Bigge is the 359th former Northwoods League player to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – Former Duluth Huskie Hunter Bigge made his Major League debut for the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. Bigge is the 359th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Bigge, who played collegiately at Harvard University, played for the Duluth Huskies in 2018. He was drafted in the 12th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Cubs.
In 2019 with the Huskies, Bigge appeared in 10 games on the mound. He was 4-2 with a 3.14 ERA and had 52 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched. At the plate he hit .281 in 38 games and had eight doubles, 12 RBI and four stolen bases.
Bigge started his professional career in 2019 with the Cubs 1 team in the Rookie level Arizona League. He would pitch in one game before moving to the Eugene Emeralds of the Short-Season A Northwest League. Across eight appearances he was 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA. He struck out 22 batters in 16.0 innings while walking 10.
In 2021 Bigge spent the season with the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Central League. He pitched in 17 games and was 1-2 with a 5.66 ERA. He had one save to go along with 29 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.
Bigge started the 2022 season in South Bend and then was promoted, after 29 games, to the Tennessee Smokies of the AA Southern League. Between the two clubs he was a combined 3-1 with 70 strikeouts in 53.0 innings. He won seven games and had 10 saves.
To start the 2023 season Bigge was back in Tennessee with the Smokies. He would pitch in 31 games before moving up to the Iowa Cubs of the AAA International League. In 42 games with both teams, he was 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He struck out 68 batters in 54.0 innings and had two saves.
Prior to his callup to the Cubs, Bigge had been with the Cubs Rookie team in the Arizona Complex League, the South Bend Cubs and in Iowa. He was 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in 13 games. He had 22 strikeouts in 11.2 innings to go along with six saves. In his Major League debut against the Baltimore Orioles, Bigge entered the game in relief and pitched one inning and allowed no runs on no hits while striking out one.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 355 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, 2021 and 2023 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
