Derek Schaefer brings mid-90s heat and closer swagger to ASU
In 2026, Derek Schaefer emerged as Arizona State’s back-end bullpen weapon, leading the Sun Devils with seven saves and pairing a 95.4 mph average fastball with electric secondary stuff that has played up in high-leverage spots[1]. He’s the kind of arm teams love for late innings: nasty velocity, real closer mentality, and enough strikeout juice to miss bats, even if his ERA was inflated by a few ugly blowups[1][11]. If you need a power reliever with pro-level arm strength and big-game temperament, he’s a fit; if you want spotless command, the volatility is still part of the package[1][11].
