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Nationals’ Seth Shuman Succeeds In New OrganizationSeth Shuman’s athletic career included a cameo in a packed Southeastern Conference football stadium, so progressing through the minor leagues doesn’t seem all that frenetic.The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Shuman, a 24-year-old righthander acquired from the Athletics at last year’s trade deadline as part of the return for Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison, was once a freshman quarterback at Georgia Southern.He started one game for the Eagles in 2016 and played in three others, including their visit to Mississippi’s Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.Now as one of the most talented arms on the High-A Wilmington pitching staff, Shuman is not nearly as intimidated. He recorded a 2.92 ERA with 25 strikeouts and seven walks through his first 28.2 innings.“He’s one of those quiet confidence-type guys, where he has a slow heartbeat,” Wilmington pitching coach Mark DiFelice said. “It’s been fun to have him around, learn his style of things and go from there.”The former major leaguer DiFelice and Shuman both played for the same college baseball coach. Rodney Hennon, who coached DiFelice at Western Carolina, has been the Georgia Southern coach since 2000.At Valdosta (Ga,) High, Shuman’s baseball coach was his father Bart. Shuman considered the Eagles as his best option to play two sports, and then he elected to stay at Georgia Southern even after the football team went to a more option-heavy offense. In the spring of his freshman year, Shuman decided to concentrate on baseball.“I almost considered transferring, but I really liked the baseball coach and baseball program at Georgia Southern, and I felt like they gave me the best opportunity to get to the next level,” Shuman said.The Nationals believe Shuman has the repertoire to climb still more levels. Shuman, Oakland’s sixth-round pick in 2019, throws a 91-95 mph fastball, an above-average slider, a changeup and a curveball.“Our analytic department is working with him as far as what quadrants of the strike zone profile best with his fastball,” DiFelice said. “We like his slider probably over any of his other secondary pitches, but he does a great job of throwing all of his pitches for strikes.
Shuman has undergone TJ. Out until 2024.
On the mound for the first time since 2022 in the FCL today.
Part of the 2021 trade with Oakland for Josh Harrison and Yan Gomes, Shuman is a pitchability righty up to 94 mph who has command of four serviceable pitches and especially precise feel for a tight 82-85 mph slider. He repeated High-A as a 24-year-old in 2022 even though his peripherals were really good at that level in 2021, and Shuman was shutdown in July after 14 strong starts. He appeared to be a go for 2023, but instead had Tommy John in March and will miss the whole season. Don’t sleep on this guy because he’s already 25. Shuman has never walked batters at higher than a 6.6% clip at any stop during his pro career. His stuff isn’t sexy, but he’s super consistent and projects to have plus command, pointing toward a low-variance back-of-a-rotation role once he’s back from surgery.
