Detroit is dipping into the farm system again down the stretch, and this time it's a name most fans have never heard of. Andrew Sears, a lefty who was throwing at Double-A a few weeks ago, is getting the call to make his MLB debut against Kansas City on Sunday.
Sears isn't some big-money prospect the Tigers have been hyping for years. Detroit took him in the 10th round of the 2023 draft out of UConn, signing him for a modest $167,500 bonus. He's built his profile the slow way, climbing prospect boards thanks to a low-slot, cross-fire delivery from the extreme third-base side of the rubber — the kind of funky look that makes hitters uncomfortable even when the raw stuff isn't overpowering.
The results have backed it up recently. Sears posted a 2.57 ERA across nine outings at Double-A before jumping to Triple-A Toledo, where he's thrown 9 2/3 scoreless innings in just two starts. That's a lightning-fast track from Double-A to the big leagues, and manager A.J. Hinch acknowledged as much, calling it "a pretty big leap given he only had a couple of games in Triple-A."
Sunday's assignment isn't a traditional start, either. Sears is expected to work as a bulk reliever in what's shaping up as a bullpen game for Detroit, sitting around 94 mph with a sinker-heavy mix that leans on ground balls to survive when his command isn't perfect. It's a low-pressure landing spot for a debut — no natural workload cap from being a true starter, and the Tigers reportedly don't figure to need him again immediately given an upcoming off day.
None of this makes Sears a savior for Detroit's pitching staff, but it's exactly the kind of depth move contenders make in August — find an arm that's missing bats in the minors and see what he can do against big-league hitters when it counts. For a Tigers team trying to hold its ground down the stretch, that's a fresh look worth watching, even from a guy nobody outside the org was talking about a month ago.