(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
The Baltimore Orioles had top prospect Grayson Rodriguez make his MLB debut on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.
It was no easy assignment: the game was played at Globe Life Field, in Texas, and he was facing Jacob deGrom.
The Rangers ended up winning, but all things considered, G-Rod didn’t disappoint: he pitched five solid innings with two earned runs allowed and four hits.
He walked one and struck out five.
deGrom was just better.
Still, it’s just the first of many MLB starts that are surely in store for Rodriguez.
Despite playing on the road, it was almost a home game for Rodriguez, though.
“Grayson Rodriguez grew up in Nacogdoches, Texas, 3 hours down the road from Globe Life Field where he’ll be making his MLB debut today. Pretty special. As a high school junior, he went 14-1 with 178 Ks and a 0.38 ERA. Oh, and he also hit .511 with 11 HRs and 53 RBIs,” independent baseball content producer Shawn Spradling tweeted.
Grayson Rodriguez grew up in Nacogdoches, Texas, 3 hours down the road from Globe Life Field where he’ll be making his MLB debut today. Pretty special.
As a high school junior, he went 14-1 with 178 Ks and a 0.38 ERA. Oh, and he also hit .511 with 11 HRs and 53 RBIs.
G-Rod. pic.twitter.com/lYqcoYeljr
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) April 5, 2023
Look at those high school numbers: Rodriguez was a beast.
A 14-1 record with a 0.38 ERA is absolutely incredible.
Well, he had a 2.20 ERA in Triple-A last year, so the dominance carried over to his professional career.
Armed with a high-90s fastball, some impressive secondaries and good control and command, Rodriguez is poised to be a star.
Even if he returns to the minors when Kyle Bradish is healthy enough to pitch in a couple of weeks, he is widely expected to be a member of the Orioles’ rotation by the summer.
Of course, there is the chance he impresses enough in his current stint that the team decides to keep him.
That should be the way to go if they want to go to the postseason.
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