HUNTER REID GADDIS...Attended Georgia State, where he compiled the lowest career ERA in school history (3.81) en route to being the program's highest all-time MLB Draft selection...Fourth Georgia State product to appear in a Major League contest...Led the Sun Belt in SO in 2019 with 112, the second-highest mark in Georgia State history…Named Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2018 and 2019…Major was interdisciplinary studies...Played on the U.S. Collegiate National Team in 2017...Pitched for the Cape Cod League’s Chatham Anglers in the summer of 2018. Posted a 3-1 record with a 2.00 ERA… Enjoys golfing, Fortnite and the beach in his spare time...Big fan of Chipper Jones growing up; is a UGA fan...Gaddis supported the Cleveland community as well as Cleveland Guardians Charities by visiting First Tee Cleveland, contributing to multiple baskets at the Significant Others Auction, playing in the 2024 Cleveland Guardians Charities Celebrity Golf Outing and taking photos and answering questions at the September Kid’s Club event up on the Family Deck at Progressive Field.
2024
Flourished in a new role as Cleveland's primary set-up man, leading the club in appearances (78, T2nd in MLB) and holds (33, 5th in MLB) en route to a standout season... Set Cleveland rookie records in both games and holds, going 6-3 with a 1.57 ERA (13ER/74.2IP), 66SO and a .166 (43-for-259) avg. against...His 1.57 ERA ranked 3rd in the AL among qualified relievers behind TEX's Kirby Yates (1.17) and teammate Emmanuel Clase (0.61)... Set career-highs in G, IP and SO after working mostly as a starter during his first two MLB partial seasons...Earned a spot in Cleveland's bullpen to start the year following injuries to James Karinchak, Trevor Stephan and Sam Hentges, making his second career OD roster (2023) following a sharp Cactus League campaign (1.54 ERA, 9G, 11.2IP, 2ER, 17SO) where he worked exclusively as a reliever for the first time in his career...Began the season with a 13-game scoreless streak (12.1IP), the longest by a Clevelander to start a season since James Karinchak (also, 13G) in 2021...Added another 13-game scoreless streak (13.1IP) from 5/3-6/1 and tallied a career-high 22-straight scoreless appearances (20.2IP) from 6/7-7/28, the longest streak by a Clevelander in 2024 and the 2nd-longest in MLB (ARI's A.J. Puk, 25G scoreless streak)…His 1.57 ERA was the 10th-lowest single-season mark in team history among RP (min. 50-G/50IP)Made a strong case to be named an AL All-Star, posting a 1.19 ERA (6ER/45.1IP) with 19 holds in 47 first-half games...Was nearly as sharp in the second half, fashioning a 2.15 ERA (7ER/29.1IP) with 14 holds in 31 games after the All-Star break...Utilized as a one-inning reliever for the majority of the season, recording four-or-more outs on just three occasions (4/14 vs. NYY - 1.1IP; 5/8 vs. DET - 2.0IP; 5/22 vs. NYM - 1.1IP)…Was featured mostly in the eighth inning (54G, 51.1IP) while also appearing in the sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th innings throughout the regular season...Appeared in eight of Cleveland's 10 Postseason tilts, turning in a combined ERA of 4.91 (7R/4ER/7.1IP)…Allowed runs in three of his four ALCS outings, including Juan Soto's three-run HR in the 10th inning of the deciding fifth game.
2023
Split the season between AAA Columbus and Cleveland, finishing with a combined 4-11 record with a 5.49 ERA (71ER/116.1IP) in 31 games/22 starts…Spent the majority of the season with Columbus, going 2-10 with a 6.05 ERA (50ER/74.1IP) in 20 games/15 starts...Made three extended stints at the Major League level; was with the club from March 31-April 19, May 22-June 3 and Aug. 29-Sept. 1…Also served as the 27th man three times (4/22, 8/18, 8/24)...Ended the season with a 2-1 record and 4.50 ERA (21ER/42.0IP) in 11G/7 starts…Saw more success out of the bullpen, posting a 2.53 ERA (3ER/10.2IP) in four appearances, compared to a 5.17 ERA (18ER/31.1IP) in seven starts...Pitched a career-high 6.0 scoreless innings on April 5 at Oakland (6.0IP, H, 2BB, 4SO) and May 22 vs. Chicago-AL (6.0IP, 2H, 1BB, 4SO)...His start against Oakland made him the second pitcher in club history with an outing of 6.0+ innings and one-or-fewer hit allowed within their first four career starts, joining Addie Joss (April 26, 1902)...Over his final four outings (one start) at AAA Columbus he had a 2.53 ERA (3ER/10.2IP) with eight strikeouts and four walks.
2022
Split Minor League season between AA Akron and AAA Columbus, going a combined 8-6 with 4.01 ERA in 24 games/23 starts (121IP, 90H, 54ER, 41BB, 158SO)…Enters the season ranked as the 28th-best prospect in the system (MLB.com)…26th according to Baseball America...Started the year at Akron and was promoted to Columbus on July 23 and two weeks later made his Major League debut vs. Houston (L, 3.1IP, 7H, 8R/ER, 2HR)…Was the 13th player to debut in 2022...Went 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA in four Sept. starts at Triple-A (22.1IP, 12H, 6ER, 3BB, 29SO)…Was sixth-lowest ERA, third-lowest average against (.156) and T-eighth-most in SO (29) in the Int’l League for the month...Made second ML spot start on Sept. 15 vs. Chicago-AL, allowing a club record-tying five homers in 4.0IP…Tied Gary Bell (4/29/1962 vs. MIN-2) and Luis Tiant (4/18/1969 at BOS)…Faced 20 hitters…Over his two ML starts allowed seven HR and 15 hits in 7.1IP (40 BF)…Began the season at AA Akron, going 4-3 with a 4.24 ERA (36ER/76.1IP) over 15 games/14 starts…Over five starts from 4/26-5/19, went 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (4ER/26.0IP), five walks and 37 strikeouts (7.40 SO/BB)…Led all AA Eastern League pitchers in strikeouts during that stretch...Fanned a career-high 11 batters over six shutout frames 5/19 vs. Erie...Worked at least 5.0IP in seven of nine AAA starts.
2021
Spent the entire season with High-A Lake County, 4.16 ERA was fourth-lowest in the High-A Central, while his 127SO were tied for the league lead…Over his last eight outings (7GS) he posted a 2.84 ERA from 7/31-9/17 (44.1IP, 31H, 14ER, 59SO).
