Fremd's Stutzman sticks with it in big-league pursuit

Being undersized, under-recruited and undrafted helped Sean Stutzman develop the proverbial chip on his left shoulder. It is fueling his promising pro baseball career in the Houston Astros organization.

But a problem with the rotator cuff in that same shoulder in 2013 had the former Fremd standout questioning his baseball future.

The hard-throwing Stutzman, who is listed at 5-feet-9 and 175 pounds, pitched only 5 games in his first year at Des Moines Area Community College before he suffered a torn rotator cuff. The injury did not require surgery, but the next year of recovery was filled with setbacks, struggles and self-doubt as he wondered if he would ever pitch again.

"I felt every time I was on the mend, the pain would come back and I couldn't lift my left arm," said Stutzman, who turns 25 in July. "After the third time it happened, almost a year later, I called my dad (Rick) and said I might be done."

Fortunately for Stutzman a coach in his corner led him to Division I power Dallas Baptist University. He opened enough eyes to get a shot as a free agent reliever with the Astros.

And Stutzman is now looking to build off a big second year in pro ball. It included a solid three-week stay just one step away from the big leagues in Triple-A.

'I had more things last year, the opportunity to play at Double-A and Triple-A in my first full season, that don't happen to too many people," Stutzman said. "I've tried to enjoy every second of it. It's a great opportunity to show everything I've gotten better at and worked on.

"I'm excited for the opportunity coming up this year to show what I've gotten better at again."

Stutzman had a dominant Daily Herald All-Area senior season at Fremd in 2011 but said the only Division I offers he had were to walk-on at UIC or Houston. He opted for the two-year school route in Des Moines, Iowa.

That's where his career hit a crossroads after striking out 29 in 25⅓ innings at DMACC.

"I was very nervous," Stutzman said. "I took three months off and started throwing but I really didn't have anybody who gave me a throwing program. Every day I was doing this and doing that and I was sort of on my own."

Stutzman's future seemed to be in serious doubt as he didn't pitch at all his second year at DMACC. He finally got a good break when his head coach, Dan Fitzgerald, went to Dallas Baptist as an assistant and brought Stutzman along.

The first time he pitched at Dallas Baptist in an intrasquad game he walked off the mound pain-free.

"Once I signed with Dallas Baptist I hooked up with some people who got me on a legitimate rehab schedule," Stutzman said. "It kind of saved my career."

Stutzman went 14-2 with 2 saves as a starter and reliever in three years at Dallas Baptist. He said he met with representatives of all 30 big-league teams during his senior season and believed his fastball in the 90-92 mph range that touched 94, a good changeup and decent slider would lead to a call during the draft.

But the three days of the draft went by and his name wasn't chosen. He was told the Royals were interested in signing him as a free agent but he didn't hear anything from them.

"Then I got a text from an Astros scout, 'Can you call me?' " Stutzman said. "I called right away. He said, 'We're interested in signing you, would you be willing to sign?'

"I said yes and three days later I flew out to Florida. It happened really quick."

So quick Stutzman had to wait to call his parents with the good news. He went to the Astros' Class A short season Tri-City Valley Cats in the New York-Penn League.

He discovered he had a lot of work to do after going 2-2 with 2 saves, 21 strikeouts and a 5.40 ERA in 15 games and 23 innings. Especially since the Astros had little investment in him as an undrafted free agent.

"I don't know if it was pitching a full season of college, but my velo was down," Stutzman said. "I was sitting about 85-87 with my fastball and my slider was about 75-77. I knew those were two areas right there I needed to improve - especially for lefty-lefty matchups."

Stutzman was in the gym every day and working on a weighted-ball throwing program five times a week. He continued to fine-tune the harder slider the Astros wanted him to throw.

The results were a slider that spiked to the 82-86 range, with more sweeping than cutting action, and a fastball back up to 90-93. He started last season at AA Corpus Christi and after a couple of games got another call.

"They said, 'Hey, you're going to Triple-A (Fresno) tomorrow at 7 a.m.," Stutzman said. "I thought, "What the heck.' I couldn't really believe it."

Now he was playing alongside guys who had been in the big leagues. And in his four appearances he faced guys who had been there as well, such as Desmond Jennings, Oswaldo Arcia, Ketel Marte, Ivan DeJesus Jr., Lewis Brinson and Kirk Nieuwenheis.

Stutzman held his own with a 3.12 ERA and 3 strikeouts in 8⅔ innings.

"At first I sort of listened and then got comfortable," Stutzman said. "I tried to pick guys brains a little bit about everything they learned to get to this level.

"The way I've been taught my whole life, especially at Dallas Baptist, is you aren't playing an opponent, you're playing the game. I was never intimidated and never doubted myself."

Between his stints at Fresno, Corpus Christi and advanced Class A Buies Creek, he went 3-2 with 3 saves, a 2.28 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 67 innings. He said it doesn't hurt his chances that he's the only lefty reliever the Astros had in advanced A and AA.

An organization coming off its first World Championship. And Stutzman would love to evoke memories for a franchise that also developed a little lefty with a big fastball, 5-10 Billy Wagner, into one of the game's premier closers from 1997-2010.

"I'm always going to have that chip on my shoulder," Stutzman said. "It keeps me going. Playing alongside first-rounders doesn't matter to me.

"You've got to put up numbers. I know I'm never going to quit and I'm going to keep working until I make it."

Note: This is the first in a series of four players from the Mid-Suburban League who made the Triple-A level last season. On deck: Learning to handle the ups and downs helps Prospect grad Jason Leblebijian in an all-star season.

marty.maciaszek@gmail.com