Recently Signed Former Tigers Pitcher Makes Strong Debut With New Team in Triple-A

The Detroit Tigers have had plenty of different roster moves over the course of the 2025 season, some relating to injuries, and others relating solely to the purpose of changing up the squad. The pitching staff has seen some of the more intriguing moves so far, between cuts and trades, they have found many options at the position.

One of the more notable cuts in the last few months was when the team moved on from pitcher Kenta Maeda, giving him a chance to pursue a new team after struggling at the MLB level for them. After many years of sustained success for Maeda, 2025 was less than optimal, as in seven appearances he produced a 7.88 ERA, 1.875 WHIP, eight strikeouts, six walks and one home run allowed.

Ultimately, the Tigers would rather give someone else a chance at that role rather than trying to settle Maeda in, and therefore, they let him walk. He chose to sign with the Chicago Cubs, and then the New York Yankees on a minor league deal shortly after, in an attempt to try and build himself back up to a Major League opportunity with a strong club.

In his first appearance for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, Maeda made his name known once again.

What Did Maeda's First Triple-A Start for New York Look Like?

In his first start as a part of the Yankees farm system, Maeda looked like his old self, as he pitched six full innings, allowing only five hits and one unearned run, along with seven strikeouts and no walks.

This is a pretty exceptional performance for the veteran starter as he looks to push himself back to the MLB level, but for now he will need to prove himself and put together quite a few of these performances before getting called back up.

His previous struggles at the Triple-A level in 2025 make having one good start a huge deal, as he previously held a 5.97 ERA and 1.380 WHIP with Triple-A Iowa this year. It is good to see him performing well in any capacity for sure, and while it would have been much preferred that this was the outcome with Detroit, seeing him do well is a positive regardless.

It will be intriguing to see how he does over the coming weeks and whether or not he is able to make his way up to the MLB rotation, or if he will continue to be utilized in a relief role as he was previously this year.