On this edition of The Baltimore Battery’s Prospect Profiles Countdown, we’re going to give you an overview of the 11th overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher and No. 2 overall prospect Grayson Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was drafted by the Orioles out of Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas. The 19-year-old rightie is listed as 6’5″, 220 lbs.
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After being drafted in 2018, Rodriguez pitched in nine games with the Rookie GulfCoast League, in which he started eight games and went 0-2. In his 19.1 innings pitched, Rodriguez pitched to an impressive 1.40 ERA and recorded 20 strikeouts while on the mound.
Rodriguez spent his first full season in the Orioles organization with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, helping lead them to a 90-win season and a Northern Division First Half Championship title.
Rodriguez picked up right where he left off in 2018, dominating the entire season in Delmarva. The Orioles’ No. 2 overall prospect and the No. 44 ranked prospect in all of baseball went 10-4, tossing 94 innings of work in 20 games, all starts.
Rodriguez recorded a 2.68 ERA for the 2019 season and was selected to the South Atlantic League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star Games. The young stud was also voted as the South Atlantic League Most Outstanding Major League Prospect for 2019.
What was most impressive about the year Rodriguez had was his strikeout to walk ratio. Rodriguez tallied 129 strikeouts and just 36 walks the entire year. In addition, he only allowed 57 hits all year.
Rodriguez made his name known around Major League Baseball, so much so that he was invited to play in the 2019 Futures Game with fellow Orioles pitching prospect DL Hall.
https://twitter.com/Orioles/status/1148055474035732480?s=19
The awards and accolades don’t stop there for Rodriguez. Along with everything else, Rodriguez was named Jim Palmer Minor League Co-Pitcher of the year, sharing the title with fellow prospect Michael Baumann.
Rodriguez said this during an interview earlier this year:
“I just want to go out and compete,” said Rodriguez. “Control what I can control, do my best out there on the mound, practice hard, play hard, and just do the best I possibly can.”
Rodriguez is expected to be promoted to the High-A Frederick Keys for the 2020 season.
To all the fans saying that the organization needs pitching, pitching, and more pitching, just look at this up-and-coming young man.
Orioles fans are going to hear the name Grayson Rodriguez for years to come, and if all goes as expected, the O’s could be looking at their future ace.
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