Orioles prospect Hamson sets sights on Olympics, MLB debut in 2028

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A self-described beach boy from Gold Coast, Australia, Kailen Hamson had never been to America before he got on a plane and landed in St. Louis in 2021.

His first reaction was that he had made a terrible mistake.

“We had like a two-hour drive from the airport,” said Hamson. “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.”

Baseball is growing in popularity in Australia, especially with the recent success the national team has enjoyed on the global stage of the World Baseball Classic in 2023 and ‘26. But it’s still something of a niche sport in a rugby/cricket-dominated nation.

So when Covid hit after Hamson finished high school, he was at a roadblock. The international free-agent market didn’t yield an opportunity and he knew he still wanted to play, so he embarked on a journey to Three Rivers College, a JUCO program in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, nearly 9,000 miles from home.

When he stepped foot on campus, he did so with the intention of being both an outfielder and left-handed pitcher. But after struggling at the dish during the fall, he traded in the batting gloves for a pitcher’s glove full-time and hasn’t looked back.

“I always had the vision,” said Hamson. “If I'm at this place in JUCO, I've sacrificed being away from family – I'm making it to The Show, no matter what.”

The two years in Missouri – the place he initially couldn’t wait to leave – were so impactful that after meeting his fiancée at school, he went on to purchase land there.

But to keep his Major League dream alive, Hamson needed to move on. He struck out 84 batters in 50 1/3 innings across parts of two years, but also had an 8.94 ERA to show for it. Still, the University of the Cumberlands – an NAIA powerhouse in Williamsburg, Ky. – came knocking.

After a solid first campaign in 2024, Hamson took off in ‘25, racking up 127 strikeouts across 82 2/3 innings. Scouts flocked to games, leading to Hamson becoming both the school’s highest ever selection and first player selected in the Draft since 1992.

“It keeps me humble all the time,” said Hamson. “It inspires other guys that the NAIA is not just the boot of college baseball. It's still a platform. I carry it everywhere.”

While the big leagues remain his long-term aspirational goal, for now, he’s earned the honor of representing the Orioles during the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Peoria Javelinas. The circuit is often used as a launching pad for the years ahead, something Hamson has embraced.

His baseball journey has made him moldable, after all. When the Orioles selected him in the eighth round of the 2025 Draft and told him that they envisioned his future being out of the bullpen, he immediately embraced it. Emptying the proverbial energy tank every outing has allowed him to enjoy velocity gains, with his fastball parking at 93-96 mph during his first three AFL outings.

Always viewed as a southpaw who had the elusive “feel for spin,” he’s also ripped off multiple sliders with more than 2900 RPMs. But during the regular season, that raw stuff found the strike zone with limited consistency. He struck out 72 batters in 67 1/3 frames but walked 69 in the same span.

“It's really good stuff from the left side, very unique delivery and operation,” said Forrest Herrmann, the Orioles’ director of pitching. “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.”

Hamson continues to strive toward making his way through the Orioles organization, while also keeping an eye on the international tournament schedule. The 2028 Summer Olympics are next up on the docket. If he had to pick between his debut in The Show or with his country’s flag on his sleeve, which one would he take?

“Obviously, I'm super prideful with my country,” said Hamson. “But I think that big league debut, that's the number one.”

Then he paused.

“2028: MLB debut, Olympics debut, kill it off in one go.”