Major League Baseball’s opening day is Thursday, and three former Hoosiers are on big league rosters.
Kyle Schwarber is back for his 11th season in the majors. He’s coming off a three-year stretch with 38 or more home runs each season. The Phillies’ slugger should pass 1,000 career hits and 300 home runs this season if he stays healthy. He already has the most MLB home runs by a former IU player, and the third most hits. After playing catcher at IU, Schwarber dabbled with first base during spring training in addition to his more typical left field and DH duties.
Tim Herrin is back for his third season in the Cleveland bullpen. The lefty emerged as one of the top middle relievers in the American League in 2024, with 75 appearances, a 1.92 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched. As a team the Guardians were widely thought to have one of the MLB’s best bullpens. Herrin was drafted by Cleveland in the 29th round of the 2018 draft. The Terre Haute, Ind. native pitched for IU from 2016-18.
Kyle Hart is the unlikely story here. Hart, who pitched for IU from 2012-2016, has only appeared in four MLB games — and that was back in 2020 with Boston. The 32-year-old Hart is expected to be in San Diego’s starting rotation. The left-hander allowed 19 earned runs in 11 innings over four appearances in 2020 with the Red Sox, to date his only big-league experience. Hart bounced around the minors from 2021-2023 and spent the 2024 season in Korea, where he struck out 182 batters over 157 innings (2.69 ERA) to win that league’s equivalent of a Cy Young Award. That led to a big contract with San Diego for the Cincinnati native, and now a massive new opportunity as a starter.
Graphic via IU Athletics.
For complete coverage of former IU athletes in the professional ranks, GO HERE.
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