Baltimore Orioles Select Flamethrower In Latest Mock Draft

Baltimore is projected to select electric yet erratic starter in MLB Pipeline's newest 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 will be picking 22nd overall in the 2024 MLB draft, and Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline has them selecting Iowa Hawkeyes starter Brody Brecht in Thursday's mock draft. Brecht has been a polarizing player over the entire process, but possesses elite stuff that could make teams regret letting him fall.

Brecht was considered one of the pitchers to keep an eye on for this year's draft, but he struggled with his ability to throw strikes and was surpassed by other prospects, but is still considered a first rounder because of his ceiling.

The 21-year-old sports two plus-plus pitches, both his fastball and slider getting a 70 grade on his scouting report. Pipeline's scouting report compares both offering to that of Paul Skenes, but that's not to say Brecht is close to that level of prospect. The right hander's fastball sits in the upper 90's and touches 101, and the slider sits high 80's and is his best bat misser.

The issue, though, is his control. His lack of control, given a 40 grade, caused him to walk over five batters per nine innings in 2024, walking 49 batters in 78.1 innings. The reason he is both polarizing and intriguing, though, is ability to strike batters out despite all of the walks. He was in the top ten in the country in strike outs, with 14.7 K/9.

The Iowa product is one of the hardest players in the draft to nail down in terms of the range he could be selected. The peaks and valleys of him as a pitcher could cause him to go higher than some expect or he could take a hard fall. Normally, that's something you see with a prep arm.

Should he fall to Baltimore, it could end up being a steal for the Orioles. He won't move as quickly as many college arms do, but they wouldn't necessarily need that. The team has shown a great ability to develop pitching prospects over the last few seasons, with Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez both taking big steps forward over the last year.

Brecht will need time to hone his command and would have the patience in the Baltimore system to do so.

The Orioles also have two supplemental picks in the first round, and Callis had them select Mississippi State outfielder Dakota Jordan and Stanford catcher Malcolm Moore with those picks. In 2024, Jordan hit 20 home runs for the Bulldogs while Moore hit 16 as the Cardinal's backstop.

All in all, Baltimore has a real shot to boost an already stellar minor league system in this year's draft. If they are able to land a high upside pitcher like Brecht, they will be sitting pretty.