Chukars’ ‘franchise player’ cherishes his time in Idaho Falls and would love to hoist the PBL trophy before leaving
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IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Chukars are one of the 12 teams that make up the Pioneer Baseball League.
The PBL, an independent league with teams in Idaho, Montana, California, Colorado and Utah, operates under many of the same rules as Major League Baseball, including implementing a pitch clock this season.
But one rule is drastically different from anything the Major Leagues has ever even considered. By rule, players who have four years of professional baseball experience are not allowed to play in the PBL.
The Chukars’ “franchise player,” as they are called, is Tyler Wyatt, the team leader in stolen bases (15) and first-half league All-Star.
Wyatt grew up in Glendale, Arizona and played his college ball at Grand Canyon University. In 2019, he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 31sth round of the first-year players draft. After spending parts of two seasons in the Giants farm system, including a 13-game stint with the San Jose Giants, Wyatt was released in 2021.
Later the same season, he signed with the Chukars. The journey that took him from Arizona to California and Idaho, Wyatt said, was “very tough, very difficult” but something he will always cherish.
“It’s been a pretty interesting journey,” he told EastdahoNews.com. “The draft was awesome. That was a surreal experience — something that I can hang my hat on for the rest of my life. It’s something that doesn’t happen to a lot of people, so it’s something that I’m very grateful for.”
Over the past four years, Wyatt has collected hits, homers and memories with the Chukars. And he has grown substantially, both as a man and a ballplayer. That growth, he believes, makes him more prepared for life as a professional baseball player than he was while he was playing affiliated baseball in the Giants organization.
“There’s a lot of things that I did on the field that probably got frowned upon and looked at a little differently — looked at weird,” Wyatt said. “I had to grow up and I couldn’t have done it without (Chukars pitching coach) Bob (Milacki) — I couldn’t have done it without the coaches and teammates that I’ve had.”
Asked if his maturation has made him a better player, more likely to succeed in affiliated ball, Wyatt was quick to say it has.
“Absolutely,” he said. “One-thousand percent. I feel like I know how to carry myself a little bit more.”
Wyatt has always been a great ballplayer — that’s why he was drafted. But he now sees how he carried himself a bit immaturely, which may have made it easier for the Giants franchise to give up on him. And he credits the very experienced Chukars coaching staff he’s worked with in Idaho Falls in identifying and remedying those shortcomings.
His current manager, Troy Percival, spent 14 seasons in the big leagues, earning four MLB All-Star Game nods and recording the final out of a 2002 World Series — Which saw his Angels beat the Giants in seven games. Chukars assistant coach Billy Butler was a big leaguer for 10 seasons, and Milacki spent eight seasons at the sport’s highest level.
All the coaching Wyatt and the Chukars receive is higher than is perhaps expected in an independent league. But Milacki specifically is someone Wyatt holds in high regard, referring to the coach as a “father-figure” to him and his teammates.
“It’s hard to beat, having a manager or pitching coach who played in the Big Leagues who you can pick their brain every single day, and find a way to get better just because of the knowledge that they have.”
Wyatt, in what is likely his final season with the Chukars, is second on the team with a .339 batting average. He is also tied for second in both RBIs (60) and home runs (12).
As for what is next — if the rules barring him from returning to the Chukars is unchanged — Wyatt said he has some potential landing spots for next season in mind. He named some of the other independent baseball leagues around the country before mentioning that the Mexican Pacific League could be an option.
Many Major League careers or aspirations have been revived while playing winter ball in Mexico — along with Korea’s KBO and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league — and Wyatt, 28, is far from giving up on his career.
“I would like to keep playing baseball as long as I possibly can. But at the same time, sometimes there’s writing on the wall and you’ve got to read it,” Wyatt said.
“To add to the end of this journey, I would love to coach one day and help guys get to where I’ve gotten — and hopefully beyond.”
As the old veteran among this young team, Wyatt has already begun his journey of helping others live out their dream — offering guidance to teammates whenever possible. But, little do they realize, his teammates have done the same for him.
“They don’t know it but the guys that I’ve had these four years, in the lockerroom, have made me learn how to love the game again,” he said.
With things already in the works to continue his playing career beyond the season, Wyatt said his only focus right now is helping Chukars win games and maybe a PBL title.
Raising a trophy at Melaleuca Field, Wyatt said, would be an awesome culmination to his time in Idaho Falls — where he said he has felt nothing but welcome and respected.
“It would be unreal to raise the trophy and say, ‘hey, this is for Idaho Falls,'” Wyatt said.
The Chukars’ pursuit of a PBL title continues Tuesday night when they host the Oakland Ballers for Game 1 of a six-game series. First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.