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Canuck Baseball Plus Prospect Profile: Tyler OffmanAn In-Depth Look at Canadian Baseball and More
Every team needs a player like Tyler Offman. The First Baseman out of Thornhill, Ontario, is not only a great player but the definition of a quality person.
Offman comes from a baseball-crazy family. His two biggest baseball influences are his father Brad and older brother Jonah. They have taught and mentored him his whole life. When asked about the impact his dad has made on his career, he said; “He taught me the game and is always pushing me to be as good of a player as I can be.” Jonah, a 6’2 pitcher at Johns Hopkins University, is a perfect model for any kid to follow and has had a huge impact on his younger brother. “Jonah is honestly the biggest influence in my entire life. That guy has always been rooting for me, been on my side and has thrown me soft toss.”
Offman, a 6’3 slugger, is not just a strong kid with a big bat, he can impact a ball club in many different ways. He hits in a power position and is expected to slug, but he can hit for average and run just as well as a smaller slap hitter. He is the type of batter who can hit anywhere in a lineup and mix in perfectly.
He’s a well above average defender with terrific hands, who moves solidly side to side. When asked about his defensive skill set he was humble in response; “If I could save a run either way or at least contribute to my team defensibly, that’s huge. That’s how you win baseball games scoring runs and not allowing the other team to score, anything I can do defensively is great.”
In the Ann Arbor tournament last year, the first baseman experienced a Kirk Gibson-like moment. “I hit two home runs in a game which was kind of nice, and it was right after fouling a ball off the inside of my calf. I couldn’t run, so luckily I hit two balls over the fence, so I wouldn’t have to for the rest of the game.” A big game for the Toronto Mets player.
Tyler is a leader and a great teammate. He makes an effort to be a welcoming face and a positive guy in and out of the dugout; “Before being a good teammate, it’s important to be a friend. I like to be the friendliest guy you’ll meet on the team. As a teammate I consider myself a leader, I like to take on a leadership role on the team.” An example of his leadership is seen before every game when he hosts a speech type-prayer. “It’s usually to get the boys loose and try to make them enjoy themselves. Dayenu is a team favorite.”
The student-athlete is a student first; “School is the most important thing to me because in baseball you could always tear your ACL, but you can’t tear your brain.” His current average is a 92%, and he helps tutor students in the same grade.
There is nothing better than being respected by your peers. Offman’s teammate Keegan Pulford-Thorpe respects and admires his pickoff partner; “I could talk about Tyler all day. Ty is one of the hardest working players I have ever met. He works on his swing and defense tirelessly. I believe he’s one of the most underrated bats and gloves in the 2019 class. He has big-time power and is an elite defender, it’s a part of his game that gets looked over because of his size, but he can move like the smaller guys and has amazing hands. Tyler as a person is about as good as it gets. He is a brilliant student in school, and will always help out a teammate in need of assistance. Whether it’s catching a flat ground or throwing soft toss ty will help out. He goes harder than everyone I know in the gym too. He’s a great player overall and an even better person. Kind and caring, and an extreme competitor.”
Underrated he is, he’s one of the best-kept secrets in the 2019 class. Successful teams are built around players like Offman. He’s an excellent student, great player, and a great person. If you’re starting a team or starting a business, build your squad around Tyler Offman a model of a human being.
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