I was looking at my team projections for the Orioles and noticed a name I had not seen before. Brandon Young is 26 years old but has not yet pitched in the big leagues. He spent most of last year in AAA.

With Corbin Burnes heading to free agency, the best projected starter for Baltimore is Kyle Bradish. Kyle, however, had Tommy John surgery last summer and is probably not pitching next year. Best case he returns very late in the season, but the Orioles should go forward with a plan that he won't pitch until 2026.

The next two on the list are Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin, who are very good middle of the rotation guys and Rodriguez has a chance to turn into more than that.

Next on the list are Albert Suarez, who was a very pleasant surprise last year, and Brandon Young. Both are projected at 0.8 WAR, Young for a 4.46 ERA in 122 innings with a 105-48 K-W ratio.

Young is currently listed by MLB as the #19 prospect for the Orioles. He was signed as a free agent after the abbreviated draft in 2020, I'm sure he would have been drafted somewhere had they done a full one. At AA Bowie last year he had a 36-4 K-W ratio in 22 innings and moved up one level. He then pitched 20 games and 89 innings at AAA. He struck out a little over a batter per inning. His HR rate was good, his walk rate was OK but not great.

His fastball sits in the low 90s, an average of 92.5. He also throws a change, curve, cutter, and slider. He doesn't have a standout pitch, but his variety of pitches might allow him to contribute as a back end starter.

WAR in Pieces: A guide to baseball's superstat Wins above Replacement

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJN8Q82T/

Available for Kindle or Hardcover, Paperback will be coming soon.

Here's the list, just what the computer spits out, not personal opinion. I'll have more to write about these later.