Get To Know Cleveland Guardians Viral Submarine-Style Pitcher Cam Schuelke

"Cam Schuelke is out there throwing witchcraft this spring," read one post. Another said, "Batter's gonna see this dude in his nightmares."

Each gave more and more credit to just how interesting of a pitching style Cam Schuelke displayed in the Cleveland Guardians' opening spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds.

The former 19th round selection in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft switched back and forth from an overhand pitch to a funky sidearm, submarine-styled pitch. It caught not only those in attendance off guard, but also the Reds hitter Cam Collier, striking him out.

Guardians 2024 draft pick Cam Schuelke is out there throwing witchcraft this spring pic.twitter.com/PpNiUqvCoi
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 22, 2026

But that eye-popping moment brought out the question: who is this guy?

Schuelke, a late-round draft pick, has quietly sat in the Guardians' system over the last two campaigns. In 2024, he jumped onto the scene fast, throwing a 0.00 ERA in 8.2 innings for a 4-1 overall record. He also tacked on a 1.154 WHIP.

In 2025, he tossed in just 27.2 innings of action, posting a 3.90 ERA and a 1.337 WHIP. He looked unpolished, but continued to make strides in the right direction.

Through two campaigns, he's just south of 40 total innings pitched, meaning that in 2026, he'll have to stay healthy and take advantage of the opportunities he's given.

However, a perfect time to get the juices flowing and confidence up is in spring training as a non-rostered invite.

Batter's gonna see this dude in his nightmares🤯 pic.twitter.com/B8DvXg7kdx
— MLB (@MLB) February 22, 2026

Before the Guardians

Prior to taking the step up to professional baseball, the 6'0", 205-pounder was just as exciting in the college scene.

Back in 2020, at the age of 20 years old, he pitched for the Division II Northwood Timberwolves of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). While starting in four games, but appearing in 19, he posted a 5-4 record with a 4.98 ERA. It wasn't a standout season, but he did post a good amount of strikeouts per nine innings at a clip of 8.9.

He also wasn't allowing many heavy hits, giving up just 0.3 home runs per nine innings with a total of two the entire season.

After that, he jumped to the College of Central Florida in 2023. While there, he also showed that wonky style of pitching.

This view of Cam Schuelke pitching for College of Central Florida is incredibly satisfying to watch. He is one of the best weird arm slot guys in college baseball if you ask me pic.twitter.com/zUHZGBBV4P
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) February 12, 2023

He appeared in 32 games, posting a 9-1 record with eight saves. The entire season, he allowed just 34 hits and 14 earned runs. His best game of the year came when he struck out a season-high eight batters in five innings against Delgado Community College.

Obviously, betting on himself and leaving Northwood allowed him to become an even better player.

In his junior season, he played for the University of Mississippi State and was really strong. He threw a 4.21 ERA across 32 games, with a record of 5-3 and tacking on two saves. He also held opponents to a .243 batting average, allowing 41 hits.

Cleveland was interested in what he had to offer, especially considering his wonky pitching style through opposing batters off, and decided to use a late-round flyer on him.

Expectations for Schuelke Moving Forward

As Schuelke continues to work his way through the minors, the main thing to look for is consistency. His numbers in college show that he's an excellent talent, but reliability comes in waves.

While he didn't play much in 2025, 2026 is set to be a year of investment for the Guardians. They already gave him a non-rostered invite to spring training, allowing him to compete against major-league level bats. That alone shows that they believe he's got something in the tank.

He's expected to start the new year in either Single or High-A, but a promotion to Double-A by the end of the season could be in his timeline. After all, he is just freshly 24 years old and isn't in a dire position to rise through the system.

The next chance to hopefully see the "witchcraft" filled arm will be on Monday, Feb. 23, at 3:05 p.m. EST. That'll be the Guardians' fourth game of spring training against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This game will not be televised.

Through the first three games, the team has an undefeated 3-0 record.