Aggies Land Commitment From Elite RHP Transfer Grant Cunningham

RIght-handed pitcher Grant Cunningham committed to the Texas A&M Aggies Saturday, reuniting him with pitching coach Jason Kelly and adding more talent to Michael Earley's squad as it prepares for another postseason push next season.

Texas A&M Aggies pitcher transfer Grant Cunningham poses during his official visit to College Station. Cunningham was the No. 2 best-available transfer before committing to the Aggies. / Grant Cunningham, via X

Keep them coming for the Texas A&M Aggies.

After reconstructing their roster with a majority of the players who initially had their names in the NCAA transfer portal following Jim Schlossnagle's departure, Michael Earley and company have been looking up.

His hire — backed by players past and present — was a big factor for last season's Aggies to return, and the coach made that very clear from Day 1 of him taking the job.

He felt nothing short of gratitude.

"I fully understand that the players opened the door for me, but I had to hit the marks," Earley said. "I was never going to pry and push my way in, but (once) the players opened the door for me, I ran through it. I’m so appreciative of them."

June 24, 2024, Omaha, Nebraska; USA; Texas A&M's Jace LaViolette (17) smiles during Game 3 of the NCAA College World Series Final between Tennessee and Texas A&M at Charles Schwab Field. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

Earley was also lucky enough to regain the commitments from many of the players that made up the core of Texas A&M's College World Series Final berth, but beyond them, he's gained a few new faces that should help his Aggies stay competitive in his first season.

The latest of those is Washington right-hander Grant Cunningham — ranked No. 2 on the available transfers before his decision to head to College Station — who committed Saturday.

"Beyond blessed to be an Aggie!!" he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Gig ‘em."

Beyond blessed to be an Aggie!!

Gig ‘em👍🏻 @AggieBaseball pic.twitter.com/zhWLuokKW1

— Grant Cunningham (@grantzilla206) July 20, 2024

Last season, Cunningham made 20 appearances for the Huskies and struck-out 56 batters with a 2.86 ERA. His best pitch is his fastball, which has reportedly reached speeds of 98 miles per hour — almost reminiscent of Chris Cortez's hot hand.

The pitcher will enter Year 3 with Earley, but more notably, under Jason Kelly, who also recently joined the Maroon & White as Earley's pitching coach. Now, the pair will be reunited.

Naturally, Cunningham likes what he's gleaned from Kelly thus far, but Earley made sure to speak to his new coach's strengths as well, which will not only continue to help Cunningham but also the rest of the Aggies' bullpen.

“He’s going to be huge," Earley said, via On3. “He’s an amazing human, amazing person, but he’s a phenomenal baseball coach. This guy is super well respected.

“I like where we’re at with J.K. and I think you guys are going to really enjoy what he has.”

As the offseason continues, the Aggies' lineup will continue to rest and get healthy for the start of training and the season in the spring, while Earley, Kelly, and the rest of Texas A&M's coaching staff will continue to gameplan and prepare for what they hope will be another deep postseason push.

Adding Cunningham to the fold only helps their case even more, and it seems like he's ready to help his new team achieve its goals.

"Texas A&M, the 12th Man and the whole university are super special," Earley said of coaching the Aggies. "It hit me the first day I was here that this place is different.

"If you don't like different, that's your problem."