Cade Obermueller had a choice to make last summer. The Texas Rangers took a flier on the Iowa left-hander in the 19th round of the MLB draft, hoping a late offer might sway him. It didn’t.
Instead, Obermueller returned to Iowa City with something to prove to scouts, to himself and a new pitching coach in Sean Kenny. He bet on a year of growth, development and opportunity.
Nearly 12 months later, the gamble appears to have paid off. Obermueller flashed improved command, sharpened his pitch mix and solidified his status as one of the better college arms in the class. What once looked like a mid-round pick now projects as a likely second-rounder.
“I don’t regret the decision to come back. He’s unreal,” said Obermueller on Kenny. “He is one of the best coaches I’ve been around in my life. I’m happy to have him as a resource for the rest of my life. I also wanted to bet on myself because I knew I was capable of doing better this year.”
Last year, Obermueller entered the season as a potential early-round pick in the 2024 draft. The draft-eligible sophomore boasted intriguing potential with a pitch mix headlined by an elite fastball, slider combination. The results didn’t match Obermueller’s expectations or ability.
Obermueller posted a 3.92 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 41 walks in 59 2/3 innings last season. After adding strength to his frame, refining his pitch pick and working with the new pitching coaches at Iowa, Obermueller pitched up to expectations as a junior this spring.
He recorded a 3.02 ERA with 117 strikeouts and 32 walks in 83 1/3 innings. He credits the work he did with Kenny and director of player development Wes Obermueller — his father and a former MLB pitcher — for helping him reach his potential and develop into the draft prospect he always believed he could be.
“I did a really good job this year of being able to separate that from focusing on the season,” Obermueller said. “It helped going through it last year and having the experience under my belt.”
Obermueller is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound lefty who throws a fastball, slider and changeup from a smooth and easy delivery and low arm slot. He displays starter traits and has plenty of potential remaining.
The lefty primarily relies on his excellent fastball, slider combination. His fastball sits in the low-90s and touches 97 mph. His slider is a true outpitch with sweeping action in the low-80s. He used to throw a splitter but changed to a changeup leading up to his junior season in hopes of having a true differentiator in velocity from his fastball.
Obermueller is an intriguing pitching prospect due to the quality of his pitch mix and the deception in his delivery.
“The uniqueness across the board is a strength of mine,” he said. “I’m throwing stuff that guys have never seen anything like it. What’s coming at hitters is weird, and that is a good thing.”
Obermueller grew up in Iowa City as a lifelong Hawkeyes fan. His father also pitched at Iowa, making the opportunity to play for his hometown team even more meaningful. It’s an experience he’ll always cherish.
“It’s been a dream. I always wanted to be a Hawkeye,” Obermueller said. “I’ve been a Hawkeye my whole life. It’s been a great experience here, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, especially this last year with the staff we had on board. It was awesome and a great way to hopefully close the deal.”
Read more in-depth stories on top 2025 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for 10 years. He has interviewed 580 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
