Rogers has been turning heads in the baseball world this June, piecing his season back together with some impressive performances. The 28-year-old lefty took the mound Friday night and delivered 6 1/3 innings of top-notch pitching, leading the Orioles to a 3-1 victory over the Nationals at Camden Yards.
In this outing, Rogers was nearly untouchable, surrendering just one run on five hits. The lone blemish came from Keibert Ruiz’s two-out RBI single in the fifth inning, which snapped Rogers’ impressive 15-inning scoreless streak. He was in command throughout, striking out seven batters without issuing a single walk.
Rogers has been on a tear since the start of June, boasting a stellar 2.05 ERA over 30 2/3 innings across five starts, with his last three outings qualifying as quality starts. Earlier this month, he had a tough-luck loss against the Padres despite allowing only two runs over six innings. He then bounced back with a masterful seven-inning shutout performance against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
So, what's behind this resurgence? It's all about the heat.
Rogers has been leaning heavily on his fastball, and it’s paying dividends. Against the Nationals, he continued this trend, throwing 46 four-seam fastballs out of 87 pitches, which accounted for 52.9% of his total pitches.
This was just slightly less than the 53.1% he threw in his previous start against the Dodgers.
The results speak for themselves. Rogers is not just throwing more fastballs; he's getting them past hitters with remarkable frequency.
Of the 16 swings-and-misses he induced against Washington, 13 came courtesy of his four-seam fastball. This ties his second-best mark for four-seam whiffs in his seven-year MLB career, matching his performance on April 5, 2021, against the Cardinals and trailing only his 14-whiff game on June 30, 2025, against Texas.
Rogers, who was named the Most Valuable Oriole in 2025 and started on Opening Day in 2026, has now dipped his ERA below 5.00 for the first time since late April, sitting at 4.99 through 15 starts.
Backing Rogers on the offensive side, Blaze Alexander came through in the clutch with a bases-loaded, two-run single in the fourth inning. Coby Mayo added some insurance with an RBI double in the seventh, ensuring that Rogers' efforts were rewarded with a victory.
Rogers' fastball is sizzling, and if he keeps this up, the Orioles could be in for some exciting times ahead.
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