Dodgers' outfielder, Trayce Thompson, has yet to play a full season in the big leagues, but he has already played behind two of the best pitchers in MLB today. When Trayce played for the White Sox, he got to see Chris Sale, up close and personal. When he got traded to Los Angeles, Thompson suited up with Dodgers' ace, Clayton Kershaw. Both are lanky left-handers with hefty pitching portfolios and minuscule ERA's. I asked Trayce if he saw any comparisons between Sale and Kershaw.
Trayce Thompson–
"100%!
Their talent is amazing but, at the same time, they have two different mentalities.
Chris is a lot more loose. When he is pitching, you probably wouldn’t know it. He is in the dugout and talking
with everybody. Clayton is really zoned in. He’s got this laser
focus, but there are definitely two of the most talented guys that I
have ever seen. I’ll be able to
tell my kids someday that I got to play with these guys.
I think the thing that
separates them is that they are both
tremendous teammates, amazing
guys and they don’t think that
they are above the game in any way. Two highly respected guys
within in the clubhouse. It has
been a lot of fun to watch them and
to play behind them. They
are not just the two best left-handers. They are probably the two best pitchers in baseball right now.
It
is crazy to see what they’ve been able to do. Clayton is so “by the book.” He is routine oriented
and a little more traditional in his approach. Chris is
more like a freak of nature who just goes up there. His mechanics are all over
the place and he just wings the ball in there, but they are two amazingly talented guys. It has been a lot of
fun watching them."
LB- So, you see two pitchers with completely different approaches to the game and yet they both
have some nasty stuff and get great results?
TT– "Exactly. For
a right-handed batter, Kersh is probably the most uncomfortable at-bat from a lefty pitcher. Chris against
left-handed batters? You
don’t see a lot of lefthanders facing Chris Sales. It is impossible.
It has been an extreme honor to play behind both of them."
**
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