by Bill Craig / A’s Farm Nashville Correspondent
The A’s made Ole Miss right-hander Bobby Wahl their 5th-round pick in the 2013 draft, taking him just a few slots behind familiar names like Chad Pinder and Ryon Healy. The A’s had high hopes for the hard-throwing righty, but injuries frequently kept him on the sidelines and cost him important playing time.
Wahl spent some time on the disabled list every year since he started playing full-season ball in 2014. He missed over two months of the season in 2015 and then, after finally making it to the major leagues in early 2017, he landed on the disabled list in late May, where he remained for the rest of the season. Wahl was eventually diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and underwent surgery.
Fortunately, since having surgery, the 26-year-old has been completely healthy so far season while pitching for the Sounds. And he now leads Nashville’s pitching staff with 20 appearances and 6 saves while also boasting a 1.80 ERA and an 0.80 WHIP. Wahl has always been known as a strikeout pitcher, but this year he’s been averaging 13.3 K/9 while lowering his walk rate to 2.9 BB/9. He’s also been incredibly hard to hit, with opposing players batting just .141 against him this season.
During this week’s homestand in Nashville, the right-handed reliever took some time to talk with us about his recovery, his success this season and the road that he’s on to get back to the show.
AF: You’ve been really sharp here in Nashville this season. What do you think accounts for your success on the mound this year?
BW: I think the biggest part is mindset and just going after hitters. I’m trusting in what I’m doing out there on the mound with my delivery, my pitch selection and trusting my stuff. Like I said, I think just attacking guys has made a big difference.
AF: You’d dealt with a fair number of injuries over the course of your career, but you’ve been healthy all year here. How much does it help to be able to get out there on the mound on a regular basis without having to worry about any sort of nagging injuries, and how are you feeling physically at this point in the season?
BW: I’m feeling great. I think the surgery I had really relieved all my symptoms and the problems I was having in the past. Having had thoracic outlet syndrome, I had a lot of nerve problems, tingling and pain in my neck. So, to get over the things that were plaguing me early in my professional career and last year has been big for me this year.
AF: You got into a few games at the major league level last year. How much were you able to learn from that brief exposure and what did you take away from that experience?
BW: A lot. Even when I was on the DL, I learned a lot. I could have been down and upset about the situation I was in, but I tried to learn a lot by watching major league baseball up close. Just being able to have the experience there I think helped a lot in my career, and then learning a lot from those guys up there helped a lot.
AF: Is there anything in particular you’re focused on or trying to work on here at the moment?
BW: Yes, you can always refine things and get better at something. That’s the mindset I take every day. Maybe I want to work a little bit more on my curveball or where my release point is on my breaking ball and stuff like that. There’s always room for improvement and utilizing the people here. Pitching coach Rick Rodriguez has been great and Fran Riordan, my manager. The video work with Louis has been a huge help with looking at release points. It has been good to be here.
AF: Being here in Nashville this year, you’ve seen a lot of teammates going back and forth to Oakland. So how eager are you to get back to the big leagues and put to use what you’ve been learning here?
BW: Whenever that time comes, it comes. You want to get there as soon as possible. Coming up with a lot of those guys and getting drafted with them, I love playing with them. So, hopefully, I will get back there soon. All I can do while I’m here is refine what I do and try to get better every day.
AF: As a reliever, you never really know when you’re going to be called upon to come into a game. But is it any different for you when you’re coming into a game at the start of an inning as opposed to when you’re entering in the middle of an inning with runners on base?
BW: There is, but not necessarily with my approach, but maybe with pitch sequencing. It depends on who’s up and what your strengths are with his weaknesses. It varies from situation to situation.
AF: The amateur draft just took place this week. What do you remember most about the day you were drafted?
BW: I had an interesting draft experience just waiting on my name to be called. It was day two for me as I went in the fifth round. The excitement that goes through you is what I remember most. I got the call from the A’s and then realized I have this work ahead of me if I want to be a major league baseball player. It puts everything in front of you, and it’s really an exciting time.
AF: Were there any particular pitchers you admired growing up that you’ve maybe tried to model yourself after a bit?
BW: Good question. I don’t know about model myself after. I really liked watching the Braves with Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux. That was really a lot of fun. I really liked watching Mike Mussina a lot growing up. I was an Orioles fans. If I had to pick one, it would be Pedro Martinez. It was fun to watch how electric he was on those teams that were so good. He was probably my favorite to watch.
AF: You played college ball at Ole Miss, so you’ve played against Vanderbilt here in Nashville before. But now that you’ve had a chance to spend a little bit more time here, what do you think of life here in Nashville?
BW: I love it! It’s probably one of my favorite cities in America. I can’t say enough about Nashville with the atmosphere, the food, the city and everything. I’m thrilled to be able to play here and I just can’t say enough about it. It’s awesome here!
AF: Do you have any particular goals or anything you’d like to try to accomplish this season?
BW: There are goals. I think of lot of it is trying to keep my goals short term. The ultimate goal is to be in the big leagues, stay in the big leagues and be great in the big leagues. When you start thinking about the long term too much, it can be a little daunting. For me, I try to keep it day to day, what I can do today to get better or get guys out and be a more complete pitcher.
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