Sean Poppen

Sean Russell Poppen (born March 15, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Career Poppen attended Cape Henry Collegiate in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He attended Harvard University for four years (2013 through 2016), and played college baseball for the Crimson. He spent the 2016 season with the Elizabethton Twins and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. In 2017, he played for Cedar Rapids and the Fort Myers Miracle. He made his debut that night versus the Boston Red Sox. He posted a 0–0 record with a 7.56 ERA over 8.1 innings for the Twins in 2019. Poppen finished the 2019 season on the injured list with elbow inflammation.

Poppen was designated for assignment by the Twins on September 29, 2020, when Alex Kirilloff was selected to the 40-man roster. With the 2020 Minnesota Twins, Poppen appeared in 6 games, compiling a 0–0 record with 4.70 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched.

Pittsburgh Pirates On October 1, 2020, Poppen was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Poppen recorded a 7.71 ERA in 3 appearances before being designated for assignment on May 13, 2021.

Tampa Bay Rays On May 18, 2021, Poppen was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations. He was designated for assignment on July 30, 2021.

Arizona Diamondbacks On August 2, 2021, Poppen was claimed off of waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished the season appearing in 20 games for Arizona, registering a 1–1 record and 4.67 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched.

In 2022, Poppen made 29 appearances for the Diamondbacks, pitching to a 2–2 record and 4.40 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work.

San Diego Padres On December 2, 2022, Poppen was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres. On January 20, 2023, Poppen was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. In 47 games for El Paso, he struggled to a 1–4 record and 6.33 ERA with 51 strikeouts across innings pitched. Poppen elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Seattle Mariners On January 18, 2024, Poppen signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. In two appearances for the Triple–A Tacoma Rainiers, he surrendered four runs in innings pitched. Poppen was released by the Mariners organization on April 5.

Gastonia Baseball Club On April 26, 2024, Poppen signed with the Gastonia Baseball Club of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 12 games for the team, he logged a 5.11 ERA with 35 strikeouts across innings pitched. On June 17, Poppen was released by Gastonia. Poppen made three scoreless appearances for Dos Laredos, recording five strikeouts across innings pitched. In 22 appearances split between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Angels and Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas, he accumulated a 3-4 record and 5.34 ERA with 38 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Personal life In 2016 Poppen graduated (with honors) from Harvard, double majoring in Chemistry and Physics, and Engineering Sciences.