Max Schuemann is the answer to a baseball trivia question: “Who fielded the last out for the Athletics in their final game at the Oakland Coliseum?”
It was September 26, 2024 and the batter was Travis Jankowski of the Texas Rangers.
“I was playing third base, kind of shifted over playing short,” Schuemann said. “The way that at-bat was going, Mason Miller was throwing and there was a lefty at the plate who was kind of slapping it and fouling off a bunch of pitches. I was like, ‘This ball is 1,000-percent
coming to me. I need to be ready.’
“Sure enough, he did and I felt like you could hear a pin drop in that stadium, even though the seats were all full. Once I fielded it and as I was going to throw it, it got so quiet. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can not screw this up.’ But I threw a strike over there and hit [first baseman Tyler Soderstrom] in the chest and we won the game.”
After spending the past two years with the Athletics, Schuemann is in the Yankees organization this year with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He was designated for assignment by the Athletics on February 6th. Three days later, the Yankees acquired him in a trade for Rookie ball pitcher Luis Burgos.
Schuemann couldn’t be happier.
“I can’t ask for a better situation to come into,” he said. “The coaching staff at big-league camp and then here have been amazing to me and really helpful. I feel like I’ve learned a ton in the small stint that I’ve been here.”
The 28-year-old hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan — the same hometown as Derek Jeter. Schuemann unsurprisingly idolized the Yankees’ Hall of Fame shortstop.
Schuemann was selected by the Athletics out of Eastern Michigan University in the 20th round of the 2018 MLB Draft (593rd overall). Over the next five years, Schuemann worked his way through various stops in the A’s system — Vermont, Beloit, Lansing, Midland, and Las Vegas — before making his MLB debut on April 12, 2024 against the Washington Nationals. He entered the game in the bottom of the 10th inning as the automatic runner and scored the winning run on a single by Lawrence Butler.
In his sixth MLB game at Cleveland’s Progressive Field on April 20, 2024, Schuemann got his first hit off Logan Allen and first stolen base.
“I had my family on the edge of their seats,” Schuemann said. “I thought I absolutely crushed a ball (in my first at-bat) to left field. It was a colder day, maybe the wind was blowing in from left, which was kind of weird for that ballpark; I feel like it’s pretty hitter-friendly. I thought I got it, but I was running hard out of the box because that’s just the player I am. My family all went nuts, they thought I got it, too. Steven Kwan made a leaping catch at the big wall in left to rob me of my first hit.
“My second at-bat, I came up, first-pitch swinging, I hit a ball pretty well to right field. Again, running hard out of the box, I hit it well and it snuck over the fence. So my first career hit was a homer and they (my family) went nuts. I wouldn’t trade that moment for the world. It was pretty cool, teasing my family like that. You can’t draw that up.”
That season, Schuemann appeared in 133 games and batted .220 (87-for-396) with seven home runs, 34 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.
“I was very happy being part of the last team in Oakland,” Schuemann said. “It was such an amazing year for me, especially that last series. The fans really showed out.”
Last season, the Athletics began playing in a minor-league stadium in West Sacramento while a new stadium in Las Vegas is being built. Not only did the team have to adjust to a new city, but Schuemann transitioned into a bench role. He played in 101 games and batted .197 (36 for 183) with two home runs, 13 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
“Making that adjustment was definitely a learning experience,” Schuemann said. “But I feel like I did OK and I learned from it. Sacramento, we made it what it was. I’m not with those guys anymore, but I’m rooting for those guys. They were my teammates and I came up with a lot of them through the minor leagues. Some longtime friends over there for sure.”
With the RailRiders, Schuemann is part of an infield that includes Oswaldo Cabrera, Paul DeJong, Jonathan Ornelas, and Braden Shewmake. All have MLB experience and all can play second base, shortstop, and third base. Schuemann has a leg up on at least DeJong and Ornelas, as he currently holds a spot on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, so if the situation arises where the Yankees need an infielder, it seems likely that either he or Cabrera would get the call.
That versatility is a strength and gives manager Shelley Duncan plenty of options.
“That was a key part of how I got to the big leagues in the first place, bouncing around everywhere and playing multiple positions,” Schuemann said. “If you go around our infield, I feel like we have guys who do that same thing. It’s pretty special to have an athletic team like we have. I feel like it helps hold everyone accountable. Everybody’s bouncing around, it’s not set in stone. It helps us hold each other accountable to stay on top of our craft.”
Through 10 games with the RailRiders, Schuemann is batting .235 (8-for-34) with two doubles, five RBIs, and two stolen bases. He also has drawn nine walks.
“I had a good spring, so I’m trying to carry that over,” Schuemann said. “Everything I’ve learned in camp has been going pretty well overall. I’ve had a lot of quality at-bats, just waiting for the results to come. It’s a long season, so I feel like they will.
“I’ve been very happy with how it (the trade) turned out. I don’t think I could ask to have come into a better situation. Just to evolve as a player, I feel it’s really going to be good for my career.”
