Sean Poppen #16

Sean Russell Poppen...graduated with honors from Harvard, double majoring in chemistry and physics, and Engineering Sciences in 2016...lives with wife Taylor Mae and three children.

2023

Claimed off waivers by San Diego from Arizona on Dec. 2, 2022...spent the entire season with Triple-A El Paso... going 1-4 with a 6.33 ERA (41 ER, 58.1 IP) with 30 walks and 52 strikeouts.

2022

Spent all of 2022 in Japan with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, and hit .217 (33-for-152) with five doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs and 16 runs scored in 59 games played...Following the season, he played in 32 games for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League batting .324 with four HR, 24 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 22 walks and 21 strikeouts with a .441 OBP.

2021

Appeared in 24 games over three organizations in his third Major League season, going 1-1 with one save, a 5.16 ERA (13 ER in 22.2 IP) and 26 strikeouts... Pitched in three games with the Pirates before being traded to the Rays on May 18 for cash considerations... Claimed off waivers from Rays on Aug. 2 after appearing in only one game... Picked up his first save Aug. 6 @ Padres... Was 3-3 with two saves and a 2.08 ERA (8 ER in 34.2 IP) in 24 total games with Triple-A Indianapolis (Pirates/2 G), Triple-A Durham (Rays/19 G) and Triple-A Reno (D-backs/3 G).

2020

Began season at Minnesota’s alternate training site...Was recalled on 8/2 and made two appearances (3.0ip/1er) before being optioned on 8/9... Was recalled to be 27th man for doubleheader on 8/15, but did not pitch; was optioned back...Was recalled on 8/22... Pitched 2.0 hitless innings on 8/25 at Cleveland...Made final appearance on 9/8... Was designated for assignment on 9/29 and was claimed off waivers by PIttsburgh on 10/1.

2019

 Began season with Rochester (Twins’ AAA)...Made Triple-A debut on 4/10 at Syracuse and earned the win (5.0ip/2er)...Moved to Double-A Pensacola on 4/13...Made his lone relief appearance n 4/14 and picked up the win (2.0ip/0r)...Went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA (12.0ip/1er) in his first three games with Pensacola thru 4/25...Returned to Rochester on 5/24...Pitched 6.0 innings of relief on 5/25 and gave up one run in 6.0ip for the win...Was named Twins minor league Pitcher-of-the-Week in consecutive weeks; went 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA (12.0ip/1er) and 13 strikeouts in two starts the week of 6/9 and 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA (6.0ip/1er) and nine strikeouts in one start the week of 6/16... Had contract selected by Minnesota on 6/19 and made Major League debut that night vs. Boston; allowed three runs on five hits in a big league career-high 4.0 innings pitched... Became the first pitcher from Harvard University to appear for the Twins and only the second Harvard product to ever play for Minnesota, joining outfielder Mike Stenhouse in 1985...Became the 22nd pitcher since 1961 to record three groundball double plays in his major league debut... Finished season on injured list with a right elbow contusion... Combined to go 7-4 with a 4.32 ERA (98.0ip/47erR) and 116 strikeouts in 24 games (16 starts) between all three levels.

2018

Split season between Fort Myers (Twins’ High-A) and Chattanooga (Twins’ AA)...Went 6-9 with a 3.45 ERA (127.2ip/49er) 39 walks and 123 strikeouts in 26 games (20 starts) between the two teams...Began season with Fort Myers and recorded his first professional save on Opening Day (4/5 vs. Charlotte)...Allowed just one run in 12.0 innings and struck out 12 batters in his final two appearances with Fort Myers...Was promoted to Chattanooga on 5/30 and CAREER HIGHLIGHTS lost each of his first three Double-A starts thru 6/11...Picked up his first win with Chattanooga on 6/16 at Birmingham; a 5.0-inning complete game (shortened due to rain)...Won three straight decisions from 7/20 thru 8/5...Pitched his second complete game on 8/18 at Mississippi (6.0ip/1r).

2017

Went 9-4 with a 3.17 ERA, 122 strikeouts and 25 walks in 25 starts while splitting season between Cedar Rapids (Twins’ Low-A) and Fort Myers...Posted minor league career highs in wins, starts (25) and innings pitched (139.0ip)...Was selected to the Midwest League mid-season All-Star team after going 5-1 with a 2.80 ERA (74.0ip/23er) in 12 starts during the first half...Was transferred to Fort Myers on 7/1 and finished season with the Miracle...Was named Florida State League Pitcher-of-the-Week for the week of 7/10-16 after going 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA (14.1ip/1er) in two starts.

2016

Went 3-4 with a 2.70 ERA (53.1ip/16er) in 12 games (11 starts) during first professional season...Began season with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League after being selected by Minnesota in the 19th round of the First-Year Player Draft in June...Suffered losses in two of his first three starts before winning back-to-back starts on 7/17 (5.0ip/0er) and 7.23 (5.2ip/1er)...Made final four appearances with Cedar Rapids... Made his only relief outing in final appearance on 9/5 and picked up the win after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings.