| Paul Sewald | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Sewald with the Mets in 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| Cleveland Guardians – No. 34 | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1990-05-26)May 26, 1990 (age 34) Las Vegas,Nevada, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| April 8, 2017, for the New York Mets | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 20–25 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 4.09 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 450 | ||||||||||||||
| Saves | 84 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Paul Stanton Sewald (born May 26, 1990) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher for theCleveland Guardians ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theNew York Mets,Seattle Mariners, andArizona Diamondbacks. Sewald playedcollege baseball for theSan Diego Toreros.
Sewald attendedBishop Gorman High School inLas Vegas, Nevada. In 2008, his senior year, he had a 7–0win–loss record with a 1.57earned run average (ERA), earning All-State honors.[1]
Undrafted out of high school in the2008 MLB draft, Sewald enrolled at theUniversity of San Diego and playedcollege baseball for theSan Diego Toreros.[2] As a senior in 2012, he pitched to an 8–4 record with a 3.09 ERA in 15 games (14 starts).[3]
TheNew York Mets selected Sewald in the tenth round, with the 320th overall selection, of the2012 Major League Baseball draft.[4] They gave him a $1,000signing bonus.[5] After signing, Sewald made his professional debut that same season with theBrooklyn Cyclones of theLow–ANew York-Penn League where he was 0–2 with a 1.88 ERA in28+2⁄3 relief innings pitched. He pitched in the 2013 season with theSavannah Sand Gnats of theSingle–ASouth Atlantic League,[6] compiling a 3–2 record and 1.77 ERA in 35 relief appearances.
Sewald began the 2014 season with theSt. Lucie Mets of theHigh–AFlorida State League and was promoted to theBinghamton Mets of theDouble–AEastern League during the year. In 43 appearances out of the bullpen between two teams, he was 5–1 with a 1.92 ERA. After the regular season, he played in theArizona Fall League.[7] In 2015, he played for Binghamton and pitched to a 3–0 record and 1.75 ERA in 44 games. During the season, he pitched for theUnited States national baseball team at the2015 Pan American Games, earning a silver medal.[8] In 2016, he played for theLas Vegas 51s of theTriple–APacific Coast League[9][5] where he was 5–3 with a 3.29 ERA in a career high65+2⁄3 innings pitched.[10]
On April 8, 2017, the Mets promoted Sewald to the major leagues for the first time.[11] He made his MLB debut the same day against theMiami Marlins atCiti Field and allowed two runs in a third of an inning.[12] He was optioned back to Las Vegas on April 13 and recalled again on May 1. After his recall, he spent the remainder of 2017 with the Mets. In 57 relief appearances for New York, he was 0–6 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.
On May 26, 2019, Sewald wasdesignated for assignment by the Mets following the promotion ofRajai Davis.[13] He had his contract selected back to the active roster on August 16.
On September 24, 2019, Sewald earned his first MLB win in a walk-off win against theMiami Marlins, ending his streak of 118 major-league appearances without a win, the second-longest such streak in MLB history.[14] With the win, he also ended his 14-game losing streak, the longest losing streak to start a career in NL history.[15] In 2020, Sewald struggled to a 13.50 ERA over 6.0 innings of work.[16] On December 2, 2020, Sewald was non-tendered by the Mets.[17]
On January 7, 2021, Sewald signed a minor league contract with theSeattle Mariners organization.[18] Sewald started the 2021 season playing for theTriple-ATacoma Rainiers, where he initially struggled but found his footing a week into the season, striking out 10 batters in4+1⁄3 innings.[19] On May 13, Sewald was selected to the active roster.[20] In his Mariners debut, Sewald earned the win while striking out four batters.
Sewald enjoyed a breakout season with the Mariners in 2021 due in large part to his improved pitch usage.[21] Writing for710 ESPN Seattle, Brandon Gustafson described him as "a force" and "the biggest surprise star" of Seattle's bullpen. Sewald admitted in an interview with the station that he had exceeded even his own expectations.[22] Sewald had a 10–3 record with an ERA of 3.06 in 62 games and64+2⁄3 innings while striking out 104 batters in 2021.
In 2022, Sewald again flourished with the Mariners, posting a record of 5–4 with a 2.67 ERA and 20 saves in 64 innings. In May of that year, Sewald played against the Mets atCiti Field, getting out of a two-runner-on jam in the seventh and working a clean inning against the top of the Mets' lineup in the eighth in a 2–1 win. Sewald would go on to say during post-game interviews that he felt that the Mets "gave up" on him and that it felt nice to "get revenge" on the team.[23]
On January 13, 2023, Sewald agreed to a one-year, $4.1 million contract with the Mariners, avoiding salary arbitration.[24]
On July 31, 2023, the Mariners traded Sewald to theArizona Diamondbacks forRyan Bliss,Dominic Canzone, andJosh Rojas.[25] In 20 regular season appearances for the Diamondbacks, he logged a 3.57 ERA with 20 strikeouts and went 13-for-15 in save opportunities across17+2⁄3 innings pitched. Sewald remained as Arizona's closer throughout their postseason run and pitched eight consecutive scoreless playoff appearances en route to the2023 World Series. In Game 1 against theTexas Rangers, Sewald blew his first save opportunity of the postseason, as he gave up a two-run home run toCorey Seager in the ninth inning as the Diamondbacks went on to lose in extra innings.[26][27] He did not appear again until Game 5 with the Diamondbacks trailing 1–0 in the top of the ninth inning, surrendering four runs in a non-save situation as they lost the game and the series.[28]
Sewald missed the beginning of the 2024 campaign with an oblique strain and pitched well after returning, going 11–for–11 in save opportunities and posting an 0.54 ERA. On August 2, after multiple blown saves and an inflation of his ERA to 4.23, managerTorey Lovullo announced that Sewald would be removed from the closer's role.[29]
On January 22, 2025, Sewald signed a one-year, $7 million contract with theCleveland Guardians including a mutual option for the 2026 season.[30][31]
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Sewald's father, Mark, is a former college baseball pitcher[32] who was drafted out of high school by theBoston Red Sox in1979.[33] Sewald's parents areaccountants. He received hisbachelor's degree in accounting from the University of San Diego.[34] Sewald's younger brother, Johnny, an outfielder, was selected in the 14th round of the2015 MLB draft out ofArizona State University by theHouston Astros.[35]
Sewald met his wife, Molly, while he was pitching in the Arizona Fall League and she was at Arizona State University. Their first child, a daughter, was born in August 2021.[21]
