Frank Schwindel Is A Player Cubs Fans Must Know

In a lost season for the Chicago Cubs, rising star Frank Schwindel has given fans a reason to tune in over the past month.

The 29-year-old is playing like he’s got something to prove.

Folks in the Windy City need to take notice of Schwindel sooner than later, because he’s looking like an outstanding find for the organization.

Today, we’re going to give him some attention.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Schwindel’s Backstory

Schwindel is a nice success story.

He wasn’t a highly-regarded prospect coming out of college.

In fact, he wasn’t selected until the 18th round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

The Kansas City Royals took a chance on him by drafting him with the No. 534 overall pick (yes, you read that right), and it took him six years to work his way through the Royals’ farm system before debuting at the MLB level.

When he finally did, the initial results were underwhelming.

He batted just .067 with a .133 OPS over 15 at-bats with the Royals’ big-league club in 2019.

That marked the end of his time with Kansas City, as he was DFA’d and ultimately released.

His next chapter came with the Detroit Tigers.

He spent part of 2019 and 2020 in Detroit’s minor league system but never played with the team at the MLB level.

His stint with the organization ended unceremoniously.

He became a free agent after the 2020 season ended—a season in which he didn’t get to play a single game due to the pandemic (as there was no minor league season).

After Detroit, the Oakland Athletics gave him a shot.

He found himself on the team’s MLB roster earlier this summer, but he didn’t produce great results.

He slashed just .150/.150/.350 over 20 at-bats with the team, then he was DFA’d.

At this point, Schwindel’s career seemed like it was in jeopardy.

Given his age and lack of MLB production, the St. John’s University product was likely starting to question whether he’d get another opportunity.

In the end, he did.

The Cubs swooped in and claimed him off waivers.