Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt has put together a nice spring so far and has forced his name into conversations about making the Opening Day roster. His success this spring has come because of the mindset he’s developed throughout his baseball career.
Waldschmidt suffered multiple major injuries before he was drafted, with a broken elbow in high school and a torn ACL at Kentucky, and then his first season in the minor leagues was cut short by a hamstring strain.
However, the 23-year-old prospect says that’s what built him into the player he is today.
“I think my mental toughness comes from those adversities that I had to come through,” Waldschmidt told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta Thursday. “I always tell people, even through my draft process, when they’d ask about my ACL and how that’s changed me. A lot of it was all for the better.”
Waldschmidt’s ACL injury came during the summer between his junior and senior year while he was playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He played in four games before the injury and then missed the next eight months.
“It’s something that sucks. I don’t wish it upon anyone. But it did turn me into the player I am mentally,” Waldschmidt said. “I think prior I was really result-oriented. I always wanted to do good. My mood depended on how I was playing and that’s just not a way to live your life.”
During those eight months, Waldschmidt may not have been able to play physically, but he was constantly sharpening his mental skills.
The former Wildcat took advantage of Trackman, a digital scouting platform used by MLB teams and worldwide. Waldschmidt would track the location, velocity and movement of 400 to 500 pitches during intrasquad games, familiarizing himself with reading the ball out of the pitcher’s hand.
Waldschmidt said the inability to be on the field playing also gave him a chance to step back and be grateful for the opportunity to play baseball every day.
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“I think it kind of takes away from that burden of success and always just wanting to be at the best,” Waldschmidt said. “I mean, it’s impossible to tear it up every single game. That’s not realistic. But what it does help you do is to limit those slow streaks, you know, those slumps.
“If you can limit those to one day or one at-bat, then you allow yourself to just be more consistent as a player and even as a person too, if your performance doesn’t affect who you are.”
Waldschmidt returned from his torn ACL to play 59 games his senior year and hit .333 with a 1.079 OPS. He hit 14 home runs, stole 25 bases and walked 41 times compared to 45 strikeouts.
The Diamondbacks’ top prospect said when he adjusted his mindset to not needing to be perfect and just limiting the slumps, it allowed him to bounce back easier.
“I think you’re able to recognize being where your feet are,” Waldschmidt continued. “That’s just what benefits you in the long run. I do think it all came from those injuries.
“I think without those, I think people who have a lot of smooth sailing and never really battle any adversity, it gets tough when you get there, especially when you’re at this level.”
Waldschmidt’s torn ACL is likely what allowed him to drop to the Diamondbacks with the 31st overall pick. If he had a fully healthy summer league before his senior year, there’s a good chance he would have found himself higher on draft boards.
Now, without an at-bat in Triple-A, Arizona’s top prospect has himself in contention for an Opening Day roster spot.
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