Sheldon Lynn Neuse ( ; born December 10, 1994) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

and

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

, and in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Hanshin Tigers The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, next to their main stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium. The Tigers are owned by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., ...

Career

Amateur career

Neuse attended Fossil Ridge High School in

Keller, Texas Keller is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to the 2020 census, the city's population is 45,776, making Keller the 78th most populated city in Texas. The most recent population est ...

. The Texas Rangers selected him in the 38th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, but he did not sign. Neuse enrolled at the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...

. In 2015, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Harwich Mariners The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

. As a junior at Oklahoma in 2016, Neuse hit .369/.465/.646 with 10

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 48

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs). He won the

Brooks Wallace Award The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstand ...

, given annually to the best

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

in college baseball.

Washington Nationals

The

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

selected Neuse in the second round of the

2016 MLB draft The 2016 Major League Baseball draft began on June 9, 2016, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2015 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks were distributed for players who ...

. He signed with the Nationals and made his professional debut with the

Auburn Doubledays The Auburn Doubledays are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) that is located in Auburn, New York. From 1958 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) ...

. He finished his first professional season with a .230 batting average and one home run. Neuse began 2017 with the

Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A (baseball), Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They pl ...

Oakland Athletics

On July 16, 2017, the Nationals traded Neuse to the

, along with

Jesús Luzardo Jesús Guillermo Luzardo (born September 30, 1997) is a Peruvian-born Venezuelan-American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics and Mi ...

and

Blake Treinen Blake Michael Treinen (, born June 30, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics. He played co ...

, in exchange for

Sean Doolittle Sean Robert Doolittle (born September 26, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, and Seattle Mariners. He won the 201 ...

and

Ryan Madson Ryan Michael Madson (born August 28, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles D ...

. The Athletics assigned him to the

Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Banner I ...

, and he was later promoted to the

Midland RockHounds The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Momentum Bank Ballpark, which ope ...

. In 117 total games between Hagerstown, Stockton, and Midland, he posted a .321 batting average, 16 home runs, 79 RBIs, and an .884 OPS. The Athletics assigned Neuse to the

Mesa Solar Sox The Mesa Solar Sox are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Mesa, Arizona, at Sloan Park, which is also the spring training facility of the Chicago Cubs. The team was establi ...

of the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

after the regular season. He played in 22 games for the Solar Sox, posting a .314 batting average along with five home runs and 23 RBIs. In 2018, Neuse played for the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

where he slashed .263/.304/.357 with five home runs and 55 RBIs in 135 games. He opened the 2019 season with the

Las Vegas Aviators The Las Vegas Aviators, formerly known as the Las Vegas 51s and Las Vegas Stars, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Summerlin South, Nevada, a comm ...

, hitting .317/.389/.550/.939 with 27 home runs and 102 RBI. On August 29, 2019, the Athletics selected Neuse's contract and promoted him to the major leagues. He made his major league debut on August 30 versus the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

, going 0-for-3 with a walk. Two days later Neuse notched his first hit, a two-run double down the right field line off of Ryan Dull of the Yankees. he appeared in 25 games for the Athletics, hitting .250. He did not play in 2020 as a result of the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, but he spent the season working out at the Athletics alternate training site as part of their 60-man player pool.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On February 12, 2021, the Athletics traded Neuse and

Gus Varland Augustus James Varland (born November 6, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers. Career Varla ...

to the

in exchange for

Adam Kolarek Adam John Kolarek (born January 14, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets. ...

and

Cody Thomas Cody Ryan Thomas (born October 8, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was a multi-sport athlete in college, playing both college baseball and colleg ...

. On April 22, 2021, Neuse hit his first big league home run off of

Emilio Pagán Emilio Enrique Pagán (born May 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, San Diego ...

of the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

. He played in 33 games for Los Angeles, hitting .182 with three home runs and 4 RBI. He spent most of the season with the Triple-A

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their ho ...

, where he hit .293 with 13 home runs and 56 RBI in 78 games. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Dodgers on December 1, 2021.

Oakland Athletics (second stint)

Neuse was claimed off waivers by the

on March 16, 2022. On April 11, Neuse hit his first career grand slam off of

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

outfielder Brett Phillips as part of a 3-for-5 day. On September 24, Neuse was designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A

on September 25. Neuse elected free agency following the season on November 10.

Hanshin Tigers

On November 19, 2022, Neuse signed with the

. In Game 7 of the

2023 Japan Series The 2023 was the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) season. The 74th edition of the Japan Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the winners of the Central League (CL) and Pacific League's (PL) postseason tour ...

Neuse hit a three–run home run to help the Tigers win their first Japan Series title since 1985. On November 15, 2023, Neuse re–signed with the Tigers on a one–year, $1.3 million contract for the 2024 season. In 49 games for Hanshin in 2024, he slashed .231/.302/.291 with one home run, eight RBI, and one stolen base. On October 24, 2024, the Tigers announced they would not retain Neuse, making him a free agent.

Personal life

Neuse's brother, Dylan, was teammates with Sheldon at Fossil Ridge. He was drafted by the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

in the 17th round of the

2021 MLB draft The 2021 Major League Baseball draft took place on July 11–13, 2021. In conjunction with the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the draft was held in Denver. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was s ...

and is currently a free agent. Neuse and his wife Kadence welcomed their first child, a son, in October 2018.

References

External links

Oklahoma Sooners bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Neuse, Sheldon 1994 births Living people Baseball players from Fort Worth, Texas Major League Baseball infielders Oakland Athletics players Los Angeles Dodgers players Oklahoma Sooners baseball players Harwich Mariners players Auburn Doubledays players Hagerstown Suns players Stockton Ports players Midland RockHounds players Mesa Solar Sox players Nashville Sounds players Las Vegas Aviators players Oklahoma City Dodgers players