The New York Yankees and their fans were heartbroken last year when fan-favorite third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera suffered a horrific leg injury sliding into home in a May 13 game against the Seattle Mariners.
Now, Cabrera is back and fighting in spring training to reclaim his roster spot. But even though the 27-year-old has been fully cleared to play by doctors, manager Aaron Boone has already given strong indications that he plans to bring the versatile utility man along cautiously, which would severely hamper Cabrera’s chances of making the team out of camp.
Who would get the Opening Day roster spot that would otherwise go to Cabrera? According to a prediction published Friday by Empire Sports Media founder Alexander Wilson, one of the most unlikely candidates in the Yankees’ camp appears to be in line to grab that spot — 28-year-old infielder Max Schuemann.
Schuemann was a 20th-round draft pick of the then-Oakland Athletics back in 2018, signed for a mere $45,000 bonus out of Eastern Michigan.
Who Is Max Schuemann?
At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, the Portage, Michigan, native has not put up highly impressive numbers over his seven years in the Athletics’ minor league system. A .765 OPS to go with just 30 home runs in 2,020 minor league plate appearances usually wouldn’t signal a significant prospect. And in fact, Schuemann never made it higher than No. 27 in Baseball America‘s ranking of Athletics prospects.
But Schuemann finally got his call-up in 2024, making his MLB debut with Oakland on April 12, 2024. But he hasn’t made much of an impression in his time at the major league level either, with a .603 OPS and .212 batting average in 234 MLB games, all with the Athletics.
The result? On February 6 just a week before spring training opened, the Athletics designated Schuemann for assignment. Fortunately for the infielder, before he was released outright, the Athletics managed to work out a trade with the Yankees, sending him to the Bronx for righty pitcher Luis Burgos.
What Are Schuemann’s Chances of Making the Yankees Out of Camp?
As Wilson wrote on Friday, Schuemann has been “absolutely torching spring training. Over three games, he’s hitting .571/.667/.571 with three runs scored. He’s getting on base at a .667 clip and making the front office reconsider what they thought was a straightforward roster decision.”
Of course, Schuemann’s numerically impressive performance has come in just 12 spring training plate appearances over four games. But, “when you’re fighting for a roster spot, performance matters. Schuemann is doing everything possible to force his way onto the Opening Day roster,” according to Wilson.
But if Schuemann pulls off the upset and wins an Opening Day spot in Yankee pinstripes, it will likely be his defense rather than his offense that makes the difference. The utility man plays all the infield positions except first base and excels in each spot.
“Over 1,500 innings across three infield positions in two MLB seasons, he’s accumulated +5 Fielding Run Value at second base, +3 at third, and +1 at shortstop,” Wilson wrote, adding that Schuemann can also run, with 21 stolen bases in 23 attempts at the major league level and 136 out of 198 attempts in the minors.
“The Yankees will likely stash Schuemann on the roster in case of a desperate need, but it could just be until Cabrera feels fully back to normal,” Wilson concluded. “Or it could be permanent. Spring training performances like what Schuemann is putting together have a way of changing front office plans.”
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