Erich Uelmen, who pitched in Cal Poly's alumni baseball game in February, has been called up by the Chicago Cubs and could pitch against the New York Mets today.
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Former Cal Poly Pitcher Erich Uelmen Called up by Chicago Cubs
7/17/2022 10:35:00 AM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Erich Uelmen is on the verge of becoming Cal Poly's 21st Major Leaguer and the 12th under current head coach Larry Lee.
On Sunday, the Chicago Cubs promoted the former Mustang right-hander from Triple-A Iowa, giving them a fresh arm in the bullpen as they finish out the first half.
Uelmen has compiled a 2.79 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 23 walks in 42 innings for Iowa this season. He has given up two homers in that time after allowing 16 dingers in 90.1 innings between Tennessee and Iowa last season.
In order to make room on the roster for Uelmen, lefty Daniel Norris has been designated for assignment. The 29-year-old made a costly error in Saturday's nightcap that might have sealed his fate. Norris has a 6.90 ERA as a Cub. His 32.1 percent strikeout rate on the season is very encouraging, but it's come with a 15.7 percent walk rate, almost double the 8.3 percent league average..
The Cubs will now have one week to trade Norris, pass him through waivers or release him. As a veteran with more than five years of MLB service time, Norris can reject an outright assignment without forfeiting any salary.
Uelmen, 26, was primarily a starter on his way up through the minor leagues but switched to a full-time bullpen role upon reaching Triple-A. His first taste of action with the Iowa Cubs didn't go so well last year, but he has produced an excellent showing so far in 2022, working in a multi-inning role.
Through 42 frames in 28 games, Uelmen has a 2.79 ERA, 55.3 percent ground ball rate and 29.1 percent strikeout rate, though the walk rate is high at 12.8 percent.
Bleacher Nation predicted Saturday that Uelmen would be a second-half call-up. Instead, the Cubs made the move one day before the All-Star break.
In his first full year in a full-time relief role, Uelmen has seen his velocity spike, his pitches sharpen, and his strikeouts explode, Bleacher Nation reported Saturday, "pretty much everything you'd hope to see from a guy who has a couple great pitches, but just not quite enough to be a starter.
"His strikeout rate at Iowa is approaching 30 percent, and while the 12.8 percent walk rate is not ideal, he's also got a ground ball rate over 55 percent. The guys who can register a big strikeout rate AND a big ground ball rate are a rare bird," Bleacher Nation added.
The Cubs, 23 games under the .500 mark at 34-57, close out their first half of the 2022 season Sunday at Wrigley Field against the New York Mets. After the All-Star break, Chicago resumes play Friday at Philadelphia.
The 20th Mustang to don a Major League uniform was lefty Justin Bruihl with the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9, 2021.
Of the 20 previous Major Leaguers who wore a Cal Poly uniform, Lee coached 11 of them over 20 seasons. The other nine played baseball for the Mustangs from 1925 through 2002. In addition, Dean Treanor, a bullpen coach for the Miami Marlins from 2016-19, played at Cal Poly from 1968-70, pitching a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Cal Poly Pomona in 1970.
Uelmen pitched at Cal Poly from 2015-17. The Las Vegas native and Faith Lutheran High School graduate made 16 appearances on the mound as a freshman, all but one as a reliever.
He moved into the weekend rotation as a sophomore, making seven starts on Sunday before he was bumped up to the Saturday slot for eight Big West starts. He was 5-3 with a 3.68 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 93 innings, earning a complete-game win over UCLA and a shutout versus Sacramento State.
Uelmen was the Friday night starter as a junior in 2017, lowering his ERA to 2.93 but winning just four of 12 decisions. He fanned 100 over 98 1/3 innings and closed out his Mustang career with a six-hit shutout and a career-high 12 strikeouts in a 1-0 triumph over UC Riverside.
A second-team All-Big West selection in 2017, Uelmen was drafted in the fourth round by the Chicago Cubs and has made minor league stops at Eugene, Myrtle Beach, South Bend, Tennessee and Iowa. He also competed in the Arizona Fall League in 2019.
On Sunday, the Chicago Cubs promoted the former Mustang right-hander from Triple-A Iowa, giving them a fresh arm in the bullpen as they finish out the first half.
Uelmen has compiled a 2.79 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 23 walks in 42 innings for Iowa this season. He has given up two homers in that time after allowing 16 dingers in 90.1 innings between Tennessee and Iowa last season.
In order to make room on the roster for Uelmen, lefty Daniel Norris has been designated for assignment. The 29-year-old made a costly error in Saturday's nightcap that might have sealed his fate. Norris has a 6.90 ERA as a Cub. His 32.1 percent strikeout rate on the season is very encouraging, but it's come with a 15.7 percent walk rate, almost double the 8.3 percent league average..
The Cubs will now have one week to trade Norris, pass him through waivers or release him. As a veteran with more than five years of MLB service time, Norris can reject an outright assignment without forfeiting any salary.
Uelmen, 26, was primarily a starter on his way up through the minor leagues but switched to a full-time bullpen role upon reaching Triple-A. His first taste of action with the Iowa Cubs didn't go so well last year, but he has produced an excellent showing so far in 2022, working in a multi-inning role.
Through 42 frames in 28 games, Uelmen has a 2.79 ERA, 55.3 percent ground ball rate and 29.1 percent strikeout rate, though the walk rate is high at 12.8 percent.
Bleacher Nation predicted Saturday that Uelmen would be a second-half call-up. Instead, the Cubs made the move one day before the All-Star break.
In his first full year in a full-time relief role, Uelmen has seen his velocity spike, his pitches sharpen, and his strikeouts explode, Bleacher Nation reported Saturday, "pretty much everything you'd hope to see from a guy who has a couple great pitches, but just not quite enough to be a starter.
"His strikeout rate at Iowa is approaching 30 percent, and while the 12.8 percent walk rate is not ideal, he's also got a ground ball rate over 55 percent. The guys who can register a big strikeout rate AND a big ground ball rate are a rare bird," Bleacher Nation added.
The Cubs, 23 games under the .500 mark at 34-57, close out their first half of the 2022 season Sunday at Wrigley Field against the New York Mets. After the All-Star break, Chicago resumes play Friday at Philadelphia.
The 20th Mustang to don a Major League uniform was lefty Justin Bruihl with the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9, 2021.
Of the 20 previous Major Leaguers who wore a Cal Poly uniform, Lee coached 11 of them over 20 seasons. The other nine played baseball for the Mustangs from 1925 through 2002. In addition, Dean Treanor, a bullpen coach for the Miami Marlins from 2016-19, played at Cal Poly from 1968-70, pitching a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Cal Poly Pomona in 1970.
Uelmen pitched at Cal Poly from 2015-17. The Las Vegas native and Faith Lutheran High School graduate made 16 appearances on the mound as a freshman, all but one as a reliever.
He moved into the weekend rotation as a sophomore, making seven starts on Sunday before he was bumped up to the Saturday slot for eight Big West starts. He was 5-3 with a 3.68 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 93 innings, earning a complete-game win over UCLA and a shutout versus Sacramento State.
Uelmen was the Friday night starter as a junior in 2017, lowering his ERA to 2.93 but winning just four of 12 decisions. He fanned 100 over 98 1/3 innings and closed out his Mustang career with a six-hit shutout and a career-high 12 strikeouts in a 1-0 triumph over UC Riverside.
A second-team All-Big West selection in 2017, Uelmen was drafted in the fourth round by the Chicago Cubs and has made minor league stops at Eugene, Myrtle Beach, South Bend, Tennessee and Iowa. He also competed in the Arizona Fall League in 2019.
Cal Poly vs. UCR, Baseball Highlights -- May 17th, 2025
Sunday, May 18
Cal Poly vs. UCR, Baseball Highlights -- May 16th, 2025
Saturday, May 17
Cal Poly vs. UCR, Baseball Highlights -- May 15th, 2025
Friday, May 16
Cal Poly vs. Pepperdine, Baseball Highlights -- May 6th, 2025
Wednesday, May 07
