Brayden Spears: A Bulldog on the Mound
Under the bright lights of Pelicans Ballpark, Brayden Spears jogs in from the bullpen, his lanky 6-foot-6 frame ready to fire fastballs for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. At 24, the right-handed reliever, signed by the Chicago Cubs in February 2025, embodies resilience. A California native who chased his baseball dream through three colleges—Boise State, Oregon, and Cal State Fullerton—before grinding in independent ball, Spears’ journey to the Cubs’ organization is a testament to perseverance. His path, marked by a program cut at Boise State and an unexpected side venture into bull ownership with his sister, now sees him thriving in affiliated ball, one step closer to his major league aspirations.
Spears grew up in Antioch, California, steeped in baseball and cowboy culture. “I grew up wanting to be a bull rider and wanted to be a cowboy,” Spears said. Raised on a cattle ranch, he idolized bull rider Tuff Hedeman, watching his films daily. Baseball, though, was his true calling. A Giants fan with season tickets from 2010 to 2018, he vividly recalls watching Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run as a kid, kicking his feet off the kitchen table in awe. “Whatever that is, I want to do that,” he said, reflecting on the moment that sparked his love for the game.
His athleticism shone early. Spears played multiple sports—water polo, football, basketball, even hockey—but baseball was constant in Antioch’s vibrant youth scene. Initially a catcher, he transitioned to pitching in high school, leveraging his strong arm. By his junior year, college recruiters noticed his potential. “Junior year was when I realized I was like, okay, I can actually probably do something with this baseball thing,” he shared. Boise State offered a roster spot in their inaugural baseball season, and Spears, enamored with the school and city, committed.
At Boise State in 2020, Spears found a home. “There couldn’t be a better school to have that…picturesque experience,” he said. “I love that school. I love that city”. With 19 freshmen on a 30-man roster, the team bonded like brothers, playing to packed crowds in freezing 35-degree weather. But COVID-19 halted the season, and worse news followed. “We got an email saying they’d canceled the funding for the program, and that the program was going to get shut down,” Spears recalled. Despite raising $1-2 million in only a week to save it, the program folded, forcing Spears and his teammates to transfer.
Spears landed at Oregon, drawn by its elite program. But the transition was tough. A California kid used to sun, he struggled with Oregon’s constant rain and the higher level of play. “I wasn’t prepared for the weather at Oregon,” he admitted. The tight-knit Boise State camaraderie was absent, and he pitched sparingly, logging minimal innings. “It was a good learning year…not everything is peaches and cream,” he reflected. Seeking a fresh start, he transferred to Cal State Fullerton for his final year, a program known for developing pros. Yet, after throwing just 12 innings across three college seasons, Spears’ love for baseball waned. “I kind of started to not really love baseball anymore,” he said.
Professional dreams seemed distant until a call from his Boise State coach, now with the independent Boise Hawks, changed everything. Spears joined the Hawks in the Pioneer League in 2024, embracing the grind of 16-hour bus rides and facing ex-pros with Double-A and Triple-A experience. “I’m not here today if I don’t have indy ball,” he said, crediting the league for teaching him to pitch against mature hitters.
He posted a 3.79 ERA over 19 innings, per Baseball-Reference, catching the Cubs’ eye during a May 2024 start. A broken jaw from a freak accident sidelined him for 10 weeks, but a pro day at Push Performance in Arizona in early 2025 reignited interest. “My agent called me and was like, ‘We got to go with the Cubs,’” Spears recounted. He signed just before spring training, a whirlwind week that saw him pack up and head to Arizona.
Spears’ affiliated debut came on Opening Night 2025 in Charleston, a moment that gave him chills. “I saw the Cubs logo on the sleeve… I kind of got chills,” he said, recalling the packed stadium and national anthem. With the Pelicans, he’s settled into a relief role, his fastball and slider—honed against indie ball veterans—playing up in the Carolina League.
Off the field, Spears’ cowboy roots run deep. During the 2021 National Finals Rodeo, he and his sister, who runs the Ag Chicks podcast, bought a share of a bull through a stock-like ownership deal. “Me and my sister were kind of talking like, ‘Hey, be kind of cool to own a bull,’” he said. While at the ballpark earlier this season, he learned their bull had made the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. “I see a picture of the bull that we own on the PBR… I was like, ‘What the heck is this?’” he laughed. The bull’s success mirrors Spears’ own rise, both defying odds.
At Pelicans Ballpark, Spears channels his Bulldog mentality, inspired by Nolan Ryan and Max Scherzer. From three colleges to Indy ball to the Cubs, his journey reflects grit. With his bull bucking on the PBR circuit and his fastball humming in Myrtle Beach, Spears is chasing dreams on two fronts, one pitch at a time.
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