Tyler Skaggs
A left-handed pitcher with a devastating curveball, whose tragic death at 27 sparked a profound reckoning on opioid abuse in baseball.
1991–2019 (age 28)·American baseball player·Birthday: July 13·Millennials
Biography
Tyler Skaggs possessed the kind of smooth, left-handed delivery and hammer curveball that scouts dream on. Drafted out of high school, he quickly became a prized prospect, traded twice in deals that underscored his value. With the Los Angeles Angels, he seemed to be hitting his stride, becoming a reliable and popular member of the rotation. His death in a Texas hotel room in July 2019, just before a series against the Rangers, sent shockwaves through the sport. The subsequent investigation revealed a troubling culture of drug misuse within the Angels organization, leading to a federal trial and a lasting stain on the franchise. On the field the day after his death, his teammates threw a combined no-hitter in his honor, a moment of raw, poetic grief. Skaggs's legacy is thus twofold: remembered for his pitching promise, but forever a catalyst for painful but necessary conversations about accountability and player health in professional sports.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Tyler was born in 1991, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tyler Was Born
The biggest hits of 1991
#1 Movie
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Best Picture
The Silence of the Lambs
#1 TV Show
Cheers
Tyler's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1991Born
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1996Started school
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2004Became a teenager
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Could drive
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2009Could vote
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Turned 21
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2019Died at 28
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Pitched a career-high 8.0 innings of shutout baseball against the Kansas City Royals in 2018.
- Was the starting pitcher for the Angels on Opening Day in 2019.
- Struck out a career-best 13 batters in a single game against the Baltimore Orioles in 2018.
- Traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Angels in a three-team deal that also involved the Chicago White Sox.
Did You Know?
He was a standout high school baseball player in Santa Monica, California, also playing first base.
His mother, Debbie Hetman, threw the ceremonial first pitch to his catcher, Andrew Heaney, at the Angels' first home game after his death.
He wore jersey number 45 for the Angels.
“I love competing, and I love being out there with my guys.”
