Schwindel Continues Strong Year in Winter Ball

2017 Omaha Player of the Year has driven in 12 runs in 15 games

2017 Omaha Storm Chasers infielder Frank Schwindel has recorded hits in 13 of his 15 games in the Dominican Winter League with Estrellas Orientales. (Minda Haas Kuhlmann)

By Andrew Green

December 1, 2017

After an outstanding 2017 campaign with the Storm Chasers that included Omaha Player of the Year honors, infielder Frank Schwindel continues to mash in winter ball.

Since joining Estellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League, Schwindel has accumulated a .311 average (19-61), adding four runs, six doubles, one homer and 12 RBI, along with a .797 OPS.The 25-year-old has recorded hits in all but two of his 15 contests with Orientales, including six multi-hit efforts. He also blasted his first home run as part of a two-hit game on November 30 while driving in two RBI.
Schwindel had tallied an 11-game hit streak between November 11-28, compiling a .348 clip (16-46) with three runs, six doubles and nine RBI. He also recorded hits in each of his final ten games with the Storm Chasers to complete the 2017 regular season, meaning Schwindel has tallied knocks in 23 of his last 25 games between Omaha and Orientales. Going back further, Schwindel had collected hits in 47 of his final 50 matchups with the Storm Chasers, meaning he has recorded at least one base knock in 60 of his most recent 65 games.
The New Jersey native in 99 games with the Storm Chasers in 2017 posted a .321 average (126-392) with 51 runs, 30 doubles, 17 homers and 72 RBI, in addition to an .868 OPS. Schwindel posted three hit streaks of ten games or longer, including an 18-game stretch between July 15-August 1. From the day he made his Triple-A debut with Omaha on May 18 until the end of the 2017 PCL campaign, Schwindel ranked first in the league in doubles, as well as tied for first in hits, second in total bases, tied for fifth in extra-base hits (47) and tied for seventh in RBI.
It was a sensational season for Schwindel, who also ranked tied for second among all minor leaguers in doubles (43), tied for third in hits (174), fifth in total bases (286), tied for fifth in extra-base hits (66) and seventh in RBI (97) between Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Baseball America also recently chronicled Schwindel's excellent season in this article (subscription required).