8 October 2023
Two of the most formative starts of Grayson Rodriguez’s nascent big league career have come against the Texas Rangers. Sunday’s will add another to that list.
In early April, the Orioles’ top pitching prospect entering the season pitched well in his MLB debut against the Rangers in Arlington, just three hours from his hometown. Just over 50 days later, Texas battered Rodriguez so badly that the Orioles sent the youngster to the minor leagues the next day.
His start Sunday in Game 2 of the American League Division Series might not have the same emotions of a debut or a demotion-worthy drubbing. But it will be the biggest start of Rodriguez’s life, as the 23-year-old will deliver the first pitch from Camden Yards’ mound at 4:07 p.m. Sunday for the most pivotal game the Orioles have played in seven years.
Rodriguez will pitch opposite Rangers ace Jordan Montgomery, who threw seven shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the wild-card series. With Baltimore losing, 3-2, on Saturday, Game 2 becomes a near-must-win, as coming back from down 2-0 in a best-of-five series is one of the rarest feats in sports. Only 10 teams in MLB history have done so, with the most recent being the New York Yankees over Cleveland in 2017.
Rodriguez originally wasn’t supposed to pitch against the Rangers in April, but Kyle Bradish, Saturday’s losing pitcher, was hit on the leg by a comebacker and placed on the injured list, opening up a spot in the Orioles’ rotation. With scores of friends and family in the stands, the fireballer threw five innings of two-run ball.
“That feels like it was a year ago,” Rodriguez said Saturday before Game 1.
But the first two months of his big league career were a roller coaster.
He struggled in half his starts, none more so than when he allowed nine runs in 3 1/3 innings at Camden Yards against the Rangers. Leody Taveras, Robbie Grossman and Corey Seager all homered off Rodriguez in the game, and all three will likely be in Sunday’s lineup. Seager’s was a mammoth grand slam and was the last pitch Rodriguez threw in his first big league stint, which concluded with a 7.35 ERA in 10 starts.
He was far from the first young pitcher to struggle once he reached Baltimore. Dean Kremer posted a 7.55 ERA in 13 starts with the Orioles in 2021. Last year, Bradish opened his rookie season with a 7.38 ERA through nine starts and was optioned to Triple-A.
“We talked a little bit when he was struggling and then ended up going down,” Bradish said Friday. “Just told him what I was told, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity to go clear your mind and get back to what you’ve done to get you here.’ So, I mean, hats off to him for running with that. And he’s been so great for this team this second half since he’s came up.”
In the four and a half months since, Rodriguez has transformed into a new pitcher — a combination of the old with a blend of who he’s grown into. During his six-week stint with Triple-A Norfolk, the 23-year-old regained confidence in his fastball command — even improving the high-90s heater’s velocity — and, more importantly, trust in himself.
“Looking back on it, I’ve learned a lot,” Rodriguez said. “Just having to deal with the adversity, really the first time I’ve run into something like that. Just being able to go down and get things straightened up and come back and just kind of be the pitcher that I know I am.”
When he returned to the Orioles’ rotation, he quickly regained the form that made him Baseball America’s No. 2 pitching prospect entering the season. As the second half progressed, he blossomed into the dominant hurler he was expected to be as he cruised through the minors. The only qualified starting pitchers with better ERAs after the All-Star break than Rodriguez’s 2.58 were Bradish and AL Cy Young front-runner and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
“I love the makeup, this guy is unbelievably competitive,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Grayson, since he’s come back up, the command has been much improved. The aggressiveness with the fastball is much improved. He’s going to sit at 99 [mph] for as long as he can stay out there.”
Sunday won’t be the first high-pressure start of Rodriguez’s career.
In mid-September, the Rays won the first two of a four-game series in Baltimore to move into a tie atop the AL East. Rodriguez then took the ball in the third game and pitched the best game of his career — and perhaps the most impressive performance by an Orioles starter all season — with eight scoreless innings to propel the Orioles to a pivotal 8-0 win. They clinched a playoff berth the next day and the AL East crown 11 days after that.
“I think that series against Tampa really put us off on the right foot for the postseason,” Rodriguez said. “Being able to play some close games like that with the crowd and atmosphere and everything, I think it’s definitely gotten us prepared for this moment.”
The postseason, though, poses a different challenge — and more pressure — than a regular season game. For Rodriguez, too, it will be a full-circle moment for his rookie campaign.
His first start against the Rangers was “special.” His second one was “frustrating.” What his third will be could decide the trajectory of the Orioles’ playoff run.
ALDS, Game 2
Rangers at Orioles
Sunday, 4:07 p.m.
TV: FS1
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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