Orioles relief prospect Kailen Hamson has a fun story, but also a key flaw on the mound

With the backstory of a protagonist from a feel-good baseball movie, Kailen Hamson has all the makings of a future fan-favorite player on the Baltimore Orioles. The left-handed pitcher hasn’t just relied on good vibes to get to this point in his career either. He’s impressed scouts with his electric arm and ability to strikeout hitters for years.

But like many of those characters in baseball movies, Hamson also has a major flaw in his game that could stand in the way of realizing his big league dreams. He may not be as polished of a pitching prospect as Michael Forret, but Hamson could become just as impressive with time.

As reported by Jesse Borek of MLB.com, Hamson is also a long way from home as he chases those dreams. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Hamson first arrived in the U.S. in 2021 as a teenager who felt like a fish out of water. He enrolled at Three Rivers College in Missouri to kick off his long and winding baseball journey.

“We had like a two-hour drive from the airport,” Hamson said of his trip to the community college. “I called [my] dad on the way and said, ‘Hey, I’m here for six months and then I’m getting out of here.’ He said, ‘Oh, just stick it out. You’ll be all right.’ And I’ve been all right. But it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows.”

While his colorful answer can describe his acclamation period living in America, it can accurately summarize his performance on the field as well. After transferring to the University of the Cumberlands for his final two collegiate seasons, Hamson was drafted by the Orioles in 8th round of the 2025 MLB Draft.

Equipped with a mid-90s fastball and a slider with a bonkers spin rate maxing out with over 2900 RPMs, the Orioles viewed the southpaw as a potentially dangerous arm to bring out of the bullpen. Hamson just needed to get a firm grasp of his control to make that happen. After completing his first full season in the Single-A Delmarva, that may be easier said than done.

Kailen Hamson could be what the Orioles lost in DL Hall

In 67.1 innings pitched in 2026, Hamson struck out 72 batters. Not bad at all for a pitcher in his first minor league season. After all, that ability to get hitters to swing and miss is what enticed the Orioles to draft him in the first place. In his senior season at Cumberlands in 2025, Hamson notched an eye-popping 127 strikeouts in 82.2 innings as a starting pitcher.

However, the lefty also walked 69 hitters this season, good for an abysmal 9.2 walks per nine rate. But wait, there’s more. Hamson also threw in 11 wild pitches just for good measure. Tack on the 76 hits that he allowed and it makes for a very tough year overall. Hamson ended his 2026 season in Delmarva with an ERA of 6.82 and a WHIP of 2.153. Ouch.

Although that type of season can be a tough pill to swallow for any organization looking to develop effective pitchers, statistics don’t always tell the full story for young players. The Orioles organization still believes that Hamson has the potential to become a high-quality pitcher in the future. As a team that’s recently changed their philosophy at developing pitchers, that’s important.

According to Forrest Herrmann, the Orioles’ director of pitching, the organization isn’t jumping to any conclusions after just one season.

“It's really good stuff from the left side, very unique delivery and operation,” Herrmann told MLB.com. “Development isn’t always linear … He had a lot of ground to cover from his time in the college ranks and his upbringing in the game of baseball before that. But the skills took a huge step forward.”

That type of reasoning is exactly why Hamson found himself playing for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. With a chance to continue his development in 2026 and face some of the top prospects in all of baseball, it’s an invaluable opportunity that Hamson wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.

Much like his time in Delmarva this season, Hamson has also struggled with his command in the AFL though. In 3.1 innings pitched this fall, Hamson has walked another six batters while striking out four.

While Hamson isn't quite at the point in his minor league career where he can envision himself in an Orioles uniform, he can look to a fellow LHP as inspiration. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher DL Hall spent the first six seasons of his career with the Orioles’ organization. And similar to Hamson’s struggles, Hall also battled with his command at times. But as we’ve seen in the World Series, Hall has become an integral member of the Brewers’ pitching staff.

That’s not to say that Hamson will have the same career trajectory as Hall. It just means that the young lefty still has plenty of time to figure out his game and tap into his full potential. If he ever does, he could eventually become that dangerous arm out of the pen that the Orioles envisioned when they drafted him.

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