Former Red Sox Pitcher In Midst Of Unlikely Comeback Season

One of the best parts about being a baseball fan is reminiscing about former players. Stories about Carlton Fisk, Pedro Martinez, or David Ortiz are told over and over again, until they sound more like legends than real events.

There are also the players who appeared for a cameo and moved on to other things. Some moved to other organizations, others exited baseball entirely. Their contributions are often forgotten, but are occasionally brought up by fans.

One such player is Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz was acquired by the Boston Red Sox in 2016 and pitched well for a few seasons before moving on. After departing the Red Sox in 2018, he threw 148 1/3 innings from 2019-2021 with the San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres.

The lefty didn’t pitch in the major leagues for three seasons, and many fans assumed he had no place in baseball.

In 2025, he reemerged and is having a career year with the Chicago Cubs out of the bullpen.

Over 25 appearances, Pomeranz is yet to surrender an earned run. In fact, just 19 batters have reached base against him. Only one has extra bases, the rest came via single or walk. He’s worked as an opener, in high-leverage spots, and even secured a save.

His stuff isn’t overpowering. He’s using a fastball with pedestrian velocity (93 mph) and the big, loopy curveball he showed years ago. Still, he’s throwing a ton of strikes and living on the edges of the strike zone, which is sometimes all you need.

Whether or not the performance maintains for Pomeranz is irrelevant. A 36-year-old returning to the major leagues after several years away is a success story in and of itself.