Following a season during which he led the Ivy League in strikeouts and became the first Cornellian to be named the league Pitcher of the Year, Chris Schutt ’04 added another accolade to his resume in June, when he was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the seventh round of the First Year Entry draft. Schutt, the 208th overall pick, signed with the Twins and was assigned to the Class A Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins.
Schutt noted that the rapid journey from college to the minor leagues has not given him much time to enjoy being drafted, but explained, “As it sinks in, the feeling gets a lot better.”
Schutt, in one game this year with Elizabethton, pitched five innings, allowing one hit, three walks, and eight strikeouts in a winning effort.
“The minors is a lot more laid back [than college], and the players are a lot better” Schutt said. “Your hitters can bail you out, and the defense behind you is very solid.”
Despite a 1.89 ERA, Schutt compiled an unspectacular 3-5 record in his final season at Cornell. In eight starts, Schutt gave up 24 runs, but only 13 were earned. Schutt had three complete games, a .192 batting average against, and 10 or more strikeouts in six of his eight starts, including 15 against Columbia. That performance earned him Ivy League Pitcher of the Week honors one of the two times that happened this past season. In 62 innings of work, Schutt allowed 43 hits, 23 walks, and had an Ivy League-leading 89 strikeouts.
When he was not pitching, Schutt was the team’s starting centerfielder, where he showcased his stellar arm, recording three outfield assists on the season. At the plate, Chris was 22-92 for a .239 average, with 5 doubles, 11 runs scored, 1 home run, and 14 runs batted in. He had a .339 on base percentage which was boosted by his 14 walks. His best offensive performance came in 10-5 win over Delaware State in which he went 3-4 with 2 RBIs, and a walk.
Archived article by Chris Mascaro