Brady Stuart was traveling to North Dakota on Thursday morning when a phone call redirected his life’s course.
“I received a call on the bus offering me the opportunity to pitch for the Angels,” Stuart told the T&G over the phone on Friday.
The 22-year-old Hudson native has agreed to a minor league free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels, officially becoming a professional baseball player.
“It’s surreal. It almost feels unreal,” Stuart said from his Phoenix hotel room, where he is meeting with undrafted free agents and 2026 MLB Draft picks signed by the Angels.
“This is something I’ve dreamed about and worked toward for so long—it’s incredible to finally see it become reality.”
Hudson’s Brady Stuart was the D3 National Pitcher of the Year at Endicott.
Following a standout career at Hudson High, where he earned two-time T&G Hometeam All-Star honors before graduating in 2022, Stuart excelled at Endicott College for four seasons.
This past spring, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-hander was named consensus Division III National Pitcher of the Year, leading Endicott’s pitching staff to a College World Series runner-up finish. He concluded his senior season with a 9-1 record (14th in DIII), 1.81 ERA (14th in DIII), and 103 strikeouts (seventh in DIII) over 89.1 innings pitched (eighth in DIII).
Brady Stuart, a Hudson High graduate, was named D3baseball.com, ABCA All-Region II and CNE pitcher of the year after going 7-0 in the regular season for Endicott College.
“It was amazing,” Stuart said. “We had a pretty special team this year.”
“Stu was a fierce competitor on the field, and his leadership was displayed in many ways that positively impacted the team,” said Endicott junior catcher James Benestad, a Northborough native. “Catching him the past three years is something I will cherish forever. This season, in particular, was the most fun.”
After his college season ended, Stuart did not receive interest from MLB organizations or scouts. He pitched in the Futures League Northeast Prospects Game at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut, in June and previously played for the Worcester Bravehearts in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
Bravehearts pitcher Brady Stuart from Hudson throws in the first inning against Nashua at Fitton Field Thursday.
Though a few scouts contacted him before the MLB Draft in July, his name was not selected in the 20 rounds. “It was a weird process,” Stuart said. “It didn’t pan out.”
Four days after the draft concluded, while traveling with the St. Cloud Rox of the Northwoods League, Stuart’s phone buzzed. An Angels scout offered him a contract and plane ticket, marking the start of his professional journey.
“I was like, ‘That’s awesome, let’s do it,'” Stuart recalled. After waiting six hours at a Chipotle in North Dakota for pickup, he returned to Minnesota to pack and fly to Arizona. “It all happened pretty quickly.”
“The last three days have felt like a month,” he added.
While Stuart has not yet officially signed the contract (pending physical), he is preparing to begin his professional career with the Arizona Complex League, the Angels’ rookie affiliate.
“Ever since I was a kid, this was my dream,” Stuart said. “When it actually happens, you’re like, ‘Is this real?’ But I’ve thought about it for so long. It’s a strange mix of disbelief and excitement.”
Chairman’s Cup tournament most valuable player Brady Stuart, second from right, with his trophies after Hudson Post 100’s 8-6 win over Andover Post 8 at Riverside Park in Hudson, August 11, 2022.
A former teammate joked that Stuart now plays baseball professionally while others take traditional jobs. “I get to play a kid’s game,” Stuart said. “It’s something I won’t take for granted.”
New England fans expressed pride in Stuart’s achievement. “I’m incredibly proud of Brady,” Hudson High baseball coach Tim Reinhardt said via text. “He was the ultimate competitor in practices and games. Watching his growth and success has been rewarding. He’s a great player and person—this is well-deserved.”
Hudson baseball all-star Brady Stuart.
From Division III baseball to the professional ranks, and from Massachusetts to Arizona, Stuart’s journey culminated with one pivotal phone call on a bus to North Dakota. “Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Everyone has a different path, and this is super special. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet.”