Detroit Tigers: Frank Schwindel is the mystery player at Summer Camp

The Detroit Tigers may have found an investment piece in the form of Frank Schwindel, who is turning heads at 2020 Summer Camp.

The Detroit Tigers continue to press forward and prepare for the 2020 season, which begins on July 24th against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The 2020 Summer Camp continues, and the Tigers have a more “mystery” player in the form of Frank Schwindel and the hitting display he has put on.

The Tigers scooped up Frank Schwindel last June and signed him to a minor league contract after his tenure with the Kansas City Royals organization. He has been impressive at Summer Camp, showing some excellent work in the batter’s box for Tigers coaches.

Schwindel is not a prospect per se, but he could be considered a prospect being that he has not spent more than ten games in the big leagues. Now twenty-eight years old, Schwindel is a late bloomer who is looking to find an opportunity with the Tigers organization.

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Who is Frank Schwindel, and how did he end up with the Detroit Tigers?

Schwindel is a first baseman/catcher combo who also found himself as a designated hitter during his time in the big leagues.

He has spent seven seasons across different levels of the minor leagues and a brief six-game stint in the big leagues with the Kansas City Royals.

Originally, Schwindel was an eighteenth round selection of the Royals during the 2013 First-Year Amateur Player Draft out of St. John’s University in New York.

He struggled to find his niche in the minor leagues, but with the Tigers, he had good stints with their affiliate, the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.

In 2019, Schwindel played across Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A totaling 96 total games where he hit .271/.315/.458 with 16 home runs and 70 RBI between the three levels and four affiliates. He played for a Royals Triple-A affiliate as well as the Tigers Triple-A affiliate.

With his short time with the Mud Hens, Schwindel played in 28 games where he would produce a .327/.361/.628 line with nine home runs and 33 RBI. Going into 2020, Schwindel was a non-roster invite to camp, pre-COVID-19.

The Detroit Tigers may have found another first baseman to add into the mix.

Schwindel was added to the Tigers player pool, where he has been at the 2020 Summer Camp and been turning some heads while putting on an excellent display of hitting. In all reality, Schwindel could be similar to someone like John Hicks or Brandon Dixon in recent years.

The one thing holding Schwindel back from getting the bump into consideration for a more defined role with the Tigers is the logjam at first base. With Miguel Cabrera looking to play more first base, C.J. Cron trying to earn a callback for a second year, and plenty of other players with first base capabilities, things are tougher for Schwindel.

The Detroit Tigers have seen Frank Schwindel hit extraordinarily well during Summer Camp; he is not a prospect like Spencer Torkelson but an exciting depth investment nonetheless.