By all statistical accounts, Brady Cunningham had the best offensive season in Brother Rice baseball history this spring.
And close observers of the Crusaders’ program, including coach Sean McBride, will certainly back that up. For Cunningham, a junior utility player, it’s tough to wrap his head around it.
“Honestly, looking back at it, it’s kind of hard to believe some of the numbers that happened,” Cunningham said. “But the whole season has been such a great run, especially with my teammates. We had such a great group of guys.
“Through the whole offseason, everyone was pushing each other to be their best and I feel like that’s ultimately what led me to do my best this season.”
Cunningham’s best was enough to carve out a prime spot for himself among the proud legacy of Brother Rice’s program.
The 2026 Daily Southtown Baseball Player of the Year hit .539 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, a .638 on-base percentage, an 1.148 slugging percentage, an 1.785 on-base plus slugging percentage and 132 total bases.
Cunningham, a Texas A&M recruit, broke the single-season school record in every one of those categories.
“He’s rewriting the history books for us and he’s only a junior,” McBride said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to coach a lot of great players here and there were a bunch of great players to come through Brother Rice before me.
“Brady is by far the best we’ve ever had at Brother Rice. It’s not even close, in my opinion.”
As a sophomore, Cunningham broke the school record with 18 doubles. This season, most of those became home runs.
He credited his offseason weight work with Brother Rice strength and conditioning coach Michael Cano.
“Coach Cano is always bringing the energy, firing us up even for early morning lifts before school,” Cunningham said. “He’ll push you to your limits but never push you past them.
“He makes sure you go as hard as you can but never puts you at risk for an injury.”
Cunningham plays all over the field for the Crusaders, spending time at first base, third base, in the outfield and on the mound.
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His offensive dominance is perhaps even more impressive in light of the struggles he had at times on the mound this spring.
Cunningham is used to excelling in everything he does on the baseball field, so he was certainly shocked when his ERA was over 9.00 in early May.
By the end of the season, he had lowered it to 5.78 with a series of solid starts. He ended up earning four wins on the mound.
Most importantly, he never let any pitching setbacks affect his mindset at the plate.
“You just have to try your best to forget about it even though your emotions can get the best of you,” Cunningham said. “(Senior catcher) Treylan Webster did a great job of keeping me in check and making sure my emotions are in check, calling me out when they’re not and making sure I’m at my best for my teammates.
“He’s been a great mentor.”
Cunningham’s teammates also knew they could depend on him in big moments. When leadoff hitter Colin Campbell — a junior infielder heading to Louisville — got on base, he was always confident Cunningham would drive him in.
“Having someone like Brady hitting behind you in the lineup, it’s amazing,” Campbell said. “The guy is going to hit a ball hard every time. He’s going to do some damage.”
Cunningham has a big 13 months ahead of him. The hype surrounding his 2027 MLB draft status will certainly continue to build. He’s ranked as the top prospect in Illinois for the 2027 class by Prep Baseball Report.
Still, he’s determined to not get ahead of himself.
“The way I’m thinking about it is that’s all just outside noise,” Cunningham said. “I always try to just take it one step and one day at a time. I never like to look too far ahead.
“I try to focus on right now and just be where my feet are.”