Former Catamount left-hander Bryan Sammons received the call on Monday as the Detroit Tigers promoted the minor-league veteran to the Big League Club, according to the club’s social media and through MLB transactions. Detroit selected Sammons’ contract from the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.
Once Sammons officially climbs atop the hill in the Motor City, he will become just the second Catamount to wear a Tigers’ uniform in the Majors all-time, joining Jason Beverlin who pitched for the club in 2002 after making his MLB debut with Cleveland that same season. Sammons is the only former Catamount active in the Major Leagues (see professional list below).
Sammons was an eighth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft and has spent the last seven years in the minor leagues. He quickly moved through the rookie league in 2017, finishing the season in full-season low-A with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He played for three teams during the 2018 season, climbing to Advanced-A before finishing the season in Double-A with the Wichita Wind Surge.
Sammons worked his way up to Triple-A with the St. Paul Saints in 2021 before being released by the Twins in September 2022. The Houston Astros signed him to a minor league contract in January 2023 only to be released in March. Sammons spent the better part of a month on the roster with the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball before being assigned to Detroit on June 4, 2023. He then hovered between the Double-A Erie SeaWolves and Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens before today’s promotion.
Originally from Wilmington, N.C., the “Port City Southpaw” pitched in over 160 career games in the minors with 109 total starts, 36 career victories, and a 4.43 ERA over 605.2 innings pitched. He also has posted five holds and a pair of saves, striking out 630 batters against 257 walks. This season in Toledo, he is 6-5 with 17 starts, limiting opponents to a .227 batting average with 78 strikeouts.
Playing at Western Carolina from 2014-2017, Sammons (2014-17) was a two-time Southern Conference champion, winning the regular season in 2014 and capturing the tournament title in 2016. He was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team in 2014 and collected second-team All-SoCon plaudits as a senior in 2017. Sammons twice garnered SoCon Pitcher of the Week plaudits and was named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball following a career-best 14-strikeout performance against The Citadel.
Among some of his notable accomplishments, while wearing the Purple & Gold, Sammons struck out eight in scoring the road victory at Nebraska and tossed 7.1 innings in the upset win at ninth-ranked – and defending NCAA champion – Coastal Carolina. Additionally, Sammons came out of the bullpen several times, tossed two-thirds of a frame to seal the upset victory at No. 2 Mississippi State in 2014, and recorded four outs in 2017 as WCU upset No. 20 NC State in Raleigh.
Sammons currently ranks second in WCU’s record books with 57 career starts and 325 career strikeouts. He is tied for fourth with 27 career victories and is fifth with 339.2 career innings pitched.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
Other Catamounts Currently in Professional Baseball:
2021: Justice Bigbie, OF – Toledo Mud Hens – Detroit Tigers, Triple-A Affiliate
2021: Jack Snyder, RHP – Tampa Bay Rays, Rookie Affiliate (Rehab Assignment)
2022: Zebby Matthews, RHP – St. Paul Saints – Minnesota Twins, Triple-A Affiliate
2022: Will Prater, INF – Schaumburg Boomers – Frontier League (Independent)
2022: Bryson Parks, OF – New Jersey Jackals – Frontier League (Independent)
2023: Pascanel Ferreras, INF – Corpus Christi Hooks – Houston Astros, Double-A Affiliate
2023: Zach Franklin, RHP* - Winston-Salem Dash – Chicago White Sox, High-A Affiliate
2024: Jonathan Todd, RHP – Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays
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