Trautwein Traut-Winning In Triple-A Debut

Michael Trautwein couldn’t have drawn up a wilder day to start his tenure with the Louisville Bats.

On Friday March 29 at 7:15 p.m., he was behind the plate for his Triple-A debut at Louisville Slugger Field, backstopping his new team to a thrilling 9-8 Opening Night win in front of an electric crowd of 9,299.

Usually, catchers don’t catch in day games after a night game. But Manager Pat Kelly, a former catcher himself, sent the 24-year-old back into the fire to catch the second game of the season, a 2:05 p.m. start on Saturday, March 30 against Indianapolis.

The Saturday game was another tense battle, tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Having caught 18 innings and over 300 pitches while going 0-for-6 at the plate in the previous 22 hours, the last thing Trautwein wanted was to play extra innings. So, when he came up to the plate as the Bats’ last chance to win it in the ninth, Trautwein knew what to do.

“I hadn’t gotten a hit yet, but I felt pretty good in the box. I hit some balls hard, but nothing fell in,” Trautwein recalled. “Heading into that last at-bat, my approach was that I was going to be on time for a heater. I felt like I was behind in the at-bats prior, so I needed to be on time. I got a good pitch to hit, put a good swing on it, and a good thing happened.”

Indianapolis southpaw Brady Feigl started Trautwein with a 93 mile per hour pitch at the top of the zone, and the Louisville catcher was waiting for it. He connected for a towering 386-foot walk-off home run that left his at-bat at 106 miles per hour, giving the Bats the win and sending his teammates and the fans into a frenzy.

TRAUTWEIN CALLS GAME‼️

Clip of the Game ╳ @GreatClips pic.twitter.com/P34XPPIsnA

— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) March 30, 2024

“Off the bat I knew it was going out and it was a cool feeling to know you just won the ballgame for your team,” he said. “It was fun to round the bases and see the guys lining up around home plate waiting for me. The guys were pumped, and it was such a cool experience.”

The win got the Bats their first 2-0 start in a decade, and it was a moment that meant a lot for the team to begin the 2024 season.

“He was probably pressing a little bit to get that first hit,” Kelly said. “For him to get on the board with that hit and to walk it off and not have to play extra innings, it was huge.”

Rounding the bases with a walk-off home run in his second Triple-A game is a big step forward for Trautwein, who only played 49 games above the High-A level heading into 2024. It was the result of an off-season full of hard work and a mindset that doesn’t differ.

“Being a catcher, I’m very high energy, I’m really into the game and I want to win, and I think that pleases a lot of people, especially the coaching staff. My goal is to win ballgames and play hard and leave it all on the field,” Trautwein said. “My approach was to treat everything like Game 7 of the World Series even though it was a spring training game in February. Having that mentality has helped me out, it’s defined my game, and it's something I take pride in.”

Kelly previously said Trautwein is one of the players who most impressive players he saw at Reds’ camp this spring, and now the results are starting to show.

“His bat was very impressive in spring training and the way he handles the pitchers, the pitchers enjoy throwing to him and really trust him as far as calling the games,” Kelly said.

The opening series at Louisville Slugger Field was followed by a homecoming of sorts for Trautwein as the Bats traveled to Lawrenceville, Georgia to battle the Gwinnett Stripers. Trautwein grew up in nearby Johns Creek and went to games at Coolray Field growing up.

“My dad and I just used to go to the games there which was always fun. Those are the cool moments when you’re a kid. That’s part of the process of falling in love with the game and seeing the minor league guys and seeing that whole lifestyle was a blast. It will be cool to go back and play there,” he said. “There’s going to be a good amount of people cheering for us which should be fun. I’m excited to go back and be near my own backyard.”

Behind a vocal cheering section at Coolray Field, Trautwein had a solid series at Gwinnett, batting .267 in four road games while hitting his second home run and posting his first multi-hit game.

Growing up as the son of former Boston Red Sox pitcher John Trautwein, Michael knew from a young age that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps on the diamond.

“Baseball was always my first love. From a young age, I fell in love with the game,” Michael said. “Then from the day I first started playing, I always wanted to be a professional baseball player and be in the big leagues. That’s been my goal,”

Now, that goal is within reach as Trautwein is at the Minors’ highest level, grinding each and every day to accomplish his childhood dream.