Dexter Swims

ST. LOUIS TIGERS: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

"I'm at a game nearly every day"

Dexter Swims spends his summer days at ballparks across Texas and the Midwest, searching for the next top draft pick for the Milwaukee Brewers. However, back in the summer of 2016, Dexter was wearing the orange and black, working tirelessly to make his way into college baseball. A proud graduate of McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri, Dexter finished his high school journey in 2018. His high school coach, Mike Callahan, recalls him fondly:

“Dexter is one of the best players I’ve ever coached. A great leader both on and off the field, he played with a lot of passion and made everyone around him better.”

After high school, Dexter joined the Missouri Southern State University Lions, a Division II program in Joplin, Missouri. Like many freshmen, he didn’t make the starting lineup in his first game. But that quickly changed when a teammate informed him that his name was in the lineup for Game 2.

“I didn’t even expect to be in the lineup,” Dexter recalls. “I saw the lineup after my buddy told me I was playing. It all happened so fast—I ended up hitting a home run that game, and the season really took off from there.”

That home run was just the beginning. Dexter continued to hit consistently throughout the 2019 season, ultimately earning MIAA Freshman of the Year honors. As a freshman, he posted a .325 batting average with 21 extra-base hits and 36 RBIs.

Dexter became a mainstay in the Lions’ lineup for the next two seasons before joining the MLB Draft League, playing for the Trenton Thunder.

“The Draft League was an amazing experience,” he says. “I got to put myself on a national stage, competing against the best players my age in college. I learned a lot, and it encouraged me to try my hand at the Division I level.” That fall, Dexter donned the black and gold of the University of Missouri Tigers.

“Mizzou was awesome. Some things didn’t work out on the field, but I learned a lot and proved to myself that I could play at the Division I level.”

For his final season of eligibility, Dexter joined Coach Kerrick Jackson at the University of Memphis, rounding out his college career. But after Memphis, Dexter wasn’t ready to walk away from baseball. He reached out to longtime St. Louis area Oakland A’s scout Mark Adair to explore a career in scouting.

“I called Mark and asked him about getting into the scouting world. He took me under his wing and connected me with the right people. I’m forever grateful to Mark for helping me get my foot in the door,” Dexter says.

Mark Adair, a seasoned scout with over 25 years of experience, knew Dexter’s background would serve him well.

“Dexter faced adversity during his playing career after early success, and I knew it would help him as a scout. When you face adversity on the field, you learn a lot about yourself. Dexter never quit or got bitter, which I greatly respected.”

With Mark’s help, Dexter joined the Major League Baseball scouting school led by Tyrone Brooks. There, he completed an intensive one-week course that included classroom instruction from veteran scouts and hands-on experience at Arizona Fall League games, where he evaluated some of the top prospects.

“We scouted Arizona Fall League games, and our player write-ups were evaluated by longtime scouts with extensive experience. For a new scout, it doesn’t get much better than that from a learning perspective.”

After completing the scouting program, Dexter volunteered on Mizzou’s baseball staff under Coach Kerrick Jackson, gaining insights into the analytical side of the game.

Now residing in Dallas, Texas, Dexter is a scout for the Milwaukee Brewers, immersing himself in all aspects of scouting.

“I’m at a baseball field almost every day in some way. There’s a lot of ground to cover—video to capture, reports to write. I love it and am learning quickly.”

The Tigers community wishes Dexter Swims all the best as he forges his path in professional scouting. We’re proud to call him a Tiger and are grateful to him for sharing his journey with us.



#Train #Educate #GrowTheGame

By: Carter Mize, Rawlings Tigers National Director - Player Development
[email protected]
@mize_carter on X