The Baltimore Orioles have already brought one of their top prospects to the majors. With Adley Rutschman having already made his debut, Grayson Rodriguez could end up with a very quick reunion with his former minor league and top prospect and battery mate.
The Orioles are not likely to be finishing in a fight to win the American League East this season and with a record of 17-25 entering play on Monday, they most likely will not be contenders for the wild card either.
Grayson Rodriguez would be next reason for optimism with Baltimore Orioles
However, with that said there is much to be optimistic about in Baltimore. Their staff has been extremely impressive, and that’s without their ace John Means who underwent season ending Tommy John surgery. The team’s found a solid core with Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, and Ryan Mountcastle, giving the Birds the opportunity to build for the first time in a while.
“It is very encouraging to know that we have a lot more on the horizon ” an Orioles insider told me. “It’s not everyday you get to make national news when you promote a player,” regarding Rutschman’s major league debut.
I personally could not think of a more opportune time to give Rodriguez the call-up, especially with all the buzz surrounding the team at the moment. Manager Brandon Hyde has been one of the most patient men in the game today, enduring some brutal seasons and finally has the opportunity to begin to piece together the team that could potentially bring another division title to the city of Baltimore. The next step for the team would be promoting Rodriguez.
Rodriguez could use the remainder of the 2022 season to get his feet wet in the pros and build up his game against the top competition there is in baseball. With a few off-season accusations and the continued growth of their young talent, the Baltimore Orioles could be legitimate contenders in 2023 and beyond. The time is now to bring their top pitching prospect to the majors.