Erie SeaWolves' Dane Myers adapts to position switch, multiple Toledo trips

Dane Myers grew up competing on a baseball field year round.

From high school and college baseball to summer leagues and travel tournaments, Myers could shake off a bad game or a bad day in less than 24 hours.

When he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as a starting pitcher, the bad games and subsequent five days waiting to take the mound again started to wear on him.

“Growing up I was playing every day and getting hit around as a starter, and waiting six days to make up for it wasn't too fun,” Myers said. “If I was in the lineup and went 0-for-4 I could get back in the lineup the next day, but waiting that long between starts was tough.”

Myers' switch to being a position player not only led the SeaWolves outfielder to success in Erie, it helped him reach Toledo earlier this season. He has made the trip up to Toledo and back down to Erie several times this year, but the constant change isn't getting him down.

“It's tough but I'm being a pro about it,” Myers said. “It shows the organization likes me, which is good, and I just want to keep the same approach at every level.”

Myers, 26, grew up in Katy, Texas where he was a two-sport star in football and baseball. He went on to Rice to play baseball as both a position player and as a pitcher. The Owls needed him in the infield so became a relief pitcher, when needed, but the Tigers saw a different path.

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Detroit called Myers to make sure he was OK with being drafted as a starting pitcher. When Myers consented, the Tigers took him in the sixth round in 2017.

Myers was moving up the minor league system, but his pitching numbers weren't jumping off the page. In 2017, he was 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA in 13 appearances, including 12 starts with Low-A Connecticut. He went 3-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 14 starts with West Michigan in 2018. In 2019, Myers was 4-5 with a 6.54 ERA in 15 appearances, including seven starts.

Myers knew his future wasn't on the mound.

A few days before he could work up the courage to ask Detroit about switching back to being a position player, he received a phone call.

“I was just about ready to ask the higher ups if I could make the switch because I was struggling pretty bad on the mound,” Myers said. “A couple of days before I went to ask, the organization asked me to make the switch. It was a blessing from God and I ran with it.”

Myers finished the 2019 season in the Gulf Coast League working on his swing.

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He had to keep his work going at home during the pandemic in 2020 before starting 2021 on fire. He quickly moved up from Lakeland to West Michigan and finished the season in Erie. Myers hit .278 with five doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs in 27 games with the SeaWolves, but he wasn't satisfied.

“When I made the switch, I got out of my comfort zone and I was being too aggressive,” Myers said. “I was trying to prove a point at the plate that I could hit and this year I'm taking the approach that whatever happens, happens, and I know I'm a good hitter. I'm playing my game and the rest will work itself out.”

Myers had an impressive April in Erie as he hit .304 with four home runs and 13 RBIs to earn a promotion to Toledo in early May. He was back in Erie a week later, but then back to Toledo on May 17. After two more weeks of being one step from the big leagues, he was sent back to the SeaWolves.

His presence has helped lift the clubhouse in the middle of a playoff race.

“You never want to get demoted but to get back here when the guys are swinging it and playing well is fun,” Myers said. “Everything is clicking for this team right now and to get in the lineup and fall in behind the guys doing well is easy.”

Myers is hitting .267 between the two levels this year with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 27 RBIs and eight stolen bases. The courage to completely change his career path and accept constant promotions and demotions has Myers sticking out in the organization.

“It isn't easy to go keep moving up and down, and I had to do it in my career,” said SeaWolves manager Gabe Alvarez. “It wears on you and what he has done is incredible. I think his at-bats have been professional and he plays multiple positions. He really is a complete player."

Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreisenweber.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie SeaWolves' Dane Myers adapts to position switch, Triple-A trips