COLUMBIA, S.C. — Last night, 2023 Fireflies right-handed pitcher David Sandlin made his Major League debut for the Chicago White Sox. The Oklahoma native spun six, one-hit innings to earn the victory as Chicago beat the Minnesota Twins 15-2. Sandlin is the 35th former Fireflies player to make his Major League debut and the third to do it in the 2026 season. He joins Peyton Gray and Eric Cerantola, who have also made their MLB debuts in 2026.
The former Sooner pitched in 12 games for the Fireflies and fanned 79 hitters over 58.2 innings in the Carolina League. Sandlin was 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA during his time in Columbia. The righty also left his stamp on Fireflies history while in Columbia. Sandlin punched out nine Charleston RiverDogs in a start April 14, 2023. By the end of the game, Sandlin, Steven Zobac, Samuel Valerio and Eduardo Herrera combined for 20 strikeouts on the bump, which is the most in team history in a nine-inning game.
The Royals selected Sandlin in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. In 2024, Kansas City traded the righty to the Red Sox in exchange for reliever John Schreiber. After two seasons on Boston’s farm, this February, Sandlin was traded along with Jordan Hicks and a player to be named later for RHP Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later. The 25-year-old is best known for a pre-game ritual that started in college. The Boston Herald did a 2025 story on Sandlin watching a Star Wars movie prior to each start that went viral.
Tonight is a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday where fans can enjoy $1.50 Budweiser and hot dogs at the ballpark. The team also has Michelob Ultra and Bud Light available for $4. Gates open at 5 pm for a doubleheader starting at 5:30. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.