Former BYU Cougar is turning heads in MLB

When your name gets mentioned in the same breath as Babe Ruth, you’re doing something right.

Daniel Schneemann, once a little-known BYU shortstop batting .238 in his final season, has become one of Major League Baseball’s most surprising—and compelling—stories of 2025. And Cougar Nation is taking notice.

Schneemann’s path to the big leagues wasn’t paved with hype. A 33rd-round draft pick in 2018—1,003rd overall—he wasn’t projected to sniff the majors. But year after year, through Arizona League backfields and cold Double-A nights in Akron, he kept grinding. That journey culminated on June 2, 2024, when the Cleveland Guardians called him up from Triple-A Columbus.

Now in his second MLB season, Schneemann isn’t just contributing—he’s thriving. Through 28 games in 2025, the 28-year-old utility man is batting .286 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. His .938 OPS not only leads the Guardians—it ranks top 10 in all of baseball. A quiet clubhouse leader, Schneemann has played five different positions this year, becoming the glue guy every contending team needs.

But it was one night in Toronto that catapulted him into the national spotlight. On May 3, with Cleveland trailing 3–0, Schneemann homered in the 8th, then launched a two-out, two-strike grand slam in the 9th to seal a comeback win. It was historic. According to MLB, he became just the second player ever to hit a game-winning grand slam on the road with his team down to its final out, while also homering earlier in the game. The first? Babe Ruth.

From under-the-radar Cougar to unlikely MLB hero, Schneemann’s story is far from over. He’s proving that hard work, patience, and heart can still beat the odds. BYU fans might want to start watching a few more Guardians games.