Scout gives hope that Orioles have finally figured out how to address big weakness

There are a number of causes for the Baltimore Orioles' current lack of starting pitching depth. Injuries have certainly played a role, and one only needs to look at Grayson Rodriguez for proof of that. This front office, led by Mike Elias, also has not seemed to prioritize pitching at all at any level, although it does thankfully sound like that may change this offseason. However, arguably the biggest reason for the Orioles' lack of pitching has been that they just haven't been good at developing the arm talent that they do bring in.

Each organization has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to player development. The raw material brought in does matter, but the development personnel's expertise often dictates what happens with players. Some organizations are great at teaching certain pitch shapes or types, while others teach swing adjustment and optimizations really well. Baltimore has certainly found success on the hitting side with Gunnar Henderson being the obvious example, but the pitching development has definitely lagged behind.

However, that could be changing if one scout is right. According to a report from MASN's Roch Kubatko, an anonymous scout from a different team seems to think that Baltimore is finally on the right track when it comes to developing pitchers.

The Orioles may have finally figured out how to develop young pitchers

This was just one scout's opinion, and honestly, one cannot draw too many conclusions from just one crop of prospects because sometimes weird things happen in small samples. However, it was certainly heartening to hear a scout say, “Baltimore is starting to figure some things out pitching-wise. They really have. Some guys are really starting to progress and making some strides..."

A cursory look at the Orioles' farm system seems to confirm that observation. Esteban Mejia got a lot of attention last season thanks to that nuclear fastball of his. Lefty Boston Bateman has some work to do command-wise, but he showed flashes of having big league talent in his first full season as a pro. As you get into the teens of MLB Pipeline's Orioles prospect rankings, you start seeing a lot of arms, which is great to see.

The next step, of course, is to turn those arms into guys that can contribute in the majors, and that same scout said, "...Baltimore’s got to get some pitching." It may have taken longer than Orioles fans wanted, but perhaps Baltimore has figured something out when it comes to pitching, and that could pay huge dividends down the road.