Biography
Gunnar Thomas Hoglund (born December 17, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hoglund played college baseball for the Ole Miss Rebels and made his MLB debut in 2025.
Amateur career
Hoglund graduated from Dayspring Academy in Port Richey, Florida, but since they do not offer any athletic teams, he played baseball for Fivay High School in Hudson, Florida. As a senior in 2018, he had a 7–0 win–loss record with a 0.27 earned run average (ERA). He was selected 36th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign and instead chose to enroll at the University of Mississippi and play college baseball for the Ole Miss Rebels.
In 2019, Hoglund's freshman year at Ole Miss, he appeared in 17 games (with 16 games started), going 3–3 with a 5.29 ERA, striking out 53 and walking 14 in 68 innings pitched. As a sophomore in 2020, he went 3–0 with a 1.16 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 23+1⁄3 innings before the season was ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 11, 2021, it was announced that Hoglund would require Tommy John surgery, thus ending his junior season prematurely. Over 11 starts, he pitched 62+2⁄3 innings, striking out 96 batters while going 4–2 with a 2.87 ERA.
Professional career
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays selected Hoglund in the first round, with the 19th overall selection, in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Blue Jays for a $3.2 million signing bonus, forgoing his senior year of college baseball.
Oakland Athletics / Athletics
On March 16, 2022, the Blue Jays traded Hoglund, Kevin Smith, Zach Logue, and Kirby Snead to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Matt Chapman. Hoglund made his professional debut in mid-July while on a rehab start with the rookie–level Arizona Complex League Athletics before being assigned to the Single–A Stockton Ports after two games. He pitched a total of eight innings between the two teams and gave up no earned runs. Hoglund opened the 2023 season with Stockton and was promoted to the High–A Lansing Lugnuts and Double–A Midland RockHounds during the season. Over 16 starts between the three teams, he went 2-5 with a 6.05 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 61 innings.
Hoglund split the 2024 campaign between Midland and the Triple–A Las Vegas Aviators, compiling a 9–7 record and 3.44 ERA with 119 strikeouts across 130+2⁄3 innings pitched. Following the season, the Athletics added Hoglund to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Hoglund was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin the 2025 season. On May 2, 2025, the Athletics added Hoglund to their 40-man roster after compiling a 1–2 record and 2.43 ERA with 30 strikeouts across 29+2⁄3 innings pitched. He made his major debut against the Miami Marlins where he got his first career win as a pitcher as he pitched six innings, allowing six hits and one run while striking out seven batters.