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Blake Swihart

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Blake Swihart
Swihart with the Boston Red Sox
Free agent
Catcher / Utility
Born: (1992-04-03) April 3, 1992 (age 32)
Bedford, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 2, 2015, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2019 season)
Batting average.243
Home runs12
Runs batted in67
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Blake Aubry Swihart (born April 3, 1992) is an American professional baseball catcher and outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 205 pounds (93 kg), he throws right-handed and is a switch hitter.

Amateur career

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Blake attended V. Sue Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, where he competed in basketball, baseball, and football. Playing mainly as a shortstop, he had a .602 batting average (56-for-93) with 17 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 41 runs batted in (RBIs) and 58 runs scored in 28 games as a senior. As a pitcher, Swihart's fastball could reach 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) before he began high school, and was up to 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) by the time he was a junior. However, it was during his junior season that Swihart quit pitching because he preferred to hit, and it was also during his junior season when Swihart first began playing catcher.[1]

In 2009, Blake attended Rio Rancho High School, where he helped the Rio Rancho Rams win a State Championship, leading the team in multiple offensive categories. Blake played under longtime head coach Ron Murphy. Blake played for the Rams for two seasons before Sue Cleveland was built, which prompted him to change schools as he lived in the new boundaries.

Blake played for USA Baseball's 18-Under National Team in 2010 and led his team with a .448 average, earning Louisville Slugger All-American honors. For Team USA, Swihart played first base and left field.[1] He played in the 2010 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic.[2] Off of the baseball field, Swihart had a 4.0 GPA.[1] He committed to attend the University of Texas at Austin on a college baseball scholarship.[3] His best friend is Alex Bregman, who plays for the Houston Astros, with whom he grew up playing travel ball.[4][5]

Professional career

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Boston Red Sox

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The Red Sox selected Swihart in the first round, with the 26th overall selection of the 2011 MLB Draft. He became the highest-drafted player out of New Mexico since Shane Andrews in 1990.[2] Though he played as a shortstop in high school, the Red Sox converted Swihart into a catcher because of his athleticism and strong throwing arm.[6][7] The Red Sox signed Swihart, giving him a $2.5 million signing bonus to convince him to bypass his commitment to the University of Texas.[8][9]

Minor leagues

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Swihart played briefly in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2011 with the GCL Red Sox, then received consecutive promotions to the Greenville Drive of the Single–A South Atlantic League in 2012, and the Salem Red Sox of the High–A Carolina League in 2013.

Prior to the 2014 season, Swihart was named the 73rd-best prospect by Baseball America.[10] He began the 2014 season with the Portland Sea Dogs of the Double–A Eastern League. In August, the Red Sox promoted Swihart, with pitching prospect Henry Owens, to the Pawtucket Red Sox of the Triple–A International League.[11] Swihart was ranked as the second highest-ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization for the 2014 season, according to MLB.com.[12]

Swihart was added to Boston's 40-man roster in November 2014.[13] With fellow prospect Christian Vázquez considered more developmentally advanced, the Red Sox assigned Swihart to Pawtucket to gain more experience at the Triple–A level. However, Vázquez later underwent surgery and was ruled out for the entire 2015 season.[14]

Major leagues

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2015–2017

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Swihart (right) with pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez in June 2015

On May 2, 2015, Swihart was called up to the big leagues for the first time, after catcher Ryan Hanigan was placed on the disabled list with a broken finger.[15] On that day, Swihart recorded his first major league hit, against the New York Yankees.[16] On June 4, Swihart hit his first major league home run in the third inning of an 8–4 loss to the Minnesota Twins. A switch-hitter, Swihart hit the home run from the right side of the plate off Twins' starter Tommy Milone. At 23 years old, Swihart became the youngest Red Sox catcher to hit a home run since Rich Gedman in 1982.[17] When Swihart faced Pat Venditte on June 5, Venditte saw he was batting using a righty batting helmet. Venditte then requested to switch his throwing arm (Venditte could pitch with either arm), and Swihart also changed his helmet. Swihart would strike out later, for Venditte's first strikeout. On August 28, Swihart hit an inside-the-park home run in the 10th inning of a 6–4 win over the New York Mets.[18] On September 29, against Yankees, Swihart had his first career multi-home run game and a career high of five RBIs.[19] Overall, with the 2015 Red Sox, Swihart appeared in 84 games, batting .274 with five home runs and 31 RBIs. Defensively, all of his appearances were as catcher.[20]

Swihart started playing left field for the 2016 season, and split time between Pawtucket (29 games) and Boston (19 games). With the 2016 Red Sox, he hit .258 with no home runs and five RBIs, while making six appearances at catcher and 13 in left field.[21] During 2017, Swihart again split time between Boston (six games) and Pawtucket (53 games), while also playing nine games with the GCL Red Sox. With the 2017 Red Sox, he batted 1-for-5 (.200), while defensively appearing in four games at catcher.[22]

2018–2019

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Swihart was converted into a utility player for 2018; he played first base, third base, catcher, and left field during spring training.[citation needed] In mid-May, his agent asked the Red Sox to trade Swihart, given his limited playing time with the team.[23] At the time, Swihart was hitting .138 (4-for-29) in 32 plate appearances, having played games at catcher, first base, left field, and designated hitter. Swihart was placed on the disabled list on August 3, with a right hamstring strain.[24] To that point in the season, he had appeared in 51 games, batting .226 with one home run and six RBIs. He returned to the active roster on August 14.[24] Swihart played throughout the season as a bench player, appearing in 82 games and batting .229/.285/.328 with three home runs. In the postseason, Swihart played two innings in the outfield and caught one inning, going 0-for-3 at the plate, as the Red Sox won the World Series in five games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.[25]

Swihart started the 2019 season as one of two catchers for Boston, along with Christian Vázquez, as Sandy León was outrighted to the minor leagues.[26] Swihart was designated for assignment on April 16, to make space for León on the roster.[27][28] Swihart had appeared in six games with the 2019 Red Sox, batting 6-for-26 (.231) with one home run and four RBIs.

Arizona Diamondbacks

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On April 19, 2019, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Swihart, along with international signing bonus pool money, from Boston in exchange for outfielder Marcus Wilson.[29][30] Swihart was designated for assignment on August 12, 2019. He elected free agency on October 1, 2019.

Texas Rangers

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On December 16, 2019, Swihart signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.[31] On August 25, 2020, Swihart was released by the Rangers organization.[32]

Washington Nationals

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On January 27, 2021, Swihart signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals organization that included an invitation to Spring Training.[33] In 70 games for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, Swihart slashed .198/.299/.339 with 5 home runs and 17 RBI. On September 13, 2021, he was released.[34]

Lexington Legends

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On April 20, 2022, Swihart signed with the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[35] In 53 games, he batted .157/.297/.281 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI. Swihart was released by the Legends on September 1.

Charleston Dirty Birds

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On April 24, 2024, Swihart signed with the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[36] In four games for Charleston, he went 0–for–7 with six walks. On May 3, Swihart was released by the Dirty Birds.[37]

On May 8, 2024, Swihart signed with the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League.[38] However, he did not appear in a game for the club, and was released on May 31.[39]

Personal life

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His father, Arlan, is a nuclear engineer and played basketball for Southern Illinois University.[1] Swihart and his wife, Shelby, were married in 2017.[40][better source needed]

Swihart's older brother, Jace, serves in the United States Army. He has a younger sister, Kacie.[41] Swihart's parents, Carla and Arlan, adopted Romel Jordan, a family friend who came to live with them during high school. Jordan played running back for the University of New Mexico. Jordan died at age 23 in 2019.[42]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Normandin, Marc (February 18, 2015). "Blake Swihart was always amazing at everything". Over the Monster. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Blake Swihart page". Sox-Prospects.com. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "Risky business for Boston with catcher pick". Boston Red Sox. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  4. ^ Jesse Burkhart (May 21, 2015). "LSU's Alex Bregman Firmly Among the Top-10 Draft Prospects". Fangraphs.
  5. ^ John Manuel (May 8, 2015). "MLB Mock Draft 2015: Version 1.0". Baseball America.
  6. ^ "Decision to make Swihart catcher paying off". Boston Red Sox. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  7. ^ "Why Red Sox prospect Blake Swihart is his 'own breed of catcher' (15-second edition)". Full Count. Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Red Sox sign first-round catcher Blake Swihart for $2.5 million". Full Count. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  9. ^ "Cleveland's Swihart signs with Boston". Rio Rancho Observer. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  10. ^ "2014 Baseball America Top 100 Prospects: The 25th Edition". BaseballAmerica.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  11. ^ "Stock Watch: Henry Owens, Blake Swihart rise together". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "2014 Top 20 Red Sox Prospects". Archived from the original on March 28, 2014.
  13. ^ "Blake Swihart, Three Others Added To Boston Red Sox's 40-Man Roster". NESN.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  14. ^ "Blake Swihart's timetable to the majors now that Christian Vazquez is out". masslive.com. April 3, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  15. ^ "Ryan Hanigan needs surgery, so the Red Sox will call up prospect Blake Swihart - HardballTalk". nbcsports.com. May 2, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  16. ^ Browne, Ian; Hoch, Bryan (May 2, 2015). "Eovaldi, Gardy lead Yankees past Red Sox". mlb.com. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  17. ^ "Red Sox's Blake Swihart swats first homer". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  18. ^ "Blake Swihart's Inside-The-Park Homer Highlights Wild Win Over Mets". NESN.com. August 29, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  19. ^ Abraham, Peter (September 30, 2015). "Blake Swihart, Red Sox get jump, beat Yankees for 5th win in row". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  20. ^ "The 2015 BOS A Regular Season Batting Log for Blake Swihart". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  21. ^ "The 2016 BOS A Regular Season Batting Log for Blake Swihart". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  22. ^ "The 2017 BOS A Regular Season Batting Log for Blake Swihart". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  23. ^ "Blake Swihart's agent asks Red Sox for trade". ESPN. May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. August 2018. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  25. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (October 29, 2018). "Team of this century? Sox win 4th title since '04". MLB.com. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  26. ^ Silverman, Michael (March 25, 2019). "Red Sox notebook: Sandy Leon the odd man out". Boston Herald. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  27. ^ Abraham, Peter (April 16, 2019). "Red Sox designate Blake Swihart for assignment and bring up Sandy Leon". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  28. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. April 2019. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  29. ^ "Diamondbacks' Blake Swihart: Dealt to Arizona". CBS Sports. April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  30. ^ Thomas, Kari (April 19, 2019). "Blake Swihart traded to the Diamondbacks". fantasypros.com. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  31. ^ "Texas inks Joely Rodriguez to 2-year contract". MLB.com. December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  32. ^ Byrne, Connor (August 25, 2020). "Rangers Release Blake Swihart". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  33. ^ Adams, Steve (January 27, 2021). "Nationals, Blake Swihart Agree To Minor League Deal". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  34. ^ Franco, Anthony (September 13, 2021). "Nationals Release Derek Dietrich, Blake Swihart". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  35. ^ Atlantic League Transactions
  36. ^ "Charleston Dirty Birds Set Opening Day Roster". oursportscentral.com. April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  37. ^ "Transactions". baseball.pointstreak.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  38. ^ "LMB: Movimientos en listas de reserva - 8 de mayo de 2024". milb.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  39. ^ "Blake Swihart Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". milb.com. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  40. ^ "Shelby & Blake". The Knot. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  41. ^ Smith, Christopher (May 25, 2015). "Boston Red Sox's Blake Swihart says of Army veteran brother Jace Swihart: 'He's a hero in my eyes'". masslive.com. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  42. ^ Smith, Christopher (February 27, 2019). "Romell Jordan, Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart's brother, dies at 23". masslive.com. Retrieved April 23, 2019.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Blake Swihart.
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