The Milwaukee Brewers have a knack for finding hidden gems in trades, and left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan is shaping up to be their latest discovery. When the Brewers sent infielders Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio to the Boston Red Sox before the 2025 season, most of the attention went to Kyle Harrison, a former top-100 prospect who has already delivered solid returns. Next in line was David Hamilton, expected to fill Monasterio's role as the primary backup infielder—and he has done just that.

But it was easy to overlook the third piece of that trade: a 27-year-old pitcher who had never thrown a pitch in the major leagues. That pitcher is Shane Drohan, and his 2025 season has been nothing short of remarkable.

Drohan, a fifth-round pick by the Red Sox out of Florida State in 2020, spent the next three years grinding through the minor leagues. In 2024, the Chicago White Sox selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, but a nerve issue sidelined him for the first half of the season. Even as the White Sox stumbled to a 121-loss season, they couldn't find room on their major league roster for Drohan and returned him to Boston. He pitched just 16 1/3 professional innings that year, and his career ERA sat around 4.50 heading into 2025.

But credit Boston's pitching development system—and Drohan's own determination—for the turnaround. Despite missing time with forearm inflammation, Drohan figured something out. His four-seam fastball, which averaged a modest 93.3 mph, posted one of the best whiff rates in Triple-A, according to MLB Pipeline. He also sharpened his slider, giving hitters a whole new problem. Over 12 games (11 starts) and 47 2/3 innings, Drohan posted a 2.27 ERA, struck out 67 batters (12.7 per nine innings), and walked just 16 (3.0 per nine)—a dramatic improvement over his earlier minor league seasons.

While that sample size isn't huge, it was enough for the Red Sox to add him to their 40-man roster to protect him from another Rule 5 Draft. And it was more than enough for the Brewers to request him in the Durbin trade.

Drohan has been a starter his entire career, and he began the 2026 season in Triple-A Nashville's rotation. After just one start for the Sounds, it's clear the Brewers believe they've found another long-term asset—and if Drohan keeps pitching like this, they might just be right.