The Orioles’ rotation hasn’t exactly been a strength this season. Baltimore entered Thursday with a 4.38 ERA, which puts the group 21st out of 30 MLB teams, and Brandon Young is the only starter on the staff sitting below 4.00, at 3.65. But even with that mess in the present, there’s real reason to look ahead.
Baltimore may have found two high-upside arms who are moving through the upper levels and starting to look the part: right-hander Anthony Eyanson and left-hander Joseph Dzierwa. Both have done most of their work this year at Double-A, and both have put together the kind of seasons that make a future rotation picture look a lot brighter.
Eyanson came over as the headliner in the Adley Rutschman trade return, and the early returns are loud. The 21-year-old has the look of a future ace, built around an elite mid-80s slider, a mid-90s fastball with carry that can reach triple digits, and a curveball that also projects as plus.
That kind of arsenal gives him a chance to be more than just a back-end starter; at full development, he could settle in as a strong No. 2.
The results back up the stuff. Since joining Baltimore, Eyanson has posted a 2.03 ERA in 31 Double-A innings, with 47 strikeouts and just nine walks.
Before the move, he logged a 1.69 ERA in 48 innings with the Red Sox at the same level. He already looks ready for Triple-A, and with his composure and pitch-missing ability, a major league debut by next June wouldn’t be a surprise.
Dzierwa arrived through the Draft, with Baltimore taking the Michigan State lefty in the second round in 2025. He made his pro debut this season and didn’t waste any time turning heads.
The 22-year-old started at High-A and put up a 2.21 ERA across 40.2 innings, with 10 walks and 50 strikeouts. After the promotion to Double-A, he got even better, working 90.1 innings with a 2.29 ERA, 20 walks and 99 strikeouts. Put it all together and Dzierwa finished with a 2.27 ERA and 149 strikeouts over 131 innings in a standout first full season.
At 6’8’’, Dzierwa brings a different look entirely. He has plus command, which is a big part of why his profile pops, and his fastball sits in the low-90s while touching the mid-90s when needed. The height helps everything play up, too, because hitters have a harder time getting a clean read on the ball out of his hand.
His changeup works as a strong partner to the heater, usually coming in at low-80s velocity. He also mixes in a slider and a cutter, and while those pitches lag behind the fastball and changeup, both still have room to grow.
Baltimore doesn’t have to force the timeline with either pitcher. But if Eyanson and Dzierwa keep tracking the way they have, they could become real rotation answers before long.
In Other News...
Orioles Playoff Push Just Got Tougher After Fresh Injury News
The Orioles had just given themselves a little breathing room in the playoff chase with a 7-1 win and a series sweep, the kind of result that can make a late-season push feel alive again. Their path is still narrow, but they at least carried a tiebreaker advantage over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, a small edge that matters when every game starts to feel like a referendum on October.
Now the margin for error looks even thinner. Baltimore placed infielder Jackson Holliday on the 10-day injured list with left wrist inflammation, a move that is likely to end his season, and pitcher Kyle Bradish has been diagnosed with a sports hernia. With a difficult schedule still ahead, the Orioles suddenly have more lineup uncertainty and less room to absorb it as they try to stay within reach of the postseason. [Read more 🡒]
Buck Showalter Sees One Orioles Change That Could Reshape Development
Matt Bloods departure has reopened a familiar Orioles conversation about who is really steering the organizations development plan, and Buck Showalter did not sound like someone rushing to declare a full reset. The former Baltimore manager said he still views Mike Elias as the person in charge, even as he pointed to questions about some of the draft choices and player acquisitions the club has made since 2018. For an Orioles team that has tried to build a durable pipeline from the minors to Camden Yards, the ripple effects of losing a longtime executive are hard to ignore.
Showalter also suggested the change could reach deeper into the farm system, where leadership has mattered as much as talent evaluation in shaping the clubs next wave. He mentioned minority owner Cal Ripken Jr. and minor league manager Mike Shildt as part of the broader conversation about where the organization is headed, which only adds to the sense that Bloods exit may be the start of something larger rather than the end of a single personnel move. For Baltimore, the key question now is whether the structure that helped produce its recent progress will look the same by the time the next group of prospects is ready. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Fans Furious Over Home Opener Parking Squeeze Near Orioles Game
The Ravens home opener created an awkward downtown squeeze for Baltimore sports fans, with an Orioles game happening the same day and forcing changes to parking and tailgating around the stadium. Season ticket holders were told some of their usual lots and pregame gathering spots would not be available, and the team tried to soften the blow by lining up alternate parking, refunding parking costs and offering a food and beverage stipend to those affected.
Still, the reaction from some fans has been frustration over how late the notice came and how few appealing options were left once the adjustments were announced. The Maryland Transit Administration has added service to help ease the traffic and parking crunch, but the situation underscores how much the citys two teams can complicate one another when their schedules collide on the same day. [Read more 🡒]