As I’m writing this article, the holidays have come and gone.
For some, they got insane presents, and for others, they had unbelievable experiences. For Luis De León in 2021, he was signed as an international prospect as an early holiday present. Let’s dive into the Orioles’ No. 8 overall prospect on this edition of Prospect Profiles.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45
If you were to look at De León now, you would probably guess that he was paid good money from the international pool to be an Oriole. However, when he signed his contract on December 15, 2021, he was getting paid $30,000.
De León made his professional debut in the DSL on June 10, 2022, when he made his first start, going 4.2 innings and walking five batters. He didn’t give up a hit but still gave up three earned runs and struck out six. He would pitch in 10 games in the DSL in 2022 and post a 5.14 ERA in 26 innings but did strike out 45 batters and walk only 13.
De León started the 2023 season in the FCL, where he started six games and had a 2-0 record while carrying a 1.65 ERA. He gave up just five earned runs, pitched 27.1 innings and struck out 36 batters.
He would get the call to the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds in July of 2023, where he would continue to dominate opponents. He had a 2.39 ERA, giving him a season ERA of 2.01, struck out 31 batters in Delmarva and in just his second week with the Shorebirds, he would be named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week, when he pitched six innings of shutout ball with nine strikeouts across two games.
De León’s 2023 season was his breakout campaign, to say the least. His 2024 season started that way and then took an unexpected turn. The 21-year-old started with pitching to a 2.25 ERA with the Shorebirds in seven starts before getting called up to High-A Aberdeen on May 21.
In the month of June with Aberdeen, De León pitched to a 5.24 ERA. He finished the season with a 5.73 ERA with the IronBirds, had a control problem walking 42 batters in 59 innings and had posted a WHIP of 1.88.
At 6-foot-3, De León uses big arm speed to sling heavy mid-90s fastballs that hitters tend to pound into the ground. He’s revved that heater up to 98 mph and has a pair of secondary offerings that could be average or better in the future: A changeup with good fade and a sharp slider with three-quarter break.
Though De León lacks full polish right now, he’ll only be 22 for the 2025 season, and he’s athletic enough to make the adjustments necessary to command his arsenal long-term. His stuff is plenty enough at this point to get excited about, with a legitimate three-pitch mix from the left side, giving De León a chance to stick as a starter.
What are your thoughts on O’s No. 8 overall prospect, Luis De León? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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