Baseball's No. 2 Pitching Prospect Makes MLB Debut

The time has finally arrived. Not only for Baltimore Orioles fans, but for baseball fans in general. The game's No. 2 (some would say top) pitching prospect has gotten the call. Grayson Rodriguez will make his major league debut against none other than Jacob deGrom on Wednesday as the O's take on the Texas Rangers.

Gas is on the rise. pic.twitter.com/FuXPvJD3qy
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 5, 2023

After striking out an average of 12.8 batters per nine innings during his rise through the minors, G-Rod will now bring that heat to The Show.

“I think you dream about it a lot as a kid, but you’re very fortunate to be in this situation,” Rodriguez said. “So I’m pretty grateful for it. As a younger kid, this is definitely what I dreamed of.”

Everyone is hyped to see Rodriguez on the mound, including his new batterymate, last year's Rookie of the Year runner-up, Adley Rutschman. “I’m very excited to see. Because he definitely has a lot of potential.”

The 23-year-old was the 11th overall pick in the 2018 Draft and has soared through the minors with a 2.49 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 70 games.

Rodriguez didn't break camp with the O's after spring training, but they suddenly had to switch up their pitching plans after Kyle Bradish exited his season debut on Monday in the second inning with a foot injury. Tyler Wells, Tuesday’s scheduled starter, was forced into five innings of relief. That meant that Kyle Gibson, Wednesday's scheduled starter, was bumped up to Tuesday.

Now, it's Wednesday: Enter G-Rod.