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Drew Anderson (32, Detroit Tigers), who played for SSG Landers until the 2025 season, successfully completed his first MLB start in five years.
On the 21st (Korean time), Anderson started against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, USA, in the '2026 Major League Baseball (MLB)' game, pitching 4⅔ innings, allowing 2 hits, issuing 2 walks, and recording 7 strikeouts without allowing a run. Throwing 63 pitches, Anderson dominated the Cleveland lineup with a fastball clocked at a maximum of 95.8 mph (approximately 154.2 km/h).
In fact, this start held special significance for Anderson. It was his first MLB start since August 8, 2021, during his time with the Texas Rangers, a span of 4 years and 9 months, or nearly 5 years. After spending the entire season in the bullpen, he seized his first starting opportunity in 16 games and fully demonstrated his value.
Detroit is currently suffering from a string of injuries to its starting rotation, including ace Tarik Skubal. Among them, Anderson, who delivered a scoreless long relief performance over 4 innings in the previous game against the Toronto Blue Jays, took on the heavy responsibility of an emergency starter. With a thick mustache, a sight not seen in the KBO League recently, Anderson took the mound and began with aggressive pitching from the early innings.
Although he allowed baserunners in the first and second innings, he demonstrated excellent control, completely blocking any runners from reaching scoring position. He efficiently retired the side in order in the third and fourth innings, erasing those frames cleanly.
However, failing to complete the fifth inning remained Anderson's only regret. After walking leadoff batter David Fry in the top of the fifth, Anderson, who appeared somewhat shaken, retired the next two batters with a flyout and a strikeout to record two outs. However, he allowed another walk to Brayan Rocchio, putting him in a two-out, runners on first and second situation.
As the 0-0 tie continued, the Detroit bench made a quick decision. Anderson, who had reached his pitch limit, was removed, and fellow right-hander Kyle Plesac was brought onto the mound. Plesac retired the next batter, Angel Martinez, with a groundout to the shortstop, extinguishing the threat, and Anderson's earned run total remained at '0'. Unfortunately, he did not receive a win or loss decision.
Anderson's ERA for the season dropped sharply from 4.67 to 3.98 following his strong performance today. This marks a 9-inning scoreless streak since his start against the New York Mets on the 14th, and a terrifying upward trend of shutting out opponents in 5 of his 6 appearances since May. He has completely erased the struggles he showed in the bullpen through April, where he posted a 4.91 ERA.
Anderson, who played for SSG in the KBO League during the 2025 season, attracted the attention of MLB teams with overwhelming statistics: 12 wins, 7 losses, a 2.25 ERA, and 245 strikeouts. As a result, he successfully returned to the U.S. stage by signing a one-year contract worth $7 million with Detroit (including a $10 million club option for 2027).
He was initially expected to comfortably secure a spot in the starting rotation, but the team's surprise acquisition of free agent left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez pushed him to the bullpen, a painful setback. However, he waited patiently for his opportunity and appears to have made the most of the single starting chance that finally came his way.
With Anderson having perfectly passed Detroit's starting trial, fan expectations are rising as to whether he can complete another 'KBO reverse export miracle' following Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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