From Triple-A castoff to making a huge playoff start? Here's how he did it

Note: A version of this story was originally published on Sept. 14.

On Sept. 14, 2022, Tobias Myers had a rough day on the mound.

Drawing the start for Triple-A Charlotte, the right-hander surrendered two homers and was tagged for six runs in his lone inning of work. In his final outing of the season, Myers was saddled with the loss, dropping his win-loss record to 1-15 and his ERA to 7.82.

Five days later, the White Sox released him.

That outing's two-year anniversary arrived a few weeks ago. But where is Myers now? After thriving in his rookie season as a front-line starter for a first-place club, he is lined up to start a winner-take-all Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series on Thursday night, of course. (Even if the Brewers choose to go with an opener, Myers still figures to play a prominent role in the team's pitching plan against the Mets.)

Myers’ meteoric rise from a struggling prospect to a successful rookie standout is a testament to both him and the Brewers, the club that added Myers late in 2022 and is now reaping the rewards. But perhaps it’s no surprise that Milwaukee -- the team that turned Corbin Burnes into a Cy Young Award winner, made Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta into top-of-the-rotation starters and helped Josh Hader and Devin Williams develop into elite relievers -- has struck again, on its way to an NL Central title.

“No one predicted us here,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said recently. “It’s because of those types of stories, and the Brewers have been great at having those things happen. To find him, it’s just special.”

The 26-year-old Myers, who posted a 3.00 ERA over 27 regular season games (25 starts), might just be the Brewers’ most impressive pitching success story yet. Here’s how he resurrected his career with Milwaukee and how he can make a major postseason impact for the Crew.

‘A team that gives guys chances’

Myers isn’t surprised by the success he’s found in the Majors. His timeline was just off.

“In my head, I thought I was going to debut in ’22 and I thought all of this was going to happen two years ago,” Myers told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy in August. “I thought I was good enough to do this. So it’s surprising how well I’m doing, but I knew I could do it. I just had to get the chance.”

Given his early success in the Minor Leagues, a breakout certainly seemed possible.

A sixth-round Draft pick by the Orioles out of his Florida high school in 2016, Myers was dealt to the pitching-wise Rays the following year and promptly climbed the prospect ranks. His best year was 2019, when he had a 2.13 ERA across 84 2/3 innings in Rookie and Single-A ball. In 2021, he had a 3.90 ERA and an above-average strikeout rate in Double-A and Triple-A.

Myers didn’t seem far from the Majors, but on Nov. 19, 2021, he was traded to Cleveland for an 18-year-old infielder named Junior Caminero. Caminero -- who was MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect before he graduated from the list this week -- took off with the Rays, but Myers struggled.

He had a 6.00 ERA in 14 starts with Triple-A Columbus when he was designated for assignment by the Guardians on July 2, 2022. Myers was traded to the Giants for cash on July 7, DFA’d by San Francisco on July 31 and claimed off waivers by the White Sox three days later. Less than two months after that, he was a Minor League free agent.

Myers admitted 2022 was tough, but considering his lack of consistency on the mound, he could understand why clubs chose to move on from him. The Brewers, though, were willing to take a shot, signing Myers that November to a two-year deal with a Spring Training invitation.

To Myers, the invite to big league camp was a key factor -- but so was Milwaukee’s pitching track record.

“Looking from afar, I knew this was a team that gives guys chances,” Myers said. “They do a really good job with ‘no-name’ guys, just getting them to the big league level and getting some success under their belt.”

It took some time, but Myers made a name for himself with the Brewers. In early June, he was called up from Triple-A for the fourth time in 2024 and proceeded to baffle the Tigers over eight scoreless, one-hit innings. He has held down a Major League rotation spot ever since.

“He’s been great,” Murphy said. “He’s shown his competitive fire. He’s been through so much that he knows, ‘OK, I’ve earned this.’ He’s listened to his teammates, he’s listened to his coaches, and he’s worked his tail off.”

A rookie on the rise

What does this rookie righty throw that hitters can’t square up?

It starts with his four-seam fastball, which checks in at an unimpressive 92.9 mph on average but moves like few other heaters in the sport. Myers’ four-seamer appears to rise on its way to the plate, ranking eighth among qualifying pitchers in terms of vertical movement above average. (The ball is not actually rising, which would defy physics, but it drops significantly less than hitters expect.) Compared to four-seamers thrown at similar velocities and release points, Myers’ fastball averages three extra inches of “rise” -- enough to make a difference between a second-deck homer and a swing and a miss.

Myers said his time with Tampa Bay made him aware his four-seamer was of a different breed, but the Brewers have gotten the most out of the pitch.

“I never really knew too much about it and how to create it or make it better or make it good for my arsenal,” Myers said. “Milwaukee’s definitely opened my eyes with how to use it, how to use my other pitches off of it, where to throw the heater, and it’s been good.”

The rookie said he’s not exactly sure what generates his rare movement, but he said the position of his wrist during his delivery seems to create natural backspin. Indeed, Myers’ four-seamer led the Majors in active spin (99.6%). It’s not just that pitch: Although Myers’ cutter was hit hard this year, its active spin rate was second among cutters and it ranked fifth in vertical movement above average.

But neither of those fastballs has been Myers’ most effective offering in 2024.

The 6-foot-1 righty has four other offerings, including a changeup -- thrown 11.4% of the time, mostly to lefties -- that has yielded only four singles in 48 at-bats (.083 BA, .083 SLG) and has a strong 44.7% whiff rate. Myers also has a slider that he throws 21% of the time, primarily to right-handed batters. Breaking down and away from righties, the pitch has produced a .198 batting average and a .255 slugging percentage this year.

Myers came to Milwaukee with his unique fastball and swing-and-miss changeup, but credit goes to the Brewers’ development staff for that slider. They worked with Myers to craft the breaking ball beginning last season in Double-A, and the pitcher has gotten a lot more comfortable with the offering ever since.

“I’m excited about it and will definitely keep using it for sure,” Myers said.

Throw Myers’ deceptive delivery into the mix, too. Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins noted Myers holds his glove high and hides the baseball well -- just another way to keep batters off balance.

“Pitchers are always trying to figure out ways to deceive hitters, and he’s obviously doing a really good job,” Hoskins said.

A key figure down the stretch

Just how good has Myers been since becoming a fixture in the Brewers’ rotation?

His 2.43 ERA after the start of June ranked fifth among qualified pitchers, just ahead of both Cy Young Award frontrunners (the Braves’ Chris Sale and the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal). In his 19 starts after that point, Myers gave up more than three earned runs just twice. By any measure, he was one of the Majors’ best starters -- a crucial development for a Brewers team that dealt Burnes to Baltimore this offseason and has been without Woodruff (shoulder surgery) all year.

Myers has also been a key stopper for Milwaukee in 2024. As Hoskins pointed out, the rookie has strong numbers when the Brewers are coming off a loss: a 7-2 record and a 1.84 ERA. And that will be his role again in Thursday's Game 3.

“You go as a starter goes, I think, as a team,” Hoskins said. “That’s kind of what you’re looking for when you want to get back on track as a team."

Will Myers’ success last? It’s hard to say. His expected ERA of 4.11, based on quality of contact metrics as well as strikeouts and walks, is considerably higher than his 3.00 ERA on the season. He’s also thrown a career-high 156 2/3 innings between the Majors and Minors, despite being limited to four innings in each of his final three appearances.

But the rookie right-hander keeps proving his worth, putting his 5.40 ERA through his first seven outings in the rearview. On Sept. 7, he struck out a career-high 11 in six innings of one-run ball against the Rockies, and in his final outing of the regular season, he pitched brilliantly behind an opener against the same Mets team he will face on Thursday (four scoreless innings, one hit, no walks, five strikeouts).

Regardless of whether Myers’ success continues in his postseason debut, one thing’s for sure: It’s been quite the ride. Myers said he hasn’t spent much time thinking about how far he’s come in the past two years -- yet.

After all, there’s still a lot more to be done before one of MLB’s most surprising rookie seasons ends.

“It’s probably going to take me going home and sitting back and looking back at the whole year,” Myers said. “It’ll probably hit me all at once, but now I’m just doing everything I can to help this baseball team.”