Yannic Walther aims to be next German MLB star

Max Kepler was born in Berlin, Germany, and Donald Lutz grew up in Friedberg, West Germany.

They played baseball in the European club system and eventually made their way to Major League Baseball.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers catcher Yannic Walther hopes to join that list.

Walther, who was born in Heidelberg, Germany, in 2004, fell in love with baseball because of his father and was signed as an international free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers in August 2022.

“He founded a club with a couple of his friends there,” Walther said. “And I just grew up with it. I grew up on a baseball field.”

So how did the Brewers find a catcher in Germany, which is not exactly one of the places that is heavily scouted for baseball prospects? 

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“I think it was because I played for the national team – the U12, U15 and U18 teams for the European Championships and World Cups,” the right-handed hitting catcher said. “That’s one thing and then the other thing is we had the German Baseball League, which is a semi-professional league. I think that’s where they saw me, too.”

The 22-year-old Walther had an opportunity to sign with another MLB team, but it was a pretty clear decision when the Brewers came calling.

“I wanted to play professional baseball and got an offer from a different team and turned it down,” Walther said. “Then the Brewers came along. The offer was a little bit better, so I took it.”

Then it was off to the Dominican Summer League for Walther where, being the only player from Germany, he could have felt pretty isolated.

“Obviously, it was new, everything was new,” Walther said. “My Spanish wasn’t as good then as it is now. Back then it was different.

“When I came stateside for the first time, I came up with some of the Latin guys, so I had people that I knew well. I had friends to hang out with.”

Since being promoted from Wilson in the Carolina League to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on June 30, Walther has acquitted himself quite well. He is batting .264 in 28 games in Wisconsin with six doubles, two home runs, 12 RBIs and 16 walks for an on-base percentage of .367 heading into the final week of the season.

Walther thinks he has progressed in all phases of the game but declined to answer what he considers his strength.

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“I think that is up to other people to decide what’s a strength or weakness,” he said. “But for me, personally, I just try to work on everything each day and try to get better at everything. There are some things that I work on more than others.”

As a relative newcomer to the Timber Rattlers, Walther is familiar with some of the pitchers who were also at Wilson earlier this season but there were also a few pitchers on the Timber Rattlers roster he had not caught before. 

The learning process with those pitchers involves having conversations.

“You try to talk a lot,” he said. “You catch bullpens with them before you go out there the first time and even after catching the pitchers I know it’s the same thing. I try to have a conversation with them, like did we use the pitches you wanted to use? It’s just constant conversation and getting to know each other.” 

“Dog, for sure. We have a retriever labrador mix.” 

What’s your favorite movie or TV series?

“For movie, I’d say “Chasing Mavericks.” It’s a movie about a surfer.”

Besides your family, what’s one thing about Heidelberg, Germany, you wish was here?

“It’s hard to replicate it overall. I mean, obviously, I miss Germany at times. I’d say some different types of foods for sure.”

Is there anything you’ve discovered here that you would like to take back to Heidelberg?

“Maybe [air conditioning]. We don’t have AC in Germany. Really in the summer, it can get pretty hot and right now it’s been a pretty hot summer in Germany.”

In Wisconsin, there seems to be a Kwik Trip or Walmart every few blocks. What stores or businesses in Germany are there where you see one seemingly around every corner?

“Supermarkets for sure, like Aldi and Lidl.”

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Yannic Walther aims to be next German MLB star