Miami Marlins Review: Tyler Frohwirth and the Scenic Route

Throughout the 2018/2019 offseason, Marlin Maniac will devote one article each for every player who appeared in the Miami Marlins system for the 2018 season. Every. Single. Player. This is Part 137 of 286. For the first 100, click here.

Tyler Frohwirth is a 6’1″, 165 lb. right-handed relief pitcher from Waukesha, Wisconsin. Jack Kading is the only major league product of Waukesha, and that was only for eight games in 1910 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Born on September 13th, 1993, Frohwirth played NCAA Division II ball for Minnesota State University starting in 2014.

In three seasons of play for the Mavericks, Frohwirth posted a 3-0 record and a 4.50 ERA over 33 appearances. He struck out 24 in 31 1/3 innings, with a 1.78 WHIP. The Philadelphia Phillies chose him in the 31st round of the 2016 draft. Follow Frohwirth on Twitter @tylerfrohwirth.

Tyler’s father, Todd, was a nine-season major league veteran with the Phillies, the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels. Sadly, Todd succumbed to stomach cancer in 2017.

Players selected with the 917th overall pick, like Frohwirth, have only made it to the major leagues on one out of 35 occasions. Bryce Brentz (2007, Cleveland Indians, -0.1 career WAR) is the only representative of the “917 club” to have made it that far. Here’s Frohwirth with the Madison Mallards in 2015, per Paul Johnson.

After his selection, Frohwirth joined the rookie-level GCL Phillies, in the Florida-based Gulf Coast League. In 18 relief outings, he struck out 14 and walked only three over 17 frames. He was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP, showing a little bit more than what was hinted at in his collegiate career.

In 2017, Frohwirth totaled four games of experience at two levels for Philadelphia. On July 5th, after a three team shuffle involving the Baltimore Orioles, he was reassigned to the Batavia Muckdogs in the low-A New York-Penn League for the Miami Marlins.

In 14 contests for Batavia, Frohwirth was 0-1 with a 3.94 ERA. He whiffed 16 in 15 innings and walked only four, but allowed 18 hits to finish with a 1.38 WHIP.

Reassigned to the single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers in the South Atlantic League in 2018, Frohwirth faced the minimum in his debut on April 8th, earning a save despite allowing one hit in the ninth inning of a 4-3 win over the Hickory Crawdads. He earned another save on April 22nd, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth as the Hoppers defeated the Charleston RiverDogs, 3-2.

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In eight games for Greensboro, Frohwirth earned a 6.14 ERA over 7 1/3 innings of work, striking out four and allowing 10 hits while walking zero batters. On May 8th, the Miami Marlins granted his free agency.

Frohwirth later appeared in the Frontier League with the Normal Cornbelters and in the American Association with the Chicago Dogs. Both leagues are of the independent variety, which has been known to repave the way for players who wash out of the affiliated system. Frohwirth is still only 25-years-old, so may get a non-roster Spring Training invitation for a team looking for bullpen depth.

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