-
Sewald spent most of his first three seasons at the Univ
He was a teammate of Kris Bryant
.After the 2014 season, Sewald had an extra benefit while participating with Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League. Paul had the chance to share an off-campus apartment with his brother Johnny and two other Arizona State baseball players.
“I was like, ‘Hey, I’m coming down, do you mind if I stay?” the Mets prospect said as the AFL season concluded. “Everyone was excited. It’s been really cool. I got to spend a lot of time with him, a lot of time with his roommates."
Paul's brother, Johnny, who is four years younger, was selected in the 34th round in 2012, but chose Arizona State. Both brothers are products of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.
After such a dominating season, what did he feel was the reason for his successful year in Savannah? “I would say the main reason for my successful season was that I really challenged the zone. I threw strikes with all my pitches and let my defense work, using the large ballpark to my advantage,” says Sewald. (2013)
Paul's superstition: He chews a specific type of gum when he pitches, Bubble Yum, Watermelon, Jolly Rancher. His main hobby: golfing.
Favorite player: Pedro Martinez. " While my stuff is not necessarily similar to Pedro’s, I do try to model his strike-throwing and competitiveness, which is almost second to none," says Sewald.
Who had the biggest influence in playing baseball?
"My dad has always been my biggest influence on my baseball career. He was my coach when I was younger, and he is still someone I can go to if I feel there is something I need to work on in my game. Frank Viola has made the biggest impact on my game so far in my professional career. He just has so much experience and insight that you just listen when he has advice. He talks a lot about the approach and mental aspects of the game, and I certainly think it elevated my performance," Paul said. (D Conde - November 18 - 2013)
FRIENDS WITH KRIS BRYANT
Sewald stifled a laugh as Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant walked to the plate during a Spring Training 2016 game and a sold-out crowd serenaded him. Under normal circumstances, a Minor League reliever such as Sewald might quiver at the prospect of facing Bryant, one of MLB's foremost sluggers.
Yet for Sewald, this wasn't intimidating. It was funny. Sewald and Bryant have been friends since Little League. "He was already better than everyone else," Paul said. Later, they became college teammates at the University of San Diego. They remain golf buddies to this day.
So when Bryant stepped to the plate amidst the crowd's adulation, booming the first pitch he saw for a deep flyout to Cashman Field's center-field swell, Sewald couldn't help but laugh.
"I didn't really appreciate that the crowd loved him way more than they loved me," he joked afterward. "Everyone got really excited. I just tried to keep my emotions in check and tried not to laugh, seeing him at the plate. It was fun to get to face him."
In so many ways, this was Bryant's day—local kid comes home to share his successes with the community that raised him Sewald also received an ovation from those folks, even if it couldn't match Bryant's in decibels
Consider it the first of what should be many similar moments this summer for Sewald, who will open his season at Triple-A Las Vegas. Not since high school has Sewald pitched regularly in his hometown, though he still spends his off-seasons there golfing with Bryant, who calls him "an unbelievable person" and "one of the most underrated prospects in all of baseball."
Statistics suggest the Cubs slugger may have a point. Sewald has reason to hope his homecoming in Vegas will be brief. That he pitched three shutout innings with three strikeouts against the Cubs only bolstered Sewald's confidence that his next meeting with Bryant could come at Wrigleyville or Flushing.
"It gives me a ton of confidence that I can get outs at the Major League level," Sewald said. "I've had a little bit of success in the last couple of outings in Major League camp before I went down to Minor League camp, and got my confidence up a little bit. I started to feel like I have everything going heading into the season. Then to face one of the best lineups in baseball and throw like that is obviously just a huge confidence boost." (DiComo - MLB.com - 3/31/16)
Aug 12-15, 2021: Paul was on the paternity list.
Aug 15-16, 2021: Paul was on the restricted list.
As if Paul needed any more advantage in this 2021 breakout season, he gave the Mariners his first glimpse of pitching with Dad Strength in a win over Texas.
Sewald worked around a leadoff single to Adolis García and picked up his fifth save after six days in between his last outing while he was in Las Vegas to be with his wife, Molly, for the birth of their first child, Chloe “I'm too old to not have the heat packs and the whole thing,” Sewald joked Sewald has kept things light all season, but fatherhood has certainly added an even more grounded perspective on how he approaches things TRANSACTIONS
June 2012: Paul signed with the Mets for just $1,000 after they chose him in the 10th round, out of the University of San Diego.
Dec 2, 2020: Paul chose free agency.