Riley Hunsaker brings power arm, precision to Cubs' pitching pipeline

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 4 hours ago

Like most of the pitchers the Cubs took, Riley Hunsaker is an imposing figure with his 6-4, and 235-pound frame, but he has the stuff and the experience the Cubs love, as that was one of their biggest focuses the entire draft.

Another one of the many players who started at one school before transferring to another, the right-hander finished his career at Lamar University, where he went on to put up massive numbers. After struggling with Texas A&M Corpus Christi, where he went 4-5 with an ERA approaching 7.00, Hunsaker elected to make the move to Lamar, where he ultimately turned his entire career around.

Throughout the 2025 season, Hunsaker appeared in 14 games with Lamar, all of which were starts, and finished with a 4-3 record. The record alone doesn't tell the whole story, as run support was an issue for Hunsaker, indicated by his impressive 2.47 ERA. Another thing to consider is his overall body of work in those starts, as he gave Lamar 76 innings, proving he not only can get guys out but also has the capabilities to be a workhorse.

Perhaps the biggest part of his game that the Cubs fell in love with is his ability to strike guys out, while also understanding the value of avoiding the walk. In his 76 innings, Hunsaker came away with 70 punchouts, walking just 16 in the process. He also did a great job of keeping the ball in the yard and allowed only five homers this past season. That alone will play well at any level, should that continue, and is something the Cubs would love to have across the board.

When you look back at the Cubs' offseason and look at some of their pitcher signings, quite a few of them came from the Thread Athletics program. Hunsaker is another one of those guys, and given the success the Cubs have already had with guys from that program, it's hard to believe that trend won't continue here.

This is the point in the baseball draft when it becomes challenging to gather a lot of information on players, as scouting videos become less accessible. What we do know is that Hunsaker is another pitcher who likes to sit in the low to mid-90s and can ramp it up to 96 MPH when needed. Like most pitchers, the secondary stuff is what will set him apart, and his filthy 85 MPH slider is his go-to secondary offering.

Not only is that a high whiff pitch, but it is also a pitch he can throw at any point in the count, given his ability to freeze hitters with that offering. Hunsaker has also been working on a fading change to go with that slider while using a two-seam fastball to get groundouts in tough spots. Look for him to spend a ton of time in the pitching lab this winter as the Cubs look to maximize that slider to turn it into an elite offering.

Grade B-: Of all the pitchers the Cubs have drafted, especially the late-round options, Hunsaker is the one many scouts are excited for. He has already proven his ability to start, and not only that, but he has also proven to be a successful starter.

Hunsaker is also a rare four-pitch guy who can easily cut down on his pitches to become an effective bullpen piece. Hunsaker is expected to begin the 2026 season in Mesa before potentially moving through the system more quickly during the second half.