According to multiple industry sources, the Baltimore Orioles have added their No. 19 prospect, right-hander Brandon Young, to the taxi squad.
Young, 26, is scheduled to make his major league debut Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds from Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He will be the first homegrown pitcher solely developed by the Mike Elias regime to make it to Baltimore.
Young began his baseball career at Howard College, a JUCO level establishment in San Angelo, Texas. He pitched 19 starts, carrying a 5.25 ERA in 85.2 innings of work and had an 8-6 record, gave up 81 hits, 50 earned runs, walked 55 batters and struck out 108.
Young would transfer to Louisiana Lafayette, where he would pitch his final two seasons of college ball. In 20 games, including 12 starts, Young would compile a 6-5 record with a 3.65 ERA. He pitched 79 innings, gave up 54 hits, 32 earned runs, walked 43 batters and struck out 109.
Young would go undrafted in the six rounds of the shortened 2020 MLB Draft and would later be signed by the Orioles.
Young would make his professional debut during the 2021 season with the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds and wasted no time posting a 2.60 ERA in his first five games with the club. He would spend just three months with the Shorebirds before being called up to High-A Aberdeen on July 27.
He would finish the 2021 season with a 3.52 ERA in 23 total games, including 20 starts, collecting 114 strikeouts and holding batters to a .210 batting average in 84.1 total innings of work.
His 2022 season wouldn’t be the same, unfortunately, as after just three games with the Double-A Bowie Baysox, Young had to undergo elbow surgery, which would end his season.
It would be 15 months before Young would hit the mound again for his first rehab assignment during the 2023 season. He would show struggles in his 2023 campaign, pitching 11 starts and having a 4.50 ERA in just 40 total innings of work. Young earned 40 strikeouts and only walked six batters.
Young’s 2024 season would start with him in Bowie, but he would eventually be called up to Triple-A Norfolk on May 28. He posted a 3.57 ERA in 27 games and 24 starts.
Young struck out a career-high 132 batters, held them to a .243 batting average and pitched his first season over 100 innings with 111. This would be good enough for Young to earn the Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year honor.
In three starts with Norfolk this season, the six-foot-six right-hander has a 2.76 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 16.1 innings of work, with 17 strikeouts to his name.
The Lumberton, Texas, native is making his big league debut somewhat ahead of schedule due to the injuries of both Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez. A corresponding move is pending to create room on the 26-man roster.
Welcome to the big leagues, Brandon Young!
UPDATE: The Orioles have designated right-hander Scott Blewett for assignment to make room for Young on the 26-man roster. In two appearances (4.1 innings) with the Birds, Blewett struck out six and gave up one unearned run.
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