Baltimore Orioles Nab Hard Throwing Pitcher In Mock Draft

The Orioles look to bolster their pitching staff in MLB Pipeline's mock draft.

Brody Brecht (14) of Iowa throws strikes as the Florida International University Panthers play the Iowa Hawks in a three-game series at Principal Park in Des Moines on Thursday, May 16, 2024. / Lee Navin/For the Register / USA TODAY

The Baltimore Orioles have been looking to boost their pitching staff as much as they can. That included trading for ace Corbin Burnes in the offseason as well as banking on Grayson Rodriguez taking a step forward. With the draft coming up, they have the chance to help their future rotation. Picking at 22 overall, MLB Pipeline has them taking college pitcher Brody Brecht.

A product of the University of Iowa, Brecht is a hard throwing, 6'4" right hander with exciting stuff. The issue, however, is that he struggles mightily with his command.

Brecht has two "plus-plus" pitches, which is shown by both his fastball and slider being a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His fastball sits in the upper-90s and can even touch 101, according to his scouting report. The pitch has "explosive running action" and "superior shape to [Paul] Skenes' fastball," which gives an idea of the level of pitch it is.

His slider is just as good of a pitch and his best secondary offering. He uses it more than his fastball, and is his go to pitch for the swing and miss. It can break 90 mph and has "plenty of horizontal and vertical action."

Brecht's third pitch is his splitter, which isn't nearly as good of a pitch as his other two. Rated a 50, about average, it still needs a lot of work. According to his scouting report, it has "promising tumble at best."

Coming into the college baseball season, Brecht was considered one of the top arms in the country. However, his command took a step backwards and the right hander fell in the prospect rankings. Currently, he sits at 21 overall on Pipeline's list.

The 21-year-old was still an elite strikeout pitcher, with a rate of 14.7 per nine in 2024. His 128 strikeouts were tied for the seventh most in the country. While his ERA lowered from 3.74 in 2023 to 3.33 in 2024, the concern is the walks. He struggled with the free pass in 2023, allowing 4.9 per nine, but that took a jump to 5.6 this past season.

Given his command issues, and the lack of a real third pitch as of now, it's certainly possible that Brecht could end up as a reliever. However, with most pitchers, he will be given his fair shake out of the rotation at first. With professional pitching coaches, he may be able to figure out the command well enough to be a starter. But, the risk is still there.

Where the Orioles sit in the draft, any player they choose comes with a lot of risk. With Brecht, the ceiling is high enough that it would be worth it. While they have produced plenty of position players, the pitchers haven't been coming at the same rate. Brecht could be that guy, were he to end up in Baltimore.