Indiana Baseball Alumni Ready To Shine In MLB Playoffs

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the first time since the 2021 season, five former Indiana baseball players played at least one game for a Major League Baseball team in 2024.

Two of them are pegged to be significant contributors for their clubs as the baseball playoffs begin.

The playoffs start on Tuesday, but Indiana’s two expected playoff contributors won’t begin until the Divisional Series round as their teams received byes as one of the top two division champions in the their respective leagues.

One former Indiana standout is familiar. Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber had one of his finest seasons in 2024.

Schwarber hit 38 home runs, had 104 RBI and hit .248 for the Phillies, taking part in 150 games for the NL East champions.

While he crested the 40-home run mark in both 2022 and 2023 for the Phillies, Schwarber’s .248 batting average was his best since he hit .266 while splitting the 2021 season between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox.

Schwarber had a career-high 3.5 WAR by baseball-reference.com’s definition of the advanced statistic. His previous best was a 2.3 for the Chicago Cubs in 2019 and the Phillies in 2022.

In addition to his on-field exploits, Schwarber is the Phillies’ nominee to win the coveted Roberto Clemente Award.

Schwarber has been stronger in the playoffs than he typically is in the regular season. His career playoff batting average is .245, 15 points better than his regular season career average. Schwarber hit 5 home runs in 7 games for the Phillies in their 2023 NLCS series against Arizona.

He also hit 6 home runs in Philadelphia’s 2022 World Series championship run. Schwarber also hit 5 home runs as a rookie in 2015 during the Chicago Cubs’ playoff journey.

Schwarber, a Middletown, Ohio native, played at Indiana from 2012-14, helping the Hoosiers reach the College World Series in 2013.

The Phillies will start their playoff run on Saturday as they will host the winner of the Milwaukee Brewers-New York Mets Wild Card Series. That NLDS series will be televised on Fox or FS1.

Another former Hoosier who will have an important postseason role is Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Tim Herrin.

Herrin had a breakout season for the Guardians. Part of the best bullpen in baseball with a 2.57 ERA, Herrin was lights out. He had an ERA of 1.95 in 75 appearances for Cleveland. His WHIP (walks and hits divided by innings pitched) was an outstanding 0.975. Herrin struck out 68 batters in 65 2/3 innings.

Herrin was at the front end of the Guardians’ bullpen as he usually entered the game in the sixth or seventh inning. Herrin had 16 holds for the Guards.

Herrin, a Terre Haute, Ind. native, is in his second season at the Major League level. He improved dramatically from his rookie campaign in 2023 when he had a 5.53 ERA in 23 appearances.

Herrin pitched for Indiana from 2016-18. He had a career ERA of 3.44 for the Hoosiers.

The Guardians begin their American League playoff journey on Saturday as they host the winner of the Detroit Tigers-Houston Astros Wild Card Series. That ALDS series will be televised on TBS.

One other former Hoosier, pitcher Scott Effross, pitched for the New York Yankees in 2024. He appeared in three games, most recently in a Friday contest against Pittsburgh. Effross is a long shot to make the Yankees’ postseason roster. The Yankees begin their ALDS series against either Baltimore or Kansas City on Saturday. Effross played for the Hoosiers from 2013-15.

Two other former Hoosiers who played in 2024 won’t take part in the postseason.

Pitcher Tanner Gordon made eight starts for the Colorado Rockies in 2024. He finished with an 0-8 record and an 8.65 ERA for a 101-loss Rockies team. Gordon played at Indiana in 2019.

Andrew Saalfrank, who played at Indiana from 2017-19, made 2 appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of the season, but Saalfrank wouldn’t have played a part anyway. He was banned by Major League Baseball in June for a year for violating MLB’s sports gambling rules.