Fantasy Baseball: That was quick — Orioles call up Grayson Rodriguez, will face Jacob deGrom
There's always a buzz of excitement, an air of the new and unknown, whenever a top prospect gets the call to the majors. And if ever there were a top prospect, it's Grayson Rodriguez. The 23-year-old has reportedly been called up by the Orioles and will square off against Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
Orioles call up one of the top pitching prospects in MLB
Well-invested fantasy managers are no doubt aware of Rodriguez by now. The current No. 7 prospect in baseball, Rodriguez's debut has been anticipated ever since his ridiculous minor-league run in 2021, when he delivered an eye-opening strikeouts-per-nine-innings mark in 103.2 total innings across two levels: a 15.43 K/9 in high A and 13.67 K/9 in Double-A.
Many expected Rodriguez to be called up at some point in 2022, but between the Orioles' brass deciding not to go all-in despite a surprisingly solid season and Rodriguez's lat injury and subsequent subpar minor-league showing, fantasy managers who stashed him in anticipation likely had to drop him soon after.
That changes less than two weeks into the 2023 regular season.
The Orioles drafted Rodriguez 11th overall in 2018, and now, after working through five minor-league levels, he'll get his chance to make an impact in Baltimore's rotation. Rodriguez compiled an impressive 2.49 ERA across those aforementioned five levels, along with a startling 12.9 K/9. Interestingly enough, his first start came in Triple-A this year, and he wasn't at his best: 4 IP, three runs (2 earned) and an uncharacteristic four walks. Nonetheless, the Orioles were apparently undeterred.
Rodriguez has long fit the profile of an upper-mid-rotation starter, as the imposing, 6-foot-5 young man possesses 98 mph flame in his fastball, along with a devastating changeup and a sliderish breaking ball. His arsenal is expected to play well in the majors, even though his fastball lost a bit of life in 2022.
As mentioned, Rodriguez will try to match wits in his debut against arguably the best pitcher per nine innings in baseball, Jacob deGrom. That's a tall task for a rookie, but if anyone can deliver under this level of pressure, it's someone with the pedigree of Rodriguez.
Since his call-up, Rodriguez has seen his Yahoo rostered percentage jump over 50%, so he's likely gone in most deeper leagues, but he's worth a look to see if he's available in shallow leagues. He's likely best left on fantasy benches for his debut, though, against a Texas team that currently ranks second in runs scored per game (they're 12th in strikeouts through the early going).
Regardless, anytime a pitching prospect with this much hype finally gets a chance in the majors, it's must-watch TV.
