UNC Baseball: Caden O’Brien signs with Frontier League team

After being a workhorse for the UNC baseball program’s pitching staff over the last five seasons, Caden O’Brien is set to begin his professional career.

Caden O’Brien has found a home to start his professional baseball career.

After becoming arguably one of the most reliable pitchers in UNC baseball history, O’Brien unfortunately did not hear his name called as part of this year’s MLB Draft. However, he has found a start in independent baseball, one that hopefully leads him to affiliated ball in the future.

The former Tar Heel left-hander has signed with the Joliet Slammers. Since signing last week, O’Brien has already made two relief appearances, as he’s not allowed a run over three full innings of work.

Fans of the UNC baseball program will remember how O’Brien burst onto the scene during the 2018 season. As a freshman, O’Brien posted a stellar 7-0 record with a 2.62 ERA over 30 appearances, helping the Tar Heels clinch a berth to the College World Series.

That fantastic start to his Tar Heels career was just the beginning, as O’Brien became a reliable presence out of the bullpen for the following four seasons. Overall, O’Brien finished his Tar Heels career with a 14-3 record and a 3.86 ERA and ranks fifth all-time in program history with 112 total appearances.

O’Brien becomes the sixth UNC baseball player to earn a professional contract this offseason, as five members of last year’s team went on to ink deals with MLB teams. The hope is that O’Brien can show that he belongs at the big league level as well.

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