Joseph Dzierwa’s first season in pro ball turned into exactly the kind of run the Orioles rarely get from a pitching prospect this quickly.
The 22-year-old left-hander, taken 58th overall out of Michigan State last year, raced from High-A Frederick to Double-A Chesapeake and spent most of the year there carving through lineups with a fastball that lived in the mid-90s, a diving changeup and a sweeper/cutter combination that kept hitters guessing. By the end, he had firmly put himself on the map as the Orioles’ 2026 Minor League Player of the Year.
The numbers tell the story of a pitcher who kept getting better while the season wore on. Dzierwa finished with a 2.27 ERA over 131 innings, including a 2.29 mark in 90.1 Double-A innings. He struck out 149, walked 30, gave up eight home runs and posted a 0.90 WHIP.
He also stayed in control start after start. Dzierwa allowed two earned runs or fewer in 21 of his 26 outings, walked one batter or fewer in 20 of them, and handled both sides of the plate almost the same way, holding lefties to a .523 OPS and righties to a .540 OPS.
His path to that kind of production was unusually fast by Orioles standards. Since Mike Elias took over baseball operations in November 2018, the club had not drafted a pitcher higher than Dzierwa, and it had never pushed a recent draftee into the high minors so quickly, whether pitcher or hitter.
Even in the middle of that surge, Dzierwa didn’t sound like someone ready to celebrate his stuff. Early in one of the best pro debuts an Orioles pitching prospect has had in years, he was quick to say his cut-ride fastball felt flat to him, and he didn’t think much of his breaking ball early in the season, either.
Double-A Chesapeake manager Roberto Mercado described Dzierwa as having a great “goofball” personality, but said the left-hander turns serious when it’s time to work. That approach showed up in the way he handled adversity too. Dzierwa had a couple tougher outings late in the year, but Mercado said he kept learning from them, a trait that should matter as he moves higher through the system and heads toward a possible big league opportunity next season.
“A lot of times, his outings are three-up, three-down, and he got into a little bit of a jam early and still found a way to give us five innings,” Mercado said. “I think that’s just a valuable lesson of not hitting the panic button and knowing, ‘I’m still good enough to get guys out even if I maybe don’t have my best command that day.’
” I was super impressed with him.”
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Orioles May Have To Sacrifice Top Prospect Talent For A Real Star
After two straight trips to the postseason, the Orioles took a step back in 2025 by missing the playoffs and then sending Adley Rutschman elsewhere at the deadline, a move that made the organizational direction feel a little less certain. Even with the setback, Baltimore still has the kind of young talent that other clubs covet, especially on the mound and in the outfield, and that depth is part of what keeps the front office in a position to retool quickly if it chooses.
The question now is whether the Orioles are willing to turn some of that promise into a more immediate difference-maker. Pitching prospect Joseph Dzierwa and outfielder Nate George are among the names that could draw real attention in trade talks, and for a club trying to get back into contention without giving away its long-term core, the decision may come down to how far Baltimore wants to go in chasing a proven star. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Sweep Just Sparked A Public Challenge From Craig Albernaz
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Jackson accepted the blame for swinging at a pitch after the bases were loaded, making it clear he knew the moment slipped away. For a Baltimore team trying to steady itself, the message from the dugout was less about one miscue than about the level of focus required going forward. Albernazs public challenge leaves the Orioles with a familiar question: whether the response will come quickly enough to stop a rough stretch from lingering. [Read more 🡒]
Flix Bautistas Return Gives Orioles Fans A Reason To Look Ahead
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Flix Bautistas return offered the clearest reason for optimism. The right-hander took the mound for the first time since last July after right shoulder surgery and struck out two in relief, a welcome step for a bullpen and a fan base that has been waiting a long time to see him back in action. Even in a loss, that kind of late-season look carries some real weight for Baltimore. [Read more 🡒]