UC Irvine’s left-handed workload horse who can miss bats and grind innings
In the 2025 season, Ryder Brooks emerged as a legit rotation piece for UC Irvine, going 7-3 with 72 strikeouts in 69 innings and earning All-Big West Honorable Mention, then he kept the momentum rolling into 2026 and was drafted by the Giants in July 2026. What makes him stand out is the combo of size, left-handed deception, and competitiveness: he twice delivered complete-game shutouts in 2025, including a 10-strikeout gem against Hawai'i, and he also showed academic discipline as a CSC Academic All-District honoree. That’s a strong fit for teams wanting a tough, innings-eating southpaw with starter upside and real mound presence.
