Ryan Gallagher Stats & Scouting Report

IP	37.2
ERA	5.50
WHIP	1.510
BB/9	2.4
SO/9	8.8

Full name Ryan Thomas Gallagher
Born 01/19/2003 in Sacramento, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School UC Santa Barbara
Drafted in the 6th round (182nd overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2024 (signed for $300,000).

View Draft Report

School: UC Santa Barbara
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age at Draft: 21.5

UC Santa Barbara pumps out strike throwers as well as any program in the country and Gallagher is one of the next in a long line. A 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander, Gallagher was the Big West freshman pitcher of the year in 2022 after he posted a 3.25 ERA in 15 starts and 83 innings but he lost the 2023 season after having Tommy John surgery. Back on the mound in 2024, Gallagher has continued to show solid command for a four-pitch mix. He throws his fastball in the 88-90 mph range and has been up to 93 with above-average riding life. He mixes in a slow mid-70s changeup with solid tumble and a low-80s slider as his go-to secondary pitches, though he will also mix in an occasional upper-70s curve. Gallagher has a career walk rate near 7% and should have the fastball command and above-average control to profile as a starter.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average

Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: The Cubs selected Gallagher in the sixth round of the 2024 draft out of UC Santa Barbara. He earned Big West Conference freshman of the year honors in 2022, but missed his sophomore season with Tommy John surgery. He returned as a junior and earned All-American honors. He didn’t pitch after signing and made his pro debut in 2025 in High-A. He was promoted to Double-A in mid-July and after two impressive starts was traded to the Twins as part of the Willi Castro trade. He had some trouble with home runs after being assigned to Double-A Wichita, allowing seven in 37.2 innings.

Scouting Report: Gallagher is a throwback north-south righthander who throws from a vertical slot. His pitches grade well in models due to their unique shapes. His fastball sits in the low 90s, but plays above that due to more than 20 inches of induced vertical break. He has good command of it and it jumps on hitters. Gallagher’s 82-85 mph slider has more depth than tilt and the highest whiff rate of all his pitches. It grades as above-average, as does his 76-79 mph changeup, which has elite separation and a combination of drop and fade. Gallagher will also mix in a strike-stealing curveball early in counts.

The Future: Gallagher will likely head back to Wichita in 2026. He projects as a multi-inning reliever, but if his fastball velocity takes a step forward, he could develop into a back-end starter.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50

Draft Prospects

School: UC Santa Barbara Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.5
UC Santa Barbara pumps out strike throwers as well as any program in the country and Gallagher is one of the next in a long line. A 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander, Gallagher was the Big West freshman pitcher of the year in 2022 after he posted a 3.25 ERA in 15 starts and 83 innings but he lost the 2023 season after having Tommy John surgery. Back on the mound in 2024, Gallagher has continued to show solid command for a four-pitch mix. He throws his fastball in the 88-90 mph range and has been up to 93 with above-average riding life. He mixes in a slow mid-70s changeup with solid tumble and a low-80s slider as his go-to secondary pitches, though he will also mix in an occasional upper-70s curve. Gallagher has a career walk rate near 7% and should have the fastball command and above-average control to profile as a starter.

Career Transactions

Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP Ryan Gallagher.
RHP Ryan Gallagher assigned to Wichita Wind Surge.
Minnesota Twins traded LF Willi Castro to Chicago Cubs for RHP Sam Armstrong and RHP Ryan Gallagher.
RHP Ryan Gallagher assigned to Knoxville Smokies from South Bend Cubs.
RHP Ryan Gallagher assigned to South Bend Cubs.
Chicago Cubs signed RHP Ryan Gallagher.