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.
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 7âÂÂ0 winâÂÂloss record with a 0.27 earned run average (ERA). Hoglund also played basketball for Fivay and averaged 10.9 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. 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 3âÂÂ3 with a 5.29 ERA, striking out 53 and walking 14 in 68 innings pitched. As a sophomore in 2020, he went 3âÂÂ0 with a 1.16 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 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 innings, striking out 96 batters while going 4âÂÂ2 with a 2.87 ERA.
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.
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 rookieâÂÂlevel Arizona Complex League Athletics before being assigned to the SingleâÂÂA 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 HighâÂÂA Lansing Lugnuts and DoubleâÂÂA 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 TripleâÂÂA Las Vegas Aviators, compiling a 9âÂÂ7 record and 3.44 ERA with 119 strikeouts across innings pitched. On November 19th, 2024, 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. He compiled a 1âÂÂ2 record and 2.43 ERA with 30 strikeouts across innings pitched for Las Vegas. On May 2, 2025, Hoglund was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his major debut against the Miami Marlins, where he earned his first career win after pitching six innings and allowing six hits and one run with strikeouts. In six starts for the Athletics during his rookie campaign, Hoglund logged a 1-3 record and 6.40 ERA with 23 strikeouts across innings pitched. On June 1, he was placed on the injured list due to a left hip impingement. On June 13, it was announced that Hoglund would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing hip surgery.