Explaining Orioles early draft strategy after fans asked questions about pitching

The Baltimore Orioles had four selections in the top 37 in the 2025 MLB Draft. They selected four position players. With the 19th pick, Baltimore selected Auburn catcher/outfielder Ike Irish, and followed it up with another catcher at #30, Caden Bodine. At No. 31, the O's selected Golden Spikes Award winner Wehiwa Aloy, and finally, at No. 37, they went with high school outfielder Slater de Brun.

Only time will tell if Baltimore will look back and regret passing on arms like Patrick Forbes and Anthony Eyanson, but Mike Elias and company stuck to their guns.

The selections left many fans wondering why the O's didn't go with a pitcher, and the answer is a simple one: if it ain't broke.

Orioles stuck with what they know early in the 2025 MLB Draft

Among conversation points regarding the front office, complaints about drafting aren't chief among them. Over the last few years, Elias has drafted All-Stars in Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, as well as ascending talents like Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday. Clearly, the Orioles believe that their strength in drafting and development lies on the position player side rather than the pitching.

Pitching, in general, has become harder to develop in the minors. Injuries to arms on the farm almost feel like an inevitability, and often, a path to an arm's big league debut is a long and winding one. Baltimore has seemingly cracked the formula to develop bats at a better rate than the league norms, and believe that they can acquire pitching talent that way.

Back in 2019, the Orioles selected infielder Joey Ortiz in the fourth round. He later developed into a top-100 prospect and was flipped alongside DL Hall for ace Corbin Burnes. Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby were each second round picks, and their upside was used to lure Trevor Rogers away from Miami, a trade that has turned on its head over the last few weeks.

The Orioles haven't been acquiring pitching talent through the draft, but they have succeeded in trading for multiple arms, even going back to names like Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer. That's how the rotation has been built thus far, and it could continue to be built that way if pitching prospects are acquired at this year's deadline.

Who knows, perhaps one of the O's top four draft picks this year could be flipped down the line for an arm.

So, no, the Orioles didn't select a pitcher with one of their high draft picks tonight. Their process clearly dictates that a position player is the way to go early on. And given the O's success in recent drafts, betting on the success of Irish, Bodine, Aloy and de Brun could be a safe play.

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