12 Days of Prospects: Day 4, Grayson Rodriguez
The Baltimore Orioles have the number two and four ranked prospects in baseball, with the fourth being the best pitching prospect in MLB right now. For day four, we’ll be looking at Grayson Rodriguez, the 23-year-old right-hander who, unlike the other prospects on this list, hasn’t made his MLB debut yet.
The Numbers:
Scouting grades on 20-80 scale:
- Fastball: 70
- Curveball: 50
- Slider: 60
- Changeup: 70
- Control: 60
- Overall: 60
Since being drafted in 2018, Rodriguez has been making tremendous strides in the minors. In 2022, he only pitched in two games before being called up to Triple-A. He started in 14 games, throwing a 2.20 ERA in 69 innings. Rodriguez only gave up two runs in those innings while striking out 97 — batters were hitting only .178 against him as well.
Having a 70-grade fastball and changeup will usually result in low numbers like he’s been producing his whole career. His fastball touches between 95-101 mph, and his mid-80s changeup to go behind it is a deadly combination. Rodriguez has no problem with control either, posting a 3.0 BB/9 during his minor league career.
The Potential
Similar to Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, Rodriguez’s debut is highly anticipated. He was expected to debut in 2022, but a right-lat strain sidelined him and ended his 2022 season early. When he debuts in 2023, however, it’ll be a must-watch for Baltimore fans.
His four-pitch mix is legit and has just dominated the minor leagues ever since being drafted. When you can throw a 101 mph fastball followed by an 82 mph curveball, it’s going to be hard for any hitter to make contact. The Orioles know how to scout and develop talent and alongside Rutschman and Henderson, Rodriguez is going to be an ace for this team.
The Verdict
There’s a reason he’s the best pitching prospect in baseball. He’ll no doubt put his name in the Rookie of the Year conversation and will eventually be a Cy Young winner. Not many prospects have such highly-graded pitches this early, especially four of them.
Standing six-foot-five and weighing 220 pounds certainly helps, and with that build, it’s no wonder why his fastball can easily touch triple digits. Expect a lot of All-Star appearances and a few Cy Young awards in the future for Rodríguez.
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