The 2025 MLB season has finally come to a close, and so has the road for former Cougars Justin Sterner and Daniel Schneemann, who made impressive strides this season with the Athletics and Guardians, respectively.
Justin Sterner, who pitched for BYU from 2018-2020, has made some steady improvements since he made his major league debut in 2024. This season with the Athletics, Sterner appeared in 59 games, recorded exactly 65 innings, and struck out 70 batters en route to a 3.18 ERA with a 1.046 WHIP. Sterner utilized a 94 mph fastball along with a few sliders to become a key threat in the Athletics pitching rotation.
For a sophomore outing these are impressive numbers, especially in the context of his position on the team. The Athletics left much to be desired on the season, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year in a competitive AL West division. This made Sterner’s relief pitching increasingly challenging, having to come in from the bullpen to perform under difficult scoring scenarios.
Just like Sterner, Daniel Schneemann also made his MLB debut in 2024, as well as made a huge step forward in his first full season with the Cleveland Guardians. During the 2025 season, Schneemann had 379 at-bats, recording a .206 batting average while hitting 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. The box score may be modest, but they represent huge growth from last season, nearly doubling his home run and RBI totals.
One of the biggest facets of Schneeman’s game this year was his unique defensive versatility. He appeared in multiple games at second, third, shortstop and even outfield. This kind of flexibility made him a vital piece of the Guardians lineup that believed in the “next man up” and having a deep roster. These contributions helped the team to weather injuries and other slumps, and pushed Cleveland into the playoffs. Despite coming up short against the Tigers in the AL Wildcard series, Schneemann solidified his flexible role on the roster.
The 2025 MLB season may not have ended the way Justin Sterner or Daniel Schneemann — or their teams — had hoped, but both players should be proud of the improvements they made in their sophomore campaigns.
For BYU fans, their success is a new point of pride: not only have two new Cougars made it to The Show, but they’re contributing in real and meaningful ways. Next season, fans should expect bigger leaps and even bigger performances.
All stats in this article are taken from MLB.com and baseball-reference.com.