Image credit:
Anthony Seigler (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
The Brewers have called up Anthony Seigler to make his MLB debut. There may be other unexpected promotions, but it’s going to be hard to top a wilder rise to the big leagues than the one Seigler has undertaken this year.
Seigler was a first-round pick of the Yankees in 2018 as an almost one-of-a-kind switch-hitting, switch-throwing catcher who also as a switch-pitcher in high school. If he had gone to college (Florida), he may have continued to be a two-way player (or is it a three-way player if you pitch with both arms?).
Instead, he signed with the Yankees, who immediately told him to focus on catching. So, he became a switch-hitting catcher. All his throws are as a righthander, even if he is still officially listed as a switch-thrower.
Seigler’s prospect status quickly dimmed as he struggled to hit. He had an injury-plagued 2019 season in which he was limited to just 30 games because of a hamstring ailment, and then, like every minor leaguer, he missed time because of the cancelled 2020 season.
At that point, Seigler was behind developmentally and struggled to catch up. He was back in Low-A in 2022, four seasons after he first reached that level.
Seigler didn’t make it to Double-A until 2023, some six seasons after he was signed. He hit .166/.333/.263 that year, which meant he was left unprotected and unpicked for multiple Rule 5 drafts. Seigler’s last season with the Yankees was a .234/.350/.398 return to Somerset in 2024. He gave up catching that year and became a full-time second baseman.
Seigler always has had some offensive survival skills, mainly an ability to get on-base due to a very patient eye. He’s a .227 career MiLB hitter, but he has a .368 career OBP. He’s walked in 17.7% of plate appearances.
The Brewers signed Seigler as a MiLB free agent after last season and gave him a chance to jump to Triple-A Nashville. And they tried to make the best of Siegler’s versatility. He’s still not pitching in blowouts, but they have him catching again and also playing second and third base as a multi-position utility man. Seigler is a switch-hitter, but he’s better from the left side, and this year he’s taken some at-bats against particular lefthanders as a lefty. He has two hits in 10 plate appearances when he does that compared to three hits in 38 plate appearances as a righthanded hitter, so it’s been a worthwhile experiment.
Seigler…