Drew Sommers Scouting Report

The Detroit Tigers are appearing to introduce Pitching Chaos 2.0 as they continue the bullpen shuffle. The next potential card on the deck is lefty Drew Sommers, who the Tigers acquired from Tampa in exchange for Mason Englert.

With that in mind, we wanted to have a mini scouting report on Sommers and what to expect.

Background

Drew Sommers was drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Central Arizona. He started the season in Erie, posting a K per 9 of 8.1 but since moved up to Toledo, he has increased that to 11.3

Pitch Mix & Usage

• Sinker (94.3 mph avg, max 96.4) – 39% usage

• Slider (82.1 mph avg) – 33% usage

• Four-seam Fastball (94.0 mph avg, max 95.6) – 17% usage

• Changeup (88.5 mph avg) – 11% usage

Heavy sinker-slider reliever, with occasional four-seamers and changeups to keep hitters honest. Velocity is consistently mid-90s, strong for a lefty reliever.

Results (May 28 – Aug 20, 2025, per Statcast data)

• Strikeouts: 41

• Walks: 14

• Hits Allowed: 23 (17 singles, 6 doubles; no HRs)

• Groundball Tendencies: Strong, sinker-heavy profile aligns with GB rate in game logs.

• Contact Profile: Mostly weak outs and groundballs; very few extra-base hits allowed.

• Games: 27

• Innings: 32.2

• ERA: 3.31

• Strikeout Rate (K/9): 11.0

• Walk Rate (BB/9): 3.9

• WHIP: 1.13

• OPS Against: .552

• Home Runs Allowed: 0

Strengths

• Misses Bats: 40 strikeouts in 32 innings, with a whiff-heavy slider.

• Keeps Ball in Park: No HRs allowed in 27 outings.

• Groundball Arm: Sinker generates weak contact, keeps damage low.

• Platoon Value: Lefty with a mid-90s sinker is rare, and his slider gives him a weapon vs. right-handers.

Areas to Improve

• Control: 14 walks + 5 HBPs show command inconsistencies.

• Efficiency: Nearly 4 pitches per PA, inflating pitch counts.

• Slider Consistency: Shape/command needs to stay sharp against upper-level bats.

Projection

Sommers profiles as a middle-to-late inning relief option, capable of handling lefty-heavy pockets and inducing groundballs in high-leverage spots. Unlike Brent Hurter, who was a starter in the minor leagues, Sommers has been a reliever since day one, which helps in the type of situations that a manager could bring him in. He rountinely gets 7 feet of extension, which have him in the 95th percentile which would help play up his pitch mix better.