Hurler Who Went Viral From Pitching Ninja Videos Inks New Deal With Cardinals

St. Louis can use all the pitching depth they can get

Scott Neville | Sep 27, 2023

Hurler Who Went Viral From Pitching Ninja Videos Inks New Deal With Cardinals /

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals made a fun signing as they prepare for a pivotal 2024 season. With that being said, it likely won't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.

St. Louis took a chance on a minor-leaguer who had not pitched in a professional game since 2016 last winter after he went viral on Twitter. He'll now get another opportunity.

"(The) success story for Logan Sawyer continues," The Athletic's Katie Woo tweeted Tuesday. "He has re-signed a MiLB deal with St. Louis with an invite to spring training. Sawyer, who works HVAC in the offseason, was unsigned entering the year but gained exposure through PitchingNinja and eventually signed with St. Louis."

For those who are confused, PitchingNinja -- whose name actually is Rob Friedman -- is a well-known pitching analyst who frequently posts pitching highlights. Freidman promoted Sawyer's 100 mph and "nasty off-speed," which reportedly led to his original contract last offseason.

Sawyer's Cinderella story has not gotten off to a story-book start. The 30-year-old posted a 5.21 ERA with a 59-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .278 batting average against and 1.47 WHIP in 48 1/3 innings for Double-A Springfield. Sawyer was promoted to Triple-A Memphis late in the season, where he allowed six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The big right-hander has the physical tools to become a quality big leaguer but has yet to put it all together. He'll get another shot to strut his stuff out there next season.

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Published Sep 27, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu