UCLA Baseball Scores a Rare Gem: Meet Fabio Bundi, Zurich’s Rising Pitching Sensation!

When it comes to recruiting, UCLA baseball coach John Savage isn’t picky about your passport — he cares about your brain, your baseball chops, and your character. So it was no surprise when he welcomed Fabio Bundi, a right-handed hurler from Switzerland, onto the Bruin roster this Wednesday. Bundi’s no ordinary signee; this 22-year-old fireballer has been flashing a 95-mph fastball, catching eyes as one of nine talented players inked with grant-in-aids. Now in his sophomore year at Monterey Peninsula College, Bundi swapped the courts and fields of tennis and soccer in his homeland for the diamond at age seven. Baseball isn’t exactly a household name in Switzerland, leaving many to wonder if he’s swinging or hurling, but for Bundi, the sport is his entire world. Standing 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 200 pounds, his velocity ramped up through his teen years, and last season’s stats—8-2 record, 2.20 ERA, and 101 strikeouts over 86 innings—are proof he’s someone to watch. Coach Savage spotted him during a Northern California showcase, and now the big league scouts will be circling, eager to see what he can do this spring under the UCLA banner. With English fluency on his side and a deep admiration for pitching elite Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bundi’s journey from the obscure Swiss baseball scene to the bright lights of Los Angeles is just getting started. Curious about the details? LEARN MORE

UCLA baseball coach John Savage doesn’t care where you come from, as long as you have grades, skills and character. That’s why he had no problem Wednesday signing a junior college player from Switzerland, right-handed pitcher Fabio Bundi, who has a 95-mph fastball. He was one of nine players to sign to grant-in-aids.

Bundi, 22, is in his second season playing for Monterey Peninsula College. In Switzerland, he said he got bored playing tennis and soccer, so he turned to baseball when he was 7.

“My life is baseball,” he said.

The sport is so little known in Switzerland that Bundi said people ask, “What sport? Do you hit or do you throw?'”

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐨! ✍️

Switzerland ➡️ Monterey ➡️𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬
This hard-throwing righty is officially a Bruin!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/n1dRJR8vOf

— UCLA Baseball (@UCLABaseball) November 12, 2025

He’s 6 feet 2, 200 pounds and has been gaining velocity as he grew in his teenage years. Last season as a freshman, he was 8-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 86 innings. Savage saw him pitch in a Northern California showcase.

Now the question is how good Bundi becomes as a pitcher. With his signing with UCLA, he’s certain to attract additional interest from pro baseball scouts this spring. A good season will give him options.

He’s been accepted as a student at UCLA but still needs to pass an English test. He’s fluent in English, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

He said he admires Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

No one would guess he’s from Switzerland because his baseball knowledge is high. He does have a little bit of an accent. But when people see his fastball and 12-to-6 curveball, they can only conclude he’s a pitcher to watch.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.