Helping women and minorities into newsrooms since 1993
Helping women and minorities into newsrooms since 1993
The text from a friend came as Jaylon Thompson was walking between the field and the clubhouse at MLB spring training this year.
‘Congratulations for being top 10 in APSE!’ the message read.
It was a moment of gratification for Thompson, whose coverage of the Kansas City Royals’ 2024 season earned him a top 10 finish in division B for beat writing. Thompson, a relatively new addition to the Kansas City Star’s sports staff, came on as the Royals beat writer during the 2023 season.
“You get those couple moments of gratification for everything that you did, every game you went to,” Thompson, a 2015 SJI graduate, said. “It was all for it for that moment. And then the competitive spirit comes in because you’re like, ‘oh, I gotta do this again next year.’”
The Royals made it to the American League Division Series in 2024, ultimately falling to the Yankees. However, the season was largely considered a success for the clubhouse, which had spent years rebuilding and developing prospects.
Thompson took the opportunity to cover everything the season had to offer. His clips covered everything from management to heartbreak to data and star player Bobby Witt Jr.
Thompson believes his focus on human-centered stories sets his writing apart. He strives to know the person, not just the player, whenever possible, and that human element appeals to him the most.
“I’m big on knowing the person that wears the jersey, not the player that performs inside of the jersey,” he said.
The search to discover the people behind the players led Thompson to a hotel room in Texas where Witt’s family was staying during MLB All-Star Week last July. There, Thompson talked with Witt’s mother, father, and siblings.
The result was a story that went beyond Witt’s performance at All-Star Week to give readers an inside perspective of the Witt family.
“I always look at being a journalist as you are proving the middle ground for a fan union that doesn’t have that access to the players,” Thompson said.
From a young age, Thompson knew he wanted to cover the MLB. But before landing his current role at the Kansas City Star, Thompson worked at several other outlets, including 247Sports, USA Today, Alliance of American Football, Fox Sports and MLB.com.
Thompson was abruptly laid off in 2019 when the AAF suspended all operations. He described the time between his role at the AAF and ultimately a new role at 247Sports as a test.
“That was the moment where you have to really show if you are dedicated to the craft or not,” Thompson said. “Because everything is not always going to go your way.”
Even amid the challenges of having his career in flux, Thompson never considered leaving journalism – he said he always knew it was his purpose. Now, with his dream job, he knows he was right to always bet on himself.
“We got to the other side of it and it was the best thing that could have happened,” he said. “That showed me if you really want something, you have to persevere.”