Cubs Top Prospect Spotlight: Ryan Gallagher

[Billy Reich]

Image courtesy of Mandy Coppinger/MiLB.com/South Bend Cubs

Jed Hoyer & Co. have done a great job adding depth to the farm via trades, deep drafting, and great development in recent years. One of the hidden gems from the Cubs’ drafting and development teams has been Ryan Gallagher, a 22-year-old command specialist who has been turning heads in the Midwest League. 

Gallagher is a year removed from putting up a 2.22 ERA at UC Santa Barbara and striking out 9.7 batters per nine innings. He was the ace of the UCSB staff, a school widely regarded for its ability to identify and develop top-tier pitching talent. Gallagher fit the exact type of pitching project that the Cubs have been targeting in recent years — a college arm with high strikeout rates who have just begun to hit their stride after recovering from Tommy John. Just like Cade Horton in 2021 and Jaxon Wiggins in 2023, Gallagher underwent TJ surgery in 2023 and came back to pitch the best season of his collegiate career.

Gallagher was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB draft, where he was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 182nd overall pick. He flew under the radar after being drafted, not ranking in the top 30 organizational prospects or the top 250 draft prospects, but has quickly skyrocketed himself up the boards after a stellar pro debut this season. He currently sits 17th in the Cubs' system, gaining traction for his high perceived floor. With just some seasoning on his current arsenal, many scouts now view Gallagher’s floor as a No. 4 starter with the potential to vault higher if he can hone some of his breaking pitches.

In his first season in the Cubs system, Gallagher has added 2-3 mph to his 55-grade fastball, now sitting 91-93 and topping out at 95. It’s the movement on the ball that’s helped him get so much swing and miss though; he induces a ton of vertical break on the pitch and has the command to paint the zone at will. As a movement and location guy, he works off the fastball with another 55-grade pitch: his changeup. The highlights of his change are that he’s able to miss bats with above-average movement while also finishing the pitch in the zone which leads to a low walk rate, a skill many young pitchers lack. He also possesses a 50-grade slider, but the pitch can use some work. It currently sits in the low-80s with average movement, but he struggles to land the pitch where he wants. If the development team can work on the pitch shape in the offseason to develop more swing and miss potential with his breaking ball, Gallagher will have unlocked another level to his ceiling.

In his debut season at High-A, he’s put all of his skills on display. He boasts a 3.70 ERA and has lowered his walks and increased his strikeouts from college, currently sitting at an 11.1 K/9 and a 2.2 BB/9 through 65 ⅔ innings pitched. Opposing batters are hitting .239 against him and he’s shown that he can keep his strikeout numbers consistent even on days where his fastball isn’t moving as much as he’d want it to—he’s made nine consecutive starts where he pitches at least five innings and strikes out at least six batters. His current career highs are six innings with 12 strikeouts. 

I currently view Gallagher as the Cubs' second or third best pitching prospect behind Jaxon Wiggins and possibly Brandon Birdsell depending on how he recovers from injury. If Gallagher can stay healthy and add shape to his slider, he’ll be a top 100 prospect by the end of next season—one the Cubs will look to hold on to past the trade deadline.

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