Anthony Swarzak, Relief Pitcher

Date of Birth: 9/10/1985
Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Anthony Swarzak, relief pitcher, was first drafted in 2004 by the Minnesota Twins. He pitched in the Twins' minor league system from 2004 through 2008.

Swarzak pitched in 12 games as a starting pitcher with the Twins in 2009. He finished the season with a 6.25 ERA, 3 wins and 7 losses, and 34 strikeouts to 20 walks in 59.0 innings. He also pitched 79.2 innings in 13 games in the minors. He spent the entire 2010 season in the minors. In 2011, he returned to the Twins, pitching in 11 games as a starting pitcher and in 16 games as a reliever. He finished the season with a 4.32 ERA in a career high 102.0 innings.

Swarzak was moved to the Twins' bullpen in 2012, pitching in just 5 games as a starter and in 39 games as a reliever. He had a 5.03 ERA in 96.2 innings. In 2013, he was a relief pitcher only in 48 games with the Twins. He had a career high 69 strikeouts (to 22 walks) and a career low ERA of 2.91. He missed part of the season due to time on the DL with a fractured rib. The next season, he pitched in a career high 50 games (4 as a starting pitcher). He finished the season with a 4.60 ERA.

Swarzak became a free agent on November 26, 2014. He signed with the Cleveland Indians on January 15, 2015, but he didn't stay long with them. After just 10 games with the Indians in 2015, they released him on June 15th. He finished the season playing for the Korean Baseball Organization.

The New York Yankees signed Swarzak on January 14, 2016. His time in 2016 was split between the major and minor leagues. In 26 games with the Yankees, he had a 5.52 ERA, 1 win and 2 losses, and 31 strikeouts to 7 walks in 31.0 innings.

Swarzak became a free agent again on October 5, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox on January 23, 2017. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 26, 2017. He finished the 2017 season with 6 wins and 4 losses, 2 saves, 91 strikeouts to 22 walks, and a career low 2.33 ERA in 41 games with the White Sox and 29 games with the Brewers.

Swarzak elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He signed with the New York Mets on December 15, 2017. He struggled in 2018, finishing the season with no wins and 2 losses, 4 saves, 31 strikeouts to 14 walks, and a 6.15 ERA in 26.1 innings in 29 games. He spent a good part of the season on the DL.

Swarzak was traded to the Seattle Mariners on December 3, 2018. He was traded again on May 20, 2019, to the Atlanta Braves. He spent time on the DL in 2019 with shoulder injuries. He finished the season with 3 wins and 4 losses, 4 saves, 52 strikeouts to 27 walks, and a 4.56 ERA in 53.1 innings in 15 games with the Mariners and 44 games with the Braves. He didn't pitch in the postseason.

Swarzak became a free agent on October 31, 2019. He signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on February 5, 2020. He was released on July 20, 2020. He didn't play professional baseball in 2020.

Swarzak signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 4, 2021, and he was released on April 23rd. He signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals on May 14th. After playing in 6 games with the Diamondbacks and 7 games with the Royals, he elected free agency on July 21st.

Career pitching statistics for Swarzak through 2021 include:

• 388 games played
• 653.1 innings pitched
• 26-37 win-loss record
• 494 strikeouts to 202 walks
• 4.42 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Anthony Swarzak
ESPN - Anthony Swarzak