In baseball, the number of young Black male athletes has dwindled over the years. According to the MLB, diversity is up, but there are still focused efforts to improve Black participation in the sport as less than 7% of MLB players identify as Black. Madison High School pitcher/second baseman Tyren Reaves identifies as Black and has a love for the game.
“We don’t have enough brothers out here; it’s just not enough of us. In the major leagues, there are far more players of other ethnicities playing but I feel if we get more involved and play the sport earlier in our career, we can make a good play just like Bo Jackson and the rest of them,” said Reaves.
Reaves, a senior, began playing baseball when he was eight years old after idolizing his cousin, Paul Davis, who also shared a love for the sport.
“We were cousins, but we were more like brothers. We grew up at my grandmother’s house together. We were always together, one unit. We always had each other’s back. It was me and him, ride or die,” said Reaves.
Davis pitched for Sterling High School before tearing his rotator cuff and ending his dreams of playing at the next level.
“He was unable to recover from that injury,” said Reaves. “Once his dreams of playing in the MLB were a distant memory, he enlisted in the army because he couldn’t throw anymore. I continued because I wanted to carry on the legacy.”
Tyren Reaves
IG: @huncho_ty
Position: Second base
Height & weight: 5-feet-10, 175 pounds
Players he studies: Jose Altuve (Houston Astros)
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artist: J. Cole
Favorite subject: Biology
Shout-outs: Mom
Reaves has since become a four-year varsity starting second baseman for the Marlins.
“My baseball IQ has gotten better, and so has my confidence. If I would have known my freshman year what I know now, I would have been even more advanced,” said Reaves.
Reaves enjoys watching Houston Astros second baseman, Jose Altuve, who stands 5-feet-6 but has a huge impact while on the field.
“I like the way he plays. A lot of undersize guys are looked over, but his impact on the game is unmatched,” said Reaves.
In 2020 due to a health-related issue, Reaves lost one of his biggest supporters, his grandmother.
“She used to say she’ll always be around even though if she’s not here, always look up and she’ll be there,” said Reaves. “My grandma and I were tight. It was very traumatic when she passed away. It changed my outlook on life, and made me appreciate life more.”
Suddenly, the game that brought joy and an escape from life problems, soon found Reaves caught in his head as he struggled with the passing of his grandmother.
“I went into a slump, a little depression. My teammates talking to me and motivating me helped pull me back. Eventually, I learned to play for her instead of playing sad,” said Reaves.
Next season Reaves will be attending Texas Southern University on an academic scholarship. He plans to walk on the baseball team and major in biology with plans of going into the dental hygienic field after graduation.
“My mom is a clinical director of several dentist offices,” said Reaves. “She brought me around a lot of doctors while I was young. On the weekends I do ortho and braces. I have experience in doing adjustments and taking X-rays. Growing up around it made me love it. I see it as easy money in the air conditioning.”
