Tyler Locklear knew he was different from the rest of his peers as early as 9 years old.
The Abingdon, Md., native, just old enough to begin playing in travel baseball leagues, was hitting the ball farther than anyone else was, and probably farther than anyone that age should.
“I put a couple over the fence as a 9-year-old,” Locklear said on Glenn Clark Radio July 19.
Fast forward 12 years, and Locklear, now a 21-year-old, is still hitting baseballs farther than the rest, an ability that’s taken him to baseball’s highest level. On July 17 during the first day of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Seattle Mariners chose the 6-foot-3, 210-pound corner infielder out of VCU with the 58th overall pick and signed him to a $1.28 million bonus. Locklear split time between third and first base at VCU, but the Mariners announced him as a third baseman.
Like many draft hopefuls, Locklear and his family hosted friends, teammates and coaches to watch. They were forced to wait until late in the night, but the call from Seattle coupled with the presence of those who he says are responsible for where he is today made it worth the wait for Locklear.
“They all brought me up and made me who I am today,” he said. “That’s who I’m representing, all the time.”
Locklear began his three-year VCU career following a stellar four years at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, where he graduated as the ninth-ranked recruit in Maryland in 2019. After a shortened freshman season in 2020, he burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2021, when he hit .345 and slugged 16 home runs in 54 games.
Seemingly a tough season to top, he somehow found a way in Year 3. VCU finished the season 42-20 and advanced to a regional after sweeping through the Atlantic 10 conference tournament, and Locklear led the Rams in every offensive category. He slashed .402/.542/.799, with nearly twice as many walks (47) than strikeouts (25). He also had 20 homers, 25 doubles and 78 RBIs.
“It really started getting serious about how high you could go … probably sophomore year,” he said. “Coach called me last summer and said you’re going to be playing in the Cape [Cod League] at the end of the season, so that’s like a dream come true already. … Having a good fall that I had and then ultimately being a leader on that team as such a young sophomore, that’s when it all kind of became real.”
Any scouting report on Locklear gushes over his power, his best attribute. In 132 college games, he totaled 37 homers and 83 extra-base hits.
“Locklear’s carrying tool, obviously, is his raw power from the right side of the plate, which is better than plus,” his MLB.com scouting report reads. “He’s shown he can use it in his mid-Major conference, and he’s strong enough to hit the ball out with wood in his hands as well.”
But he wants to be known for more than a power-hitting corner infielder. The Mariners, he says, are getting a player who is willing to do the dirty work.
“I just try to hit the ball hard somewhere,” he said. “[The Mariners] are getting a leader. They’re getting a baseball player. That’s who I am. I’ll grind. I get hit by pitches, I steal bases, my jersey’s dirty. I’m just a baseball player.”
Something else Locklear looks forward to bringing to the Northwest is his love for Honey Old Bay flavored chicken wings. Despite knowing he’ll need to get into better physical shape to succeed at the next level, he can still down “30 or 40” wings in one sitting, something he unfortunately won’t be able to do as frequently as he has been.
He takes pride in the fact that he’s the one who introduced his VCU teammates to Honey Old Bay. The Maryland staple likely wasn’t a complete unknown in Virginia, but it will be in Seattle.
“I brought a bunch of stuff to school that they liked trying,” he said. “I brought those to school and they were gone in probably 30 minutes.”
For more from Locklear, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of VCU Athletics