Andrew Sears, the Detroit Tigers’ 11th-ranked prospect from preseason, is reportedly on his way to the big leagues. This isn’t just some regular call-up either; Chris McCosky of the Detroit News confirmed the 23-year-old lefty is already with the team in Kansas City and will be hitting the mound as a bulk reliever in Sunday’s bullpen game. Talk about jumping straight into the fire!
This promotion has been making the rounds, first reported by the X account Dr. Degenerate and later confirmed by Emily Waldon and the MiLB Central official account. Sears, who turns 24 on August 30, was a 10th-round pick back in the 2023 draft out of Connecticut. Getting to the big show makes him the first pitching prospect drafted by Scott Harris to reach Detroit, following in the footsteps of later round success stories like Brett Callahan. The dude even signed for just over the base bonus, a cool $167,500. You love to see a grinder make it.
Sears’ journey through the minors has been a classic grind. He kicked off his full season pro debut in 2024 at Low-A Lakeland, flashing a good strikeout rate and rarely getting lit up, even if his control was a bit wild. By 2025, those control issues were squared away, and he kept racking up those sweet strikeout numbers and keeping the ball in the park for High-A West Michigan. We all know how some lefties can dominate A-ball only to stumble against tougher hitters, but Sears didn’t blink when he moved up. He finished 2025 with a strong six-start run at Double-A Erie. The big hope for this year was to see him refine his changeup and command, get to Triple-A, and become available in the second half for the big league club. Guess what? It all happened.
But man, it was a wild ride for him this season. Sears started 2026 with a bone spur fracture in his throwing elbow, sidelining him for a few months. He fought his way back, returning to Erie in mid-June. Since then, he’s been on fire. In nine starts for the SeaWolves, he put up a killer 2.57 ERA and a 3.44 FIP, with a 24.3 percent strikeout rate and a 7.6 percent walk rate. Then, in just two starts for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, he turned into a pure strikeout machine, punching out 41.2 percent of hitters! His walk rate ticked up a bit to 11.8 percent in Toledo, but he also didn’t give up a single home run. We’ve been eyeing Sears for a couple of seasons now as the Tigers’ next lefty swingman, perfect as a long reliever, spot starter, or even just a bullpen arm.
As Sears preps for his big league debut on Sunday, it’s a huge moment for him and the Tigers. It’s awesome to see prospects overcome obstacles and reach their dreams, especially when they’re stepping into a high-leverage role right away. Speaking of big moments, our own Mariners just pulled off a wild one against the Cubs, winning 6-5. Every game matters, and seeing new talent step up is what makes this game so damn good!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
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