Welcome to Volume Ten of PARScards for 2026! We’ve already matched 2024’s total with around eight weeks to go. Groove: found.
Next up, we have Caden Hunter of the Orioles. Let’s dig in!
Background
Hunter played just one season with USC before Baltimore made him their sixth round pick in 2025. Previously, he pitched at Sierra College (JUCO), where he was named the 2023 Pitcher of the Year in the Big 8 Conference. With USC, Hunter sat low-90s, finishing with an uninspiring 5.50 ERA over 70.1 innings. He’s of an average build, works exclusively from the stretch, with a flat approach angle that makes his heater play up well beyond its velocity.
How’d We Get Here?
Despite the poor results and low velo, the Orioles saw something they liked. Reports now clock him at 95-96mph, touching 98, as Hunter has been promoted twice in his debut season. His results at each stop have been downright remarkable:
| Level | IP | ERA | K/9 | K-BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 23 | 1.17 | 15.7 | 30.4% |
| A+ | 45 | 1.60 | 12.4 | 24.4% |
| AA | 13 | 1.38 | 13.9 | 32.0% |
Hunter entered the season unranked by Fangraphs. After the trade deadline shuffle and rankings update, Hunter came in at #15 on MLB Pipeline, currently with eight pitchers ahead of him. Let’s take a look at where he is on PARS compared to Baltimore’s other starting pitcher prospects:
PARS ranks him behind only newly-acquired Anthony Eyanson and Joseph Dzierwa. If we include hitters, Hunter ranks fifth in the organization based on mPARS. That’s about where I’d have him on a personal rank as well.
The Good
- Velocity jump from low 90s to mid 90s, touching upper 90s
- Starting pitcher’s arsenal (high-velo fastball, mid-80s slider, mid-80s changeup, slow curve)
- Among the top ten in all of minor league baseball in several categories: ERA, xFIP, WHIP, K%, K-BB%, K/9, SwStr%, and more (min 60 innings pitched). He’s surrounded by names you may have heard of this year: Seth Hernandez, Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson, Kendry Chourio, Christian Zazueta. You name the stat, and Hunter is right there with the big boys.
The Bad
- Breaking-ball command needs work
- Lack of a track record to support the breakout season
The Verdict
If you haven’t guessed by now, Hunter is a very strong buy for me in nearly all leagues. I lean bats over arms in dynasty in general, but if you missed on the upper-echelon names—grab Hunter. He’s dominated every stop, and there are real developmental changes to back up what he’s doing. While his approach is fastball-heavy at the moment, his secondaries are works-in-progress. Their refinement and command will dictate whether Hunter reaches his PARS projection of a mid-rotation starter.
Thanks for reading!
- Rick ✌🏼