Ryan Thompson has become a trustworthy reliever for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since his arrival in August 2023, he has brought much-needed stability in pivotal moments. With the high-leverage situations he has come into, he has earned the confidence of his manager Torey Lovullo.
Ability to Handle
Since becoming a Diamondback, he has become the go-to arm because of his ability to handle any situation. Thompson is particularly effective against right-handed batters but has proven he can also get left-handers out as well. With his perplexing sidearm approach, it’s confusing to the opposing hitters.
A Big Surprise in 2023
In August 2023 after struggling to a 6.11 ERA with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was designated for assignment. A big surprise followed as they released him from the organization. The Diamondbacks quickly signed him to a minor league deal, and he reported to the Reno Aces. After two scoreless appearances at Triple-A, he arrived at the big-league club and immediately became a dominant presence. He also became one of the go-to arms during their postseason run.
67 Appearances
In 2024, he began the season well, holding a 2.04 ERA in the first half. However, in both August and September, his ERA was over 6.00. Fatigue appeared to set in. He lost control on some pitches and opposing hitters took advantage. He pitched a total of 66.1 innings over 67 appearances last season, which was the most of his career. That upsurge in innings could have been a factor as to why he stumbled down the stretch.
Spring Training
During Spring Training, he worked on his command with new pitching coach Brian Kaplan and made some adjustments on the mound. Although those statistics do not count, his ERA was 1.93 and the ground ball outs were back. He once again looked to fully establish himself as one of the most consistent bullpen arms for the Diamondbacks.
Strong Mental Approach
Ryan Thompson has become a trustworthy reliever and has developed a strong mental approach to his role as a reliever. He realizes and comprehends the challenges of high-leverage situations and takes great pride and satisfaction in being ready for any situation. Thompson has become that reliable arm to hold runners on base and get outs to end the inning. With his sinker-slider combo, he is among the best ground-balls-out pitchers.
Consistency
Thompson has brought consistency to the Diamondbacks bullpen over the past few seasons. He knows he needs to bounce-back and be at his best to perform especially late in the season. There cannot be a “meltdown” like he experienced last August and September. This team is looked at by many to make a serious run at a playoff spot for the 2025 season. Hopefully, his workload will see a reduction and he will not see a lot of innings pitched. That should keep him from having that fatigued arm. If that happens, we can see Thompson return to the numbers, he had in the first half of 2024 and help this team back into the playoffs.
Main Photo Credits: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
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