Sherfy Takes Rollercoaster Ride To MLB
09/03/17 | Baseball
Former Oregon closer Jimmie Sherfy, the "Wild Thing," was promoted to Arizona on Sunday after a cup of coffee with the Diamondbacks in August.
Every Major League Baseball prospect takes a unique route to the big leagues. Oregon closer Jimmie Sherfy has endured several ups and downs on the way to achieving his dream, but as of this weekend he's back in "The Show."
After being called-up by the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 20 and becoming the fourth Duck in the modern era to reach the Major Leagues, Sherfy was sent back to Triple-A following just two appearances.
But with rosters expanding at the beginning of September, he didn't spend much more time in the minors. Sherfy was recalled on Sept. 2 and once again has the chance to realize his dream.
Making that dream a reality was by no means easy. The all-time leader in saves at Oregon spent nearly five seasons in the Diamondbacks' farm system after being drafted in 2013, bouncing back-and-forth between the various levels of pro baseball.
"Every season I've had in the minor leagues, whether it be good or bad, has gotten me to this point," Sherfy said. "It's made me who I am today, so I wouldn't take any season back."
Sherfy's chances of reaching the big leagues took a big hit following a rough 2015 season, when he posted a 6.52 ERA with Double-A Mobile. But the former All-American used that as motivation to get himself back on track to reaching his goals.
"In 2015 I had a really rough season in Double-A but it ultimately made me learn how to fail," Sherfy said. "That season was a blessing and every season has been a blessing so far, and I wouldn't take anything back."
He got off to a blazing start in 2016 with Class-A (Advanced) Visalia and Double-A Mobile, allowing just one earned run in 28 appearances, then reached Triple-A Reno by the end of the season.
Sherfy began 2017 in Triple-A and recorded 17 saves while being named a Pacific Coast League all-star before getting called-up.
In his short first stint in the big leagues, he pitched one perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins before earning his first big league win the following day.
"It was definitely a dream come true," Sherfy said. "It was also awesome that I got to fly my family out there and they got to see me, so it was honestly just a dream come true."
Two other former Oregon standouts, Tyler Anderson and Ryon Healy, have become mainstays with their respective MLB teams. Sherfy hopes to do everything he can to become the next one to play a key role on a big league club.
"It's ultimately just sticking to my routine," Sherfy said. "I just have to stay with the attention to detail every day and come to the ballpark trying to get better every day and not get complacent."
