was so far over the top that pitching trackers recognized him as a left-handed pitcher due to his stature and pitching motion. Once he adjusted, he was able to make his path more consistent and focus more on developing his pitch arsenal.
"After that sophomore year, I realized I had a chance to do something," he remarked of his chances to be drafted out of college. "I was in my living room with my family when my agent texted me saying, 'the Blue Jays are planning on picking you'."
A fourth-round pick in 2018, Wymer was quickly assigned to Short Season-A Vancouver, where he pitched 35.1 innings to an ERA of 4.84, striking out 34 and walking seven. Before being drafted, he worked out at TCU with some former MiLBers, so he had a rough idea of what minor-league baseball life would be like.
Like many other current Lugnuts, Wymer had only one word to describe the experience of pitching at Vancouver's Nat Bailey Stadium: "awesome". Coming off of an appearance in the College World Series, he had no idea that a short season affiliate would have such an electric atmosphere.
Now in his second professional season, Wymer is working on getting used to a five-day rotation, which is unlike what he experienced in Vancouver. For him, this routine has helped him immensely, even if it has been a bit taxing.
"It's good to know your gameplan before you go out there," he noted. "That helps me a lot. The less thinking you actively have to put into it, the better."
Working closely with Lugs backstop Ryan Gold, Wymer has tossed 64.2 innings this season, striking out 41 and walking 19. Though he does carry an ERA of 7.10, Wymer, an enthusiastic reader in his free time, is confident that his work will pay off on the mound as the season progresses.