Back in December of 2019, GM Mike Elias was in the process of rebuilding the Baltimore Orioles from the ground up. One of the foundation building moves included a trade that showed the true process and path the front office was taking.
The Orioles would send former top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy to the Los Angeles Angels for right-handed pitchers Isaac Mattson, Kyle Brnovich, Zack Peek and Kyle Bradish.
Mattson went on to eventually be released by the Orioles, and Brnovich and Peek are working their way back from Tommy John surgeries, showing a lot of promise along the way. The fourth pitcher obtained in the trade was Kyle Bradish, who was not even the most touted prospect of the package.
Bradish would move through the minors quickly with the Orioles. After no minor league season in 2020 due to COVID, Bradish would spend the 2021 season with Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. On May 9, 2021, the Orioles would add him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule-5 Draft.
Then, on April 29, 2022, the young right-hander would make his major league debut against the Boston Red Sox. He would pitch six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on 81 pitches (52 strikes). Though he would pick up the loss, Bradish showed the ability to command the strike zone and earn himself a second start.
Bradish would go on to have two different seasons during his rookie year. He would pitch to a 1-4 record with a 7.38 ERA before being shut down with shoulder inflammation after his June 18 start.
Upon his return on July 29, Bradish was a totally different pitcher, a more mature pitcher. He would be a crucial part of the Orioles’ surge going forward, as they would fight for a postseason birth before coming up short in the final week of the season.
Bradish would make 12 starts from his return and would accumulate a 3-3 record with a 2.65 ERA over that span. He would allow three earned runs or fewer in 11 of those starts, including a 2-0 record and 0.00 ERA against the eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros.
Bradish showed enough that the Orioles would welcome him back to the rotation for 2023, and after a full season as a starter, he would have the experience to improve from his rookie year. After going 4-7 with a 4.90 ERA and 1.40 WHIP as a rookie, Bradish has shown what he learned and applied it towards his growth in 2023.
His recent victory over the Oakland Athletics on August 21 highlighted just how dominant Bradish can be. He struck out seven of nine batters to open the game, gave up only two hits in six innings and allowed zero runs.
In 23 starts this season, Bradish has given up three earned runs or less in 20 of them. Currently, he has a 3.03 ERA, which is tops in the AL and the fourth best in all of baseball. Though his record is only 8-6, it’s easy to see, with more run support, Bradish could easily have more victories.
Bradish has dropped his WHIP to 1.10 this season, has pitched 127.2 innings, 10 more than last season, and improved his batting average against from .265 to .225. He has a K/9 of 8.6 and a BB/9 of just 2.47, an improvement on his 8.5 K/9 and 3.53 BB/9 from last season.
According to FanGraphs, Bradish is leaving 79.3% of base runners stranded, up 9.1% from last season. His home runs per nine have also dropped 0.45 points to 0.85 HR/9 on the season. This has seen Bradish’s WAR go from 0.7 on the 2022 season to 2.4 this season, third among Orioles pitchers and second among starters behind Kyle Gibson.
It’s easy to see that Bradish has the makings of a top rotation pitcher going forward. He gives his team a chance to win every moment he takes the mound and takes pride in allowing little to no runs and completing at least six innings every time out.
Going forward, Bradish will play a crucial role in the Orioles’ push towards a postseason birth and an AL East Title. The question is, how much better will Bradish be during this stretch?
After all, he doesn’t mind flying under the radar. He’s been doing it all year and is quietly making a name for himself as an ace-levl starting pitcher in this league.
What do you think of Bradish’s success this season? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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