Mike Elias and his staff conducted their first MLB draft with the Orioles during the 2019 season, the year they selected catcher Adley Rutschman No. 1/1 – the first pick in the first round.
But they didn’t draft a pitcher until the eighth round. In 2020 and 2021 they didn’t draft a pitcher until round five. In 2022, their first pitcher taken was in round three, followed by round two in 2023 and round four last year.
Under Elias, the O’s have never selected a pitcher with their top pick or any first-round pick, and they’ve only selected three pitchers among their top 100 picks over his six previous drafts for Baltimore.
The highest drafted pitcher under Elias was Florida State right-hander Jackson Baumeister taken No. 63 overall in 2023. Last season, Baumeister made 18 starts with a 3.06 ERA at High-A Aberdeen and then he was part of a trade. On July 26th, the O’s added right-hander Zach Eflin from Tampa Bay in a deal for Baumeister, infielder/outfielder Mac Horvath and outfielder Matthew Etzel. Baumeister was the club’s No. 17 prospect by MLBPipeline.com at the time of the deal.
Just like that, the highest-drafted pitcher under Elias was gone.
Of those three pitchers taken among the top 100 selections by Elias, they did not sign one. The Orioles selected Oklahoma State pitcher Nolan McLean in round three (No. 81 overall) in 2022, but he went back to school. The Mets drafted him in round three a year later and signed him, and he became a two-way player and one that Baseball America just ranked No. 99 in their latest top 100 list. Reports say McLean gave up hitting in the second half of last year to concentrate on pitching. The other top 100 the O’s drafted was right-hander Kiefer Lord, in round three in 2023, No. 86 overall. He had Tommy John surgery last July 3rd.
So, of the three top 100 drafted pitchers, two are not with the organization and the other is neither active nor healthy.
The Orioles have some pitching prospects they like, but it might be time to take a pitcher with a first-round pick or a high selection.
In the 2025 draft, the O’s have six selections among the first 94 picks, and they will draft at Nos. 19, 30, 31, 59, 71 and 94.
If they used any of those first four on a pitcher, he will become the highest-drafted pitcher of the Elias front office.
It’s time for the club to use at least one of those first three or four selections on a pitcher. Try to add to their minor league pitching depth and maybe produce a top-prospect pitcher.
The most recent O’s top 100 pitchers were Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall. They have not had a top 100 pitcher not named Rodriguez or Hall since 2015 when Dylan Bundy was ranked No. 48 and Hunter Harvey No. 68.
Bundy, Harvey, Rodriguez and Hall were all first-round picks and all taken among the first 22 picks in their draft year.
In its latest college prospects list for the 2025 draft, Baseball America lists nine collegiate pitchers ranked between No. 15 and No. 38 on that list.
No. 15 – RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma
No. 16 – RHP Matt Scott, Stanford
No. 26 – RHP Cam Leiter, Florida State
No. 31 – LHP Liam Doyle, Tennessee
No. 32 – RHP Gabe Davis, Oklahoma State
No. 34 – RHP Riley Quick, Alabama
No. 35 – LHP Landon Beidelschies, Arkansas
No. 37 – LHP J.D. Thompson, Vanderbilt
No. 38 – RHP A.J. Russell, Tennessee
This list does not include high school pitchers, which can be a riskier demographic in the draft and are likely to take longer to reach the big leagues. But the O’s should have some pitchers to take a strong look at when the 2025 draft begins in July.