We have finally hit the top five prospects in the Orioles system, and we have reached the final pitcher on the O’s top 30 list.
Chayce McDermott is also the last player not to be drafted by the Orioles on the list. Let’s dive into the O’s No. 5 overall prospect on this edition of Prospect Profiles.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50
McDermott attended Ball State University and pitched 10 games, with nine of them being starts, during the 2019 season, when he carried a 3.64 ERA, held batters to a .228 average and struck out 54 batters. His 2020 season was shortened because of COVID and was his worst collegiate season, having a 5.02 ERA in just three starts.
His 2021 season was by far his best season, and it really helped his draft stock. He posted an 8-2 record, a 3.05 ERA in 15 starts and 82.2 innings of work, walked just 36 batters and struck out 125. He also held batters to a .204 batting average.
McDermott was ranked 127th, according to MLB Pipeline, for the 2021 draft. The Houston Astros selected the lengthy right-hander with the 132nd pick.
McDermott made his professional debut on August 13, 2021, with the Astros’ FCL rookie ball team. He would pitch just three innings and give up one hit and strike out seven. That would be enough for him to be called up to the Low-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers, where he pitched six games and held a 3.44 ERA, striking out 33 batters.
McDermott spent the 2022 season in High-A for the Astros with the Asheville Tourists. He had a 6-1 record with a 5.50 ERA in 19 games, including 10 starts, and would end up striking out 114.
On August 1, 2022, McDermott would be traded to the Orioles in a three-team deal that sent beloved Oriole Trey Mancini to the Astros. The Anderson, IN, native would finish the season with the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds, where he made just two starts.
McDermott’s 2023 season started with the Double-A Bowie Baysox, where, despite a 5-6 record, he compiled a 3.56 ERA, struck out 88 batters and did enough to get the call-up to Triple-A Norfolk.
As a Norfolk Tide, McDermott really showed out as a two-time International League Pitcher of the Week. He would post a 2.49 ERA and 64 strikeouts to 24 walks.
McDermott’s would earn two more International Pitcher of the Week honors in 2024 before a special July day. On the 24th, McDermott would get the call and make his MLB debut.
McDermott would take the mound against the Miami Marlins and give up five hits, three earned runs, walk two batters and strike out three in four innings of work. He would be sent back down to Norfolk the next day.
The 26-year-old’s fastball lives in the mid-90s, and his slider is the better of his two breaking balls, though he uses an average curveball more against lefties to keep them off balance. He tweaked the grip of his changeup last year to make it more of a splitter, but it’s still his offspeed pitch that needs the most refinement.
McDermott needs to continue refining his location to remain on a starter’s track, with the chance to develop into a back-end rotation piece thanks to his combination of durability and bat-missing stuff.
What are your thoughts on O’s No. 5 overall prospect, Chayce McDermott? 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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