These 8 Orioles Pitchers Are Standing Out Down On The Farm

Is this going to be the #YearOfThePitcher?

Written by: Nick Stevens

It’s well known that the Baltimore Orioles have a surplus of bats down on the farm, showing an unbelievable ability to turn top draft picks into big leaguers. But rarely does the pitching development get the love or respect it deserves. Will that change in 2024? 

It’s trending that way. 

We’re only a few weeks into the minor league season, but several arms are showing notable improvements already, or making some eye-opening first impressions as a large group of 2023 draft picks begin their pro careers this season. 

I won’t be able to discuss everyone who is impressing in this piece, but I thought I would go level-by-level and highlight two names at each stop who have impressed me thus far. 

Delmarva:

RHP Michael Forret: A 14th-round pick out of the JUCO ranks last year, Forret made his debut against the Fred Nats and gave up five runs through three frames, but the 20-year-old has been lights out since. He’s made two more starts, throwing five shutout innings in each start, while striking out 15 and walking just one with three hits allowed. 

The first thing I noticed when watching his second outing was that he appeared to put on some good weight in the offseason. I was right. According to Tread Athletics, where Forret trained in the offseason, he gained about 10 pounds, increased his velo, and revamped his repertoire. He’s now reportedly sitting 95 mph and topping out at 97 mph, with a new Deathball, Sweeper, and re-worked changeup. The very early results have been extremely positive.

LHP Riley Cooper: Cooper and Forret have formed a piggyback duo this season, and boy has it been fun to watch. Cooper was drafted one round earlier than Forret (13th), but while Forret was a 19-year-old JUCO arm, Cooper was a 21-year-old national champion out of LSU. He’s made three appearances, allowing one run over 10.2 IP (0.84 ERA), with 14 strikeouts and one walk. 

Just six of Cooper’s 91 appearances in college were starts, but the Orioles could be looking to stretch him out like they’ve done with so many other college relievers (Alex Pham, Ryan Watson, etc.). It’s a low-90s fastball but pitch metrics stand out, as have his walk/strikeout numbers throughout his career. Maybe he climbs the ladder as a starter, but the 6’2”/270-pound lefty has a solid relief floor.

Aberdeen:

RHP Cameron Weston: Moises Chace has received the majority of the hype in Aberdeen, but Cameron Weston is a man on a mission in 2024. He’s logged 12 innings thus far, posting a 0.75 ERA with a 0.83 WHIP, .153 BAA, and a 14/B K/BB, with no home runs allowed (allowed just two in his career). 

Weston pitched just 11 innings after being drafted in 2022 out of Michigan (8th round), and was limited to 43 innings last season due to an injury suffered late in spring, so seeing what he can do across a full, healthy season could be pretty fun. 

His goal this offseason was to add some weight and velo, and while I admittedly don’t have up-to-date velo numbers on him as I’m writing this, his impressively deep repertoire has been working well. Weston’s unique arm angle and breaking stuff have produced a career ground-ball rate well north of 50% which could all help lead him to a shot in the big leagues at some point in the near future. He will continue to work as a starter, but if everything continues to trend in the right direction, I don’t see why he couldn’t be an option for the Orioles out of the bullpen sometime in 2025.

RHP Edgar Portes: In 2022, Portes was 0-6 with a 6.32 ERA and a 49/37 K/BB in Delmarva. Rough. The following season in Delmarva, he lowered his ERA to 4.24 increased his strikeout rate from 18% to 31%, and cut his walk rate from 13.8% to 10.2% and earned a promotion to High-A. 

Still just 21, Portes has a 1.64 ERA through three outings, with 11 strikeouts and four walks. He can run it up into the mid-90s and his slider is a beauty when he lands it. If he can limit the walks and take a step forward against lefties, he could be a Top 30 prospect in this system.

He also worked out with Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez this offseason?

Bowie:

LHP Trey McGough: Leading up to the Rule 5 draft this past December, the three of us discussed the real possibility of McGough being added to 40-man roster. He ultimately wasn’t and went undrafted, thankfully. The Orioles selected him in the minor league phase of last year’s Rule 5, even though he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Now fully healthy, McGough is off to a solid start in Double-A and could make for a fun conversation again this offseason as he will be Rule 5 eligible, once again.

McGough can run it up to 96 and drop in some impressive big breakers (slider is probably his best secondary, along with a changeup and above-average command), allowing one run in 10 innings of work with 12 strikeouts to one walk. He hasn’t pitched a full year since 2021 in the Pirates system, so it’s safe to say his innings will be closely monitored, but he’s started making a strong case to be an offseason roster addition. 

RHP Dylan Heid: Bowie has a barn full of starters piggybacking for innings this year, but they also have a few experienced relievers who provide the org with good depth. Keagan Gillies is a known arm, Kade Strowd was written about a few times by Jon Meoli leading up to last year’s Rule 5 draft, but I wonder how many fans have heard of Dylan Heid?

Last year in Aberdeen, Heid struck out 63 in 39.1 IP with a 2.75 ERA. Through four outings this season in Bowie, Heid has 6 strikeouts to one walk and has yet to allow an earned run through 5.2 IP. He throws a fastball, slider, changeup, and splitter, running his fastball up to 97 mph. His most impressive outing so far this season? Entering a game with a runner on and no outs (as Bowie was getting hammered early), immediately getting a double play and then getting the third out with a 97 mph swinging strike and coming off the mound fired up. He’s one of a few very intriguing relief arms in the upper minors. 

Norfolk:

LHP Luis Gonzalez: I’m saving the most obvious arm for last, but wanted to highlight Luis Gonzalez. Now 32, Gonzalez was originally signed as an international free agent by the Phillies, released in 2013, signed mid-season by the Orioles, and pitched in the org through the 2019 season before electing free agency. Since then, he’s pitched in the Giants system, Japan, the Dominican, Italy, and Mexico.

After dominating in Mexico and the Dominican winter league last year, Gonzalez re-signed with the Orioles on a minor league deal and has 8 K/1 BB in 6.1 IP with Norfolk this season. His last outing before this writing featured two no-hit innings with no walks, four strikeouts, and nine whiffs. It’s a four-seam/slider mix, with his fastball averaging 94 mph. He had 11 called strikes + whiffs in that outing (42 CSW%). He’s yet to make his MLB debut. Wonder if Elias has found yet another forgotten arm who was trying to extend his career outside of affiliated ball, only to make an impact with the Orioles (even if it’s just to fill in for a few weeks due to an injury). 

LHP Cade Povich: Four starts. 0.83 ERA. 0.74 WHIP. .100 batting average against. 33 K/9 BB. That’s a 41.8% strikeout rate and an 11.4% walk rate, which is higher than you want to see but it’s lower than his 14.7% walke rate in Triple-A last season and propped up by four walks in his last outing. He’s getting whiffs on all of his outings, totalling 16, 16, and 15 in his last three outings (after getting just three in his first outing). Multiple whiffs on 4+ pitches per game on a consistent basis, limiting the long ball, and getting through 5+ innings per outing with much more ease than last year are all huge for Povich. 

He has more velo than John Means, a deep repertoire of 5-6 pitches (which are all having success so far this year), and the upside to be an effective mid-rotation starter for a championship-caliber team. If Irvin and/or Means can’t cut it in the rotation, thankfully, Povich is waiting in the wings and appears to be putting the finishing touches on this stage of his development. 

If we truly are entering the #YearOfThePitcher down on the farm, welcome. Enjoy the ride.