Orioles pitching prospect Patrick Reilly has a real chance to get back on the map in AFL 

The Baltimore Orioles haven’t always had the best of luck when developing pitchers in recent years. There have been a number of hits and misses that can sometimes make it tough for fans to feel too excited about the club’s young hurlers. This includes Patrick Reilly, who was once a top-10 prospect in the Orioles minor league system. But with an invite to the Arizona Fall League, he now has a chance to quickly reestablish himself as a name to look out for in 2027. 

Reilly will join some of the game’s top prospects from 29 other organizations when the AFL begins its season on October 3. As a member of the Peoria Javelinas, Reilly should get ample opportunity to show off his stuff alongside other Orioles prospects such as Ike Irish, Braxton Bragg, and Brandon Butterworth. But for Reilly, there may be some extra meaning behind getting the chance to play in the AFL.   

Reilly looked like one of the Orioles best young minor league pitchers before suffering an elbow injury last year. After missing most of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery, Reilly’s development was put on hold. For a young pitcher looking to make his way to the big leagues, it was certainly a tough pill to swallow. However, Reilly was able to return to action this season and he made the most out of his abbreviated year. 

With the AFL, Reilly now has a chance to make up for lost time. And with his path to the majors on his mind, he could surprise some people around the league. 

Patrick Reilly has the stuff to pitch for the Orioles in 2027

In 13 starts across three minor league levels, Reilly struck out 70 batters in 53 innings this season. His 11.9 strikeouts per nine clip surpassed his career average of 11.4, highlighting his ability to miss bats. Equipped with a solid fastball that can sit in the mid-90s at times, Reilly has no problem throwing his heater right by hitters. His developing power slider and sweeper can play up that fastball even more as well. There’s just one issue that has plagued Reilly over the years.  

According to scouts, Reilly does have a fairly significant flaw when it comes to his mechanics. With a unique throwing motion and delivery, Reilly can sometimes run into trouble replicating that motion pitch after pitch. This can cause him to get out of sync and lose the command of his pitches. 

Throughout his four-year career in the minor leagues, Reilly sports a 4.4 walks per nine rate. Not the worst in the world, but it can get him into trouble. That was obvious when we walked nine in just 5.2 innings in the Florida Complex League to start his comeback in 2026. But as he progressed through the season, he was able to find his groove in Double-A Chesapeake in September, offering the Orioles some very encouraging signs as Reilly heads to the AFL.

Over his last four starts, Reilly surrendered just five earned runs over 21.2 innings. He tacked on an additional 28 strikeouts while beginning to hone in on his shaky command. He handed out just one free pass over his last two starts, something that points to some impressive improvement. For a pitcher returning from such a prolonged injury, Reilly could finally be hitting his stride.

While most of Reily’s results in the AFL won’t matter a heck of a lot, the Orioles are sure to be keeping an eye on how he commands the strike zone. Considering that the Orioles’ starting rotation remains unclear at the moment, there may be a number of openings very soon. If Reilly is able to grab a firm hold of his control, he could become a viable option for the Orioles in the very near future. 

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