5 Years in The Minors & Traded Twice
Michael Plassmeyer's hard-earned MLB debut, an overlooked NFL offense, and more
This edition of the Underdog Newsletter features:
An exclusive profile of a rookie MLB reliever
The most overlooked NFL offense
A comeback for the ages
And much more. But first…
Trivia Question of the Week (submitted by Austin P.)
Which MLB pitcher has the career K/9 (strikeouts per 9 innings)?
A) Nolan Ryan
B) Jacob deGrom
C) Max Scherzer
D) Robbie Ray
The answer will be revealed at the end of this email! Look for the ⭐ emoji.
EXCLUSIVE: The Journey of a Rookie Reliever
Last Tuesday, the Phillies called on a rookie reliever with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 6th inning.
As he trotted toward his first appearance on an MLB mound, baseball fans wondered “Who the heck is this guy?”
Michael Plassmeyer has endured a rollercoaster journey to reach this point.
Traded twice since 2018, the former 4th-round pick grinded through the minors for the better part of 5 years.
In other words, this was a hard-earned big league debut:
The southpaw struck out his first batter on 3 pitches, escaping a bases-loaded jam. Then he followed it up with a 1-2-3 inning.
To get more insight on Plassmeyer’s journey, we spoke with several people who know him personally.
Matt Whiteside – a former MLB pitcher who coached Plassmeyer in 17U – told us that in high school, Michael “could always really locate his fastball to both sides of the plate, but lived on the inner third at 80-82 mph. He just always had a great feel for how to pitch!”
Whiteside added, “It’s nice to see him reaping the rewards of all his hard work over the last several years to get to this point!”
Matt Michaels – the color commentator for Mizzou Baseball – recalls, “What was fun to see in his evolution is all the different ways he learned to get guys out. He was never afraid of pitching to contact, but as time went on Plazz figured out how to really set up hitters and punch tickets.”
His final year at Missouri, Plassmeyer struck out 103 batters – the result of constant improvement and continuous development over the course of his college career.
“I never saw Michael hang his head or get frustrated on teams that sometimes struggled to find offense in the SEC,” Michaels remembers.
“Plazz gave all he had, never gave up, and always got better,” he added. “That's the type of player and person you hope gets a shot at The Show, and I'm so glad he did. He deserves it.”
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🗞️ More Inspiring Stories
1.) From 5’6” third-stringer to D3 football to racking up 8,643 total yards in the NFL, this is the incredible story of Fred Jackson. [Joker Mag]
2.) “People thought I was dreaming.” Following a life-threatening IndyCar crash, Robert Wickens came all the way back to win another race. [The Race]
3.) A fastball shattered D.J. Peterson's jaw in 2013. But the 30-year-old journeyman didn't let it destroy his dream. [MLB.com]
4.) “I love negative things on social media about me...” Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II explains why he’s motivated by the haters. [Akron Beacon Journal]
5.) The Good Morning Football crew wonders if the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is being overlooked heading into the 2022 NFL season. [NFL.com]
6.) How a 20-year-old factory worker turned himself into one of the best hitters in MLB history. [Joker Mag]
7.) “Table tennis has changed my life.” At the age of 64, Akanisi Latu has become a para-table tennis athlete who competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. [The Fiji Times]
🔆 Amateur Spotlight
Davis Sherwood attended three high schools in four years.
He didn’t receive scholarship interest from his dream schools, so he chose to walk on at Notre Dame.
“I was just another guy they thought could come out here and compete."
As a walk-on linebacker, Sherwood earned a spot on special teams as a freshman. This past winter, the coaches moved him to the offensive side of the ball.
"When they told me, I was like, 'yes sir,’” he remembers. “I'm sure I did have a little bit of a choice, but I was happy to do it and I'm not afraid of change.”
This past spring, Sherwood earned a spot as one of Notre Dame's 85 scholarship players.
“It is easy to prove people wrong that didn't offer me out of high school...Instead, I focus on proving (Coaches Rees and Parker) right...to the best of my ability."
SOURCE: Justin Frommer // Notre Dame Insider
Do you know a youth, high school, or college athlete who has overcome the odds? Reply to this email to submit their story to be featured in a future Amateur Spotlight.
🐦 Top Tweet
💪 The Underdog Mentality
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It’s our mission to spread this game-changing mindset across the world, inspiring our readers to make positive changes in their own lives.
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⭐ Trivia Answer:
D) Robbie Ray (crazy, right? Source: Baseball Reference)
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🙏 Thank You
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Til next time,
Tyler