Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Ryan Thompson is entering his seventh year in MLB and his fourth with the D-backs in 2026. While he looks for constant improvement each season, this year he’s focused on his spiritual leadership inside the clubhouse.
Thompson is devoted to his faith and he believes continuing to lean into it at a deeper level will not only improve his individual results but also his ability to help his teammates.
“I want to treat everybody the exact same, like in our faith, it’s not a work-based faith. Your value is not what you do,” Thompson told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke Tuesday. “That’s what I want for our clubhouse. Your value as a human being is not whether or not you performed on the field.”
As a reliever in MLB, Thompson said nobody understands what it’s like to come in to face one or two batters and either do your job or fail, and that be your day’s work.
Ryan Thompson wants to lead through faith
When a teammate gives up a run or fails to complete the job in a given appearance, Thompson doesn’t want him to feel alone. Instead, he wants to be the guy who continues to be there and let his teammate know he still has value and is loved.
“If you don’t perform on the field and now all of a sudden I’m not looking at you the same, you feel that,” Thompson said. “Then that impacts the way you play the next game and the next game. That’s why the spiritual stuff really matters. So I want to go up, and I want to love on that guy.
“Like no one else wants to talk to you because they think that you’re in your feelings and you don’t want to talk to anybody. I want to put my arm around you and I want to just be there for you. Maybe you don’t want to talk to me and that’s fine.”
A big part of that for Thompson has been a switch in spiritual mindset.
RELATED STORIES
Diamondbacks' Corbin Carroll takes live ABs, aiming to play spring training games
Diamondbacks' Ryan Waldschmidt says injuries shaped him into a mentally tough, free player
Diamondbacks' Ryan Waldschmidt says injuries shaped him into a mentally tough, free player
He’s learned throughout the last couple of offseasons to receive “revelations from the Holy Spirit” rather than from theology and scripture alone.
“One of the questions that I’ve found to be really fruitful is asking God, ‘What do you want me to know and what do you want me to do?’ Then you walk into the clubhouse and you’re just available.
“Your eyes are open, your ears are open, your hearts are open and you’re just feeling revelation all the time, like I need to talk to this guy today. I don’t know why. I’m going to go talk to this guy today and then see what’s going on.”
But it doesn’t stop there. Thompson said a big part of his goal this season is to grow his own game through his faith as well.
How does faith influence Ryan Thompson’s performance?
The Diamondbacks reliever has a 3.21 ERA across his three years in Arizona. He always goes into each offseason trying to have the same approach to baseball as he does with his faith, constantly trying to grow.
Thompson’s 2025 season was shortened by a shoulder injury when he missed nearly two months from July to September. However, that gave him a chance to sit back and take a breath to switch his mindset before rejoining the team down the stretch.
“Just relaxing a little bit. Stop white-knuckling that baseball, stop trying to force it every day,” Thompson said. “I had some stuff off the field where I felt like my performance on the field was more so something that I needed and it was kind of crippling me a little bit at times.
“So having that moment to sit back and say ‘Okay, I’m out here in the clubhouse preaching the Lord’s peace, joy and freedom every single day, but am I living that?’ It was kind of a looking at myself in the mirror moment.”
After returning from injury, Thompson pitched nine innings in September, gave up two earned runs and struck out six batters.
Now, as Thompson prepares for his seventh season in the league, and the Diamondbacks reload with Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen and Paul Sewald, alongwith a lethal lineup, the D-backs reliever is excited to see what Arizona can accomplish this season.
“I think that maybe expectations aren’t high enough for the Diamondbacks this year,” Thompson said.
Hence then, the article about ryan thompson is focused on his faith leadership in diamondbacks clubhouse was published today ( ) and is available on Arizona sports ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Ryan Thompson is focused on his faith, leadership in Diamondbacks’ clubhouse )
Also on site :