Late MLB Pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ Wife and Mom Speak Out a Year After His Unexpected Passing

Late MLB Pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ Wife and Mom Speak Out a Year After His Unexpected Passing

On July 1, 2019, pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels Tyler Skaggs was found dead in a Texas Hotel room. He was just 27 years old.

According to People, who obtained a copy of the toxicology report and autopsy done by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner, revealed that Skaggs’ cause of death was a mixture of “alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents.” According to the report, the pitcher choked on his vomit, and his death was ruled an accident. 

Skaggs “had a blood-alcohol level of 0.122, 3.8 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl, and 38 nanograms of oxycodone, a prescription-strength pain killer, in his system when he died,” People reported.

Shortly after his passing, Skaggs’ wife, Carli, and his mom, Debbie Hetman, started the Tyler Skaggs Foundation, which is meant to “empower young people through the gift of sports by supporting athletic programs and other initiatives that will provide the tools to build confidence, teamwork and leadership skills.”

Now, they are opening up about Tyler and how they are healing one year after his passing.

In an interview with TMX.news, obtained by People, Hetman said Skaggs “legacy is about the type of person that he was — how caring and loving, his kindness to others. That’s what’s so important about Tyler. He was a great baseball player but he was a greater person and man. Such an incredible loving and caring soul.”

Carli went on to say her husband “treated everyone with the same kindness and respect.” However, while they have been able to throw themselves into the foundation, Carli admitted that “without closure, it’s hard to move forward.”

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And Hetman shared a similar sentiment. “I’m sad all the time. Less numb, but sad, heartbroken that I don’t have my son here. It’s not gonna be the anniversary I look forward to ever.”

Both Carli and Hetman hope that the foundation they started will help Skaggs’ legacy and love of sports live on through the youngsters they help through the organization.

Sara Vallone

Sara Vallone has been a writer and editor for the last four and a half years. A graduate of Ohio University, she enjoys celebrity news, sports, and articles that enhance people's lives.