Schwimer to the Show

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Lehigh Valley reliever Michael Schwimer has gotten called up to Philadelphia to take Placido Polanco’s roster spot.  With Cole Hamels on the shelf for a start and the necessity to move Kyle Kendrick into the rotation, another arm in the bullpen is necessary over the next several days for the Phils, and Schwim has gotten the long-awaited, and much deserved call.

Schwimer, 25, was a 14th round pick by the Phils out of the University of Virginia in the 2008 draft.  He has been simply dominant this year, going 9-1 with 1.88 ERA in his 46 appearances including 10 saves. He has walked just 22 and struck out 86 in his 67 innings of work. Opponents are hitting just .202 against Schwimer (.135 vs. RH), and Schwim fares even better with RISP, with opponents hitting just .167.

I do try hard to be as objective as possible, but as someone who has gotten to know Schwim a bit, if he is a small percentage as good a baseball player as he is a person, he will do just fine.

85 thoughts on “Schwimer to the Show”

  10. Great news!

    Hope he writes a post about his experiences, although he’ll probably be WAY too busy.
    Still, wow…

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    1. I suspect he’ll end up writing columns for the local newspapers/sports bog sites sooner or later…

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  14. Fact: 100% of prospects who write for Phuture Phillies make the majors.

    Congratulations to Schwimer! I hope he can lock down those middle innings in the red pinstripes.

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  17. Great for Schwimer!! He had some great numbers not just this year but over the years in the system, Here is to hopefully a good major league career!.

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    1. Not sure if it is because it is 3:16 am but I checked the Phils 40 man roster and I keep counting 41. Maybe I’m wrong. But if I not that means someone might have to be dropped or Naylor or Garcia could be added to the 60 day DL

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  19. Funny that 3 pitchers from the ’08 draft have already made the majors (Schwimer, Stutes and Worley). Only one pitcher from the ’07 draft (Schlitter, 8 innings) has made the majors. Joe Savery and De Fratus not getting it done. Also looks like Seattle Mariners’ ’07 HS draftee, Aumont should make it before them.

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    1. De Fratus is “not getting it done”? He’s posted a 2.83 FIP in Lehigh Valley this year. The bloated ERA is due to his .346 BABIP. He’s striking out more than 11 per 9 IP. De Fratus is going to be very good, we just need a little patience.

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      1. Sure hope you’re correct about DeFratus. He’s been not quite up to snuff at LV…but still has that fastball in the low to mid 90s. Another season at LV could bring him to the ready point. Maybe he can then become as overwhelming as Schwim. Looks like the relief corps is being refined from our own drafted prospects…plus a new starter in Worley.

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  20. Big congrats to Schwimer. It was only a matter of time until his callup, but I’m glad to see it happen.

    – Jeff

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  21. Awesome sauce. Mike kept rolling all year and didn’t get down about being passed over a few times. A totally deserved promotion. Already one of my all-time favorite Phillies.

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    1. Actually he did get down and said some pretty immature things when he was passed over last time.

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          1. Hard to forgive you when I don’t know who you are. Just because someone has a view point doesn’t make the immature. Mistaken maybe or unpolitical that is a fair comment.
            Immature is a slam with no backbone.

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            1. His comments were immature… He basically pulled the “daddy doesn’t love me like he loves my sibling” because he didn’t get called up.

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            2. Having a POV is fine… saying it in the media is completely different.

              People rip Cole Hamels all the time because he said something stupid during the world series.

              The point is that he came out and criticised the organization because he thought he was better than Carpenter.

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  24. Congratulations!!!

    I will go on the record now by saying that, should he stay healthy, Schwim is going to have a long major league career. Just what role or roles he plays during that career, will be up to him. It’s been fascinating following his ascent to the big leagues.

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  25. Congrats to Schwimer, now hopefully he can show Charlie and Ruben that he belongs with the big club and get’s to stay there for all of next season. Honestly this has to be the most exciting callup in a while for me, and I really hope he does a great job.

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  28. Congrats to Schwim. Loved his work here; seems like a great guy.

    Long odds on him actually pitching, though, don’t you think? Hope he gets at least an inning…

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  31. I think he may get a shot at an inning or two. Polanco is out for at least five days (if I remember right, too lazy to go look it up:) ). We’ll have Kendrick and Worley going – and of course being forever the optimist maybe we just go out an beat the snot out of some team and he gets a few innings or two in. Of course there is also the chance, with our up and down offense and good pitching, of the 2-2 game in the 14th.

    Either way I’m very excited to see him. As PP put it well, we pull for all the Phils (and on this site maybe the home grown Phils a little more) but he seems like a great young man.

    Best of luck Schwim!! Deep breaths when you are on that mound for the first time!!

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  33. Agree Schwim is a class act. Spoke to him in ST. Engaging guy with great sense of humor. He has been amazingly consistent and has enough good pitches and knowledge of how to set up hitters to succeed.

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  36. I’m hoping for nothing but the best for him as he is nothing but a class act and good guy based upon what he has done for this site, my interactions with him on Twitter and what others have said but I’m concerned about his L/R splits this year. I think that is most of the reason he may have been ‘passed over’ previously. Lefties have hit .303 off him this year in AAA. That is a major concern. The phan in me will hope my concerns are misplaced. I hope the Phillies blow out the d’backs so I can see him pitch tonight!

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    1. It shouldn’t be a concern if he’s used properly. He’s not a back of the bullpen guy, but if he’s deployed situationally against righties and weaker lefties, I bet he’ll have a lot of success. (And for all the complaining about Charlie, he’s done a really nice job using the bullpen this year.)

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        1. … and just to add… I mean, it’s hard not to manage the bullpen when you’re starters are going 7, 8, 9 innings a game and you can go to 3 guys.

          Not to take it away from Charlie but bullpen management still isn’t really a strength for him.

          For me, I’m hoping Schwimer can take some innings away from Stutes in the 7th/8th. I like Stutes in the Chad Durbin role.

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      2. Helps when your best three starters have pitched a total of over 500 plus innings—bullpen should be rested.

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  38. Congratulations Mr. Schwimer on your first trip to the “big show”. Hope you can show your best stuff. Thanks for sharing your journey with this group of admirers. It’s like having someone I know make their debut.

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  40. anybody got schwimolocity numbers on this guy? (sorry if that joke has been made fifty times, had to jump to the end before my good sense got the best of me).

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  41. we gotta get him back on here. used to really love reading his great story telling and candid look that the steep mountain climb the minors seem to be. MORE SCHWIMM POSTS PLEASE!

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  44. The splits mentioned above reflect a need for Schwim and Dubee to work together to develop a changeup and/or splitter, etc. for him to get lefties out. Right now his terrific record is almost entirely vs. righty hitters. Love to see him develop a pitch or two there to conquer lefties…and then make him an ultimate candidate to close aiming for ’13 in that developed role.

    Looking forward to seeing him in some games in relief soon. They didn’t bring him up IMO to have him just keep a seat in the pen warm.

    Good for you, Schwim. Will you continue to keep up your blog for us to hear/see your progress on the big club? It is informative and a key to watching “the prospect reliever’s progress” from the minors through the majors. And, maybe some day refined to become a book…like that other guy whose trials/tribulations on the way up are humorously and perceptively bared.

    Thanks…and GOOD LUCK!!

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    1. Dubee’s specialty is the changeup, so Schwimer can pick up some tips. And I doubt he’ll be in the mix to close. That’s assuming Madson isn’t re-signed and Bastardo and Stutes have better stuff to close.

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  45. Great news to come home to after a crappy week of work thus far. Here’s hoping that Schwim proves himself off the bat and is with the Phils to stay.

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  46. I think this is a good time to post this.

    Schwimer has only one m in it guys. Now that he’s on the big club it’s time to start spelling his name correctly.

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      1. Schwim carrying the ‘pink’ albatross from the pen as the newest guy in the ‘pen.
        Good tradition and good luck Schwim.

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      1. I doubt that’s the team sending a message. That’s Charlie NEVER using a young untested arm unless absolutely required. His track record in this regard is consistent and annoying.

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  52. Schwimmer’s time with the Phillies so far also highlights the reason many were arguing against his recall earlier to replace Baez, Romero, etc. He’s not going to pitch with the starters going 7-8 innings every night.

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  53. He looks pretty good today, Sunday. Also appears to throw a lot harder than I assumed based on what I was reading on him. He hit 94 a couple of times, I think 95 once and was sitting around 93.

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  54. His slider has deep late movement. Nice and tight. Liked it. I also wasn’t aware he was hitting 94. I thought he sat 90-91 based on all the reports.

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