Drew Pomeranz is making the most of another chance in Major League Baseball.
Four Ole Miss alumni have made their MLB debuts in recent weeks with Doug Nikhazy (Guardians), Gunnar Hoglund (A’s), Tim Elko (White Sox) and Ryan Rolison (Rockies) all getting promotions to baseball’s highest level. Meanwhile, Pomeranz, who was the fifth overall pick in 2010, has found a resurgence so far with the Chicago Cubs.
“He’s been lights out,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said about Pomeranz. “He’s the old guy, right, the forgotten guy, a lot of different slates out there and a lot of slates over time. He’s the old soul and been terrific. Having two (Pomeranz and Elko) in Chicago is pretty cool.”
The left-hander, who finished one vote behind Bryce Harper for the Golden Spikes Award during his final year as a Rebel, picked up his first save of the season on Monday and hasn’t allowed a run in 7.2 innings over eight appearances. He’s struck out eight and walked two batters.
Pomeranz was last in the Major Leagues with the Padres in 2021 before a flexor tendon injury and a subsequent elbow ailment took away the following two seasons. He signed with the Dodgers and the Giants in 2024 but never played for the parent clubs.
The 36-year-old signed with the Mariners this past offseason and made nine appearances in Triple A. His contracted called for Seattle promote him or make him available to other teams by the end of April. The Cubs liked his advanced metrics from Triple A and made a trade.
“I’m just happy to be here right now,” Pomeranz said to MLB.com. “I was thinking I was done playing baseball last summer. I had a good Spring Training, and I pitched pretty well so far to this point. Good enough to get me here. Again, I’m just happy to be here. Literally, it feels like the first time all over again.”
This is Pomeranz’s seventh different team over his career. He has a career 3.88 ERA and 1.34 ERA in 297 regular season games. He started 140 games before moving to primarily bullpen roles. In Chicago, he’s reunited with manager Craig Counsell. The two were together in Milwaukee in 2019 when he had a 2.39 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 26.1 innings late in the season.
Pomeranz was an All-Star in 2016 and won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.
The Collierville, Tennessee, product had a 2.24 ERA and 139 strikeouts as a junior at Ole Miss. During his sophomore year, he pitched eight innings against Monmouth in the NCAA Tournament opener and three days later threw a complete game with 16 strikeouts in the regional final versus Western Kentucky.
