Miniscule ERA Earns Austin Schulfer Promotion To St. Paul
ST. PAUL, MN (May 29, 2022) - If a pitcher continues to put up zeroes, at some point you force the hand of the organization. For relief pitcher Austin Schulfer, that’s exactly what he was doing this season at Double-A Wichita. He will now showcase his talent at the Triple-A
ST. PAUL, MN (May 29, 2022) - If a pitcher continues to put up zeroes, at some point you force the hand of the organization. For relief pitcher Austin Schulfer, that’s exactly what he was doing this season at Double-A Wichita. He will now showcase his talent at the Triple-A level as the Minnesota Twins have transferred Schulfer to the St. Paul Saints.
The 26-year-old Schulfer was remarkable this season going 0-0 with a 0.39 ERA and seven saves in 15 relief appearances. In 23.0 innings he allowed two runs (one earned) on 11 hits while walking four and striking out 30 while opponents hit .134 against him. His seven saves were tied for tops in the Texas League and is tied for eighth most in all of Minor League Baseball. He went the first 15.1 innings of the season without allowing a run, the third longest streak of his career.
Schulfer was a 19th round selection by the Minnesota Twins in 2018 out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He spent the 2018 year with the Elizabethton Twins in the Rookie, Appalachian League and went 3-0 with a 1.58 ERA across 11 games (seven starts). In 40.0 innings pitched he walked 15 and struck out 34 while opponents hit .231 against him.
In 2019, Schulfer spent the entire season at Single-A Cedar Rapids going 7-6 with a 3.96 ERA and one save in 30 games (13 starts). In 97.2 innings pitched he walked 47 and struck out 124 while opponents hit .208 against him. Schulfer became the first Kernels pitcher to strike out 100 in a season since Felix Jorge in 2015.
Last season Schulfer spent the entire season with Wichita and went 6-8 with a 4.34 ERA in 24 starts. He worked 110.0 innings and walked 49 while fanning 105 as opponents hit .260 against him.
The Saints roster stands at 30, 17 pitchers and 13 position players, three shy of the league maximum of 33.