'Wow, I really did do that': From a parking lot to Fenway Park, Tyler Uberstine lives out his big-league dreams with the Boston Red Sox

WORCESTER — From the parking lot to Fenway Park.

Tyler Uberstine’s journey to the big leagues is something scripted out of a movie.

On Sunday, Uberstine made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox. The 26-year-old right-handed pitcher allowed three hits, one walk and one earned run while striking out two across 2⅔ innings of work in the Red Sox’ home loss to the San Diego Padres.

Seven years after he failed to walk onto the University of Southern California baseball team, Uberstine lived out his big-league dreams in Boston this past weekend.

“Surreal,” Uberstine told the T&G Tuesday after he was optioned back down to Triple-A Worcester. “Even now I don’t think it’s hit fully the fact that I did that. It’s fun to see my roommates from college, the ones I was playing catch with (in the parking lot at USC), they’re calling me and all that, I think that makes it come full circle for me mentally. Like ‘Wow, I really did do that.’ It’s exciting.

“From the moment they were playing catch with me and (everything afterward), it’s just been a great journey.”

Tyler Uberstine gets ready to toss a pitch during a WooSox game on March 28, 2026 at Polar Park. Eight days later, Uberstine made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The road less taken

As a normal student at the University of Southern California during the 2017-18 school year, Uberstine decided to try out for the club baseball team as a freshman.

He missed playing baseball — even if he didn’t play much of it in high school.

“I started playing catch with (one of my roommates) on the roof of a parking garage at midnight,” Uberstine told the T&G last August. “I felt embarrassed to go on the field.”

After deciding the club team wasn’t a fit for him, Uberstine opted to instead try out for the actual USC baseball team as a sophomore. The 6-foot-1 pitcher from California (who went through a growth spurt during his freshman year of college) received some training from Dave Coggin, a former big leaguer, who helped Uberstine develop into a more complete pitcher.

Despite a good showing with the Trojans, Uberstine was cut two days before the beginning of the spring season.

“I’m a very competitive person, and I think so much of that extends from having that chip on my shoulder, and it just doesn’t go away,” Uberstine said. “When I go on that mound, I’m trying to prove a point.”

Tyler Uberstine throws a pitch during a WooSox game on March 28, 2026 at Polar Park. Eight days later, Uberstine made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Uberstine then transferred to Northwestern University and made the Wildcats’ baseball team. Across two seasons, one cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Uberstine’s stats didn’t exactly jump off the page.

But the righty pitcher caught the eye of the Red Sox and was selected by Boston in the 19th round (pick No. 556) of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft.

Uberstine performed well for the Salem Red Sox (Low-A) and Greenville Drive (High-A) in 2022, his first full season in professional baseball, before injuring his right elbow during spring training a year later. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023.

“Coming off a really strong year in pro ball and coming into spring training absolutely dominating, it was more of a mental battle at that point,” Uberstine said. “I knew I was missing two years. I had a really rough return to baseball. The arm itself takes time.”

After returning to field at the end of the 2024 season and pitching in a few games for Greenville and then in the Arizona Fall League, Uberstine started last season with Double-A Portland.

Uberstine split 2025 between the Sea Dogs (six starts) and WooSox (19 games, 15 starts), posting a 3.58 ERA with 137 strikeouts. He was named one of Worcester’s Co-Pitchers of the Year and led Red Sox minor leaguers in strikeouts and innings pitched.

“This guy is really damn good,” Worcester Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said last season.

“(That’s) the best I’ve ever pitched,” Uberstine told the T&G last August.

Red Sox pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine (right) talks with former T&G scribe Bill Ballou during the Red Sox rookie development program at Fenway Park on Jan. 13, 2026.

A call to Boston

The Boston Red Sox added Uberstine to their 40-man roster last November and invited him to their rookie development program at Fenway Park on Jan. 13.

Following a strong showing with the Red Sox in spring training, Uberstine was optioned to minor league camp on March 23. Five days later, he started the WooSox’ second game of the 2026 season before being officially called up to Boston on April 3.

WooSox pitcher Tyler Uberstine during Media Day earlier this year.

He received the good news from Tracy a day earlier while the Triple-A club’s game was postponed due to weather in Minnesota.

“He was pretty pumped and shaken up about it,” Tracy said. “I’ve said it a lot, but being able to tell guys like that — the quality of person that he is and how hard he’s worked, that he wasn’t even supposed to be here last year — it was cool.”

“Overwhelming. Excited,” Uberstine said of the promotion. “Every emotion you’re feeling right there.”

Uberstine’s first call was to his father, who hounded his son earlier in the week to finish his taxes, to tell him about his call up to the big leagues.

“He was double checking it wasn’t April Fool’s Day,” Uberstine said.

It wasn’t.

Uberstine made it to Boston in time for the club’s Opening Day at Fenway Park on April 3 and then made his MLB debut two days later in a relief appearance against the Padres.

He struck out Manny Machado and gave up a home run to Jackson Merrill, all while his brother, dad, mom and girlfriend watched alongside the Fenway Faithful.

“It’s cool to (see) people that have been through that kind of stuff, and they just keep pushing and won’t be denied, and then perform pretty well,” Tracy said. “… He just kept throwing strike after strike after strike against some pretty good hitters.

“He did a hell of a job (in his MLB debut).”

From a dimly lit parking lot in Southern California to the bright lights of Fenway Park in Boston, it’s been quite the journey for Tyler Uberstine with baseball.

“It’s been a whirlwind of ups and downs,” he said. “Whether it’s getting injured or not being good enough or so many different things, but it’s been really rewarding, especially now that I’ve debuted and I’ve pitched up (in Boston).

“To realize that all the hard work (you put in) every day in the offseason of trying to make sure everything you do is to prepare for that moment and to succeed at that level and to actually see it come to fruition is really rewarding and exciting.”

—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Red Sox pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine makes major league debut