Last updated: October 6, 2026
Who Is Drew Thorpe?
Drew Thorpe, born Andrew Robert Thorpe on October 1, 2000, in St. George, Utah, is a right-handed starting pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization. He bats left, throws right, and stands 6’4″ and about 212 pounds. As of October 2026 he is 26 years old, and his career already includes a college award, a second-round draft selection, a minor league prospect honor, two major trades, and a major league debut.
What makes Drew Thorpe interesting is not a triple-digit fastball but the way he pitches. Scouts have long praised his command, composure, and feel for mixing speeds. His rise from a small Utah city to the big leagues is a story of steady improvement rather than overnight hype, and his recent comeback from elbow surgery adds a new chapter that fans and fantasy players are still watching closely.
Early Life and Cal Poly Years
Thorpe grew up in St. George and attended Desert Hills High School, graduating in 2019. Baseball players from the area rarely reach the majors; by one count he is only the second St. George native to do so, following former Red Sox ace Bruce Hurst. Teammates and fans know him by the nickname “The Thorpedo,” a tag that stuck as his reputation grew across college and professional ball.
At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, his career unfolded in clear stages. His freshman season was cut short by the pandemic after only four starts, and he followed it with a solid sophomore year that included more than 100 strikeouts in about 90 innings. After a summer in the Cape Cod League, he exploded as a junior, going 10-1 with a 2.32 ERA and 149 strikeouts, winning Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year and earning first-team All-America recognition.
Draft Day and the 2023 Breakout
The New York Yankees selected Thorpe in the second round, 61st overall, of the 2022 MLB Draft. The pick made sense for a team that valued polish. He was not a flamethrower, but he threw strikes, repeated his delivery, and attacked hitters with confidence. One draft headline called him a “control-freak” college arm, which captured exactly what the Yankees believed they were getting: a pitcher who could move quickly through the system.
His first full professional season in 2023 proved them right. Thorpe began at High-A Hudson Valley, skipping a level, and was later promoted to Double-A Somerset. Across both stops he went 14-2 with a 2.52 ERA and struck out 182 batters in roughly 139 innings, the most in all of the minor leagues. That performance earned him MLB Pipeline’s Pitching Prospect of the Year award and turned him into one of the most talked-about arms in baseball.
Two Blockbuster Trades and an MLB Debut
Thorpe’s value soon showed up in the trade market. On December 6, 2023, the Yankees sent him to the San Diego Padres as part of the package for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. Barely three months later, on March 13, 2024, the Padres moved him to the Chicago White Sox in the deal that brought ace Dylan Cease to San Diego. Being traded twice before pitching in the majors is rare, and it shows how highly teams rated him.
With the White Sox, he started 2024 at Double-A Birmingham and posted a 7-1 record with a 1.35 ERA, which earned a call-up straight to the majors. He made his debut on June 11, 2024, at Seattle, pitching five innings and allowing one earned run on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The White Sox lost 4-3, but his poise on a big-league mound impressed his manager and the club.
Tommy John Surgery and Latest News
The biggest development in recent Drew Thorpe news is his recovery from Tommy John surgery, performed in April 2025. After the operation, he worked through the long rehabilitation process and began a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League White Sox in July before moving to Single-A Winston-Salem. That step is a standard part of the process, letting a pitcher rebuild arm strength and rediscover his command in game conditions.
Tommy John recoveries usually take 12 to 18 months, and pitchers often need time after returning to regain their best velocity and feel. Because roster moves can happen quickly, check the White Sox and MLB.com for his current status before relying on any single report. If he returns healthy, his progress through the minors should offer the clearest signal of what to expect in the majors.
Pitching Style and Scouting Report
Drew Thorpe is a command-first pitcher. He throws plenty of strikes, changes speeds well, and relies on deception rather than raw velocity. His changeup has long been regarded as one of his best pitches, and he also mixes in a slider that works to both corners of the plate. That combination lets him keep hitters off balance and gives him room to succeed even when his fastball is not elite.
The central questions about his future are durability and how fully his stuff returns after surgery. If his fastball life and command come back intact, he profiles as a dependable mid-rotation starter who can eat innings and limit walks. If his velocity dips, his control and pitch mix may still keep him effective, but he would have less room for error against major league lineups.
Stats, Contract, and Net Worth
In the minor leagues, his numbers are excellent. Through his first two professional seasons he went 21-3 with a 2.17 ERA and 238 strikeouts in about 199 innings. Those results explain his rapid rise and the trade interest that followed. His major league sample is smaller and was interrupted by injury, so it should be read cautiously. For current season-by-season totals, check Baseball-Reference or FanGraphs.
Reliable public figures on his contract and net worth are limited, so writers should avoid guessing. Use Spotrac or the official MLB transaction pages for verified contract details, and treat any net worth number from lesser-known sites as an unconfirmed estimate. Being honest about what is and is not known keeps the article trustworthy and easier to keep accurate as new information emerges.
What Comes Next for Drew Thorpe
Looking ahead to 2027, health comes first and role second. If Drew Thorpe returns at full strength, he could compete for a rotation spot on a White Sox team that has room for young arms. His minor league record suggests the talent is there, and his composure has been praised since his debut. Spring training reports on velocity, workload limits, and mechanics will be the earliest clues.
For fantasy baseball players, he is a watch-list name rather than a must-draft pick until his innings plan and post-surgery results are clear. Pitchers returning from Tommy John often start with workload limits, which can cap their fantasy value early. Monitor his command numbers first, since strikeout-to-walk ratio is usually the best early sign that a returning pitcher is back on track.
Conclusion
Drew Thorpe has packed a lot into a short career: a standout at Cal Poly, a second-round pick, a minor league prospect of the year, a player in two major trades, an MLB debut, and a long road back from elbow surgery. He is not a pitcher who relies on overpowering stuff, which makes his story one of skill, preparation, and patience.
The next chapter depends on how well he returns from injury. If his command and changeup are intact, the White Sox may have a steady starter for years to come. Bookmark this page and check back, because his stats, status, and news will be updated as the season and offseason unfold.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Drew Thorpe is an American right-handed pitcher in the Chicago White Sox system, born October 1, 2000, which makes him 26. He attended Cal Poly, where he was the 2022 Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year, and the New York Yankees drafted him in the second round, 61st overall, that same year. He debuted in the majors on June 11, 2024, against the Seattle Mariners.
He was traded to the Padres in December 2023 and to the White Sox in March 2024. He had Tommy John surgery in April 2025 and later began a minor league rehab assignment. No reliable public figure exists for his net worth, so any number you see online should be treated as an unconfirmed estimate. For his latest stats and roster status, check MLB.com or Baseball-Reference.
