This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
SARASOTA, Fla. -- At the time, Anthony Nunez had no idea a random day in the spring of 2023 would be one that changed the trajectory of his baseball career.
On that day, former University of Tampa baseball player John Wiedenbauer -- who was less than a year into a new job as a scout for the Rangers -- made a stop at his alma mater. The region was part of his coverage area, and the visit allowed him to catch up with Joe Urso, the head coach for the Spartans since 2001.
Wiedenbauer and Urso were chatting about players on the 2023 team when Urso brought up Nunez, a third baseman known mostly for his clear top tool -- his strong arm.
“I was like, ‘Oh, OK,’” Wiedenbauer recalled. “‘Have you ever thought about putting him on the mound?’”
That one question is how Nunez -- now the Orioles’ No. 25 prospect per MLB Pipeline and a reliever with a strong chance of reaching the Majors in 2026 -- has gotten to where he is now.
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Nunez’s baseball journey began similarly to many others. The Miami native’s success as an infielder at Miami Springs High School resulted in him getting taken by the Padres in the 29th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
It isn’t always easy for late-round picks to stick in professional baseball, and Nunez did not. He hit .229 over 60 games in Rookie ball, went 2-for-19 (.105) during a six-game stint at Single-A Lake Elsinore in 2021, and was then released by San Diego on Aug. 21 of that year.
Though Nunez’s pro career seemed to reach a dead end, he still had a passion for baseball.
“I wanted to go back to college to be able to just, first of all, get my education and be able to still play while doing that,” Nunez said. “I got released, and I obviously wasn’t doing well. So you don’t know how far baseball is going to go. My mom [Odalis] actually wanted me to go back.”
An NCAA eligibility rule allowed Nunez to play at the college ranks, but he couldn’t join a Division I or junior college program, leaving him to pick from Division II, Division III and NAIA.
Urso’s son, J.D., once played with Nunez on the Florida high school summer circuits. So the University of Tampa coach was familiar with Nunez, who decided to join the Spartans -- a longtime powerhouse in the DII Sunshine State Conference -- ahead of the 2022 season.
“We thought he would come into this league and just dominate it from the position-player side of the ball. Probably one of the best defensive third basemen I’ve ever seen,” Urso said. “I mean, this guy, I think, defensively could have probably played in the big leagues.”
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Nunez was a solid offensive contributor during his three seasons at Tampa from 2022-24, even if the numbers didn’t quite jump off the page. He hit .266 with 25 doubles, 17 homers, 96 RBIs and an .828 OPS in 136 games.
However, it was the 2023 visit from Wiedenbauer that turned Nunez into a legitimate MLB prospect -- much different from the first time he signed a pro contract.
When Wiedenbauer asked Urso if pitching had been in consideration for Nunez, Urso said no, but Wiedenbauer said he could “see the wheels starting to spin a little bit.” So, Wiedenbauer got his radar gun and asked Nunez -- whose natural athleticism also sparked the idea -- to throw the ball across the infield a few times.
The first throw? 98 mph.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Wiedenbauer said. “And he did a couple more, it was roughly the same, like 97, 98.”
“We’re like, ‘Holy cow,’” Urso recalled. “We knew he had a great arm. So we’re like, ‘Let’s see if it’s going to translate.’”
“That day, [Urso] told me, ‘Yeah, start throwing bullpens,’” said Nunez, who hadn’t pitched since his Little League days.
Nunez’s initial bullpen sessions featured a fastball that sat around 93-94 mph and a changeup he showed a feel for “immediately,” per Urso. It was an intriguing enough possibility that the Spartans made Nunez a two-way player for his 2024 junior season at age 22.
Urso and his staff were cautious with Nunez, who recorded a 3.09 ERA, 20 strikeouts and two saves in 11 2/3 innings over 11 relief appearances that season while helping Tampa win a national championship. That small sample, paired with the impressive stuff, helped Nunez earn considerable interest from multiple MLB teams as a pitcher.
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After deciding to leave school, Nunez was a free agent because he had already been drafted and signed by the Padres before. So he could pick where to begin his pro pitching career.
“It was like, whoever I wanted to choose, wherever I thought was offering the best package and can help me get to be the best version of myself as a pitcher,” Nunez said. “I thought that was the Mets.”
New York signed Nunez to a Minor League deal on June 14, 2024, then began his development. His arsenal expanded to add a slider, cutter and sweeper to go along with his four-seam fastball and changeup, which eventually became more of a “kick change.”
Nunez had success at every level, and his ascent was rapid. He had a 2.70 ERA in nine appearances between the Florida Complex League and Single-A St. Lucie in 2024, then got bumped up to High-A Brooklyn at the start of ‘25, recording a 0.63 ERA in 10 games there.
“They definitely helped me with all my pitches and my shapes and helped me understand pitching more and how to throw what, sequencing, tunneling,” Nunez said, “all these different things that you learn at the lower levels.”
It didn’t take long for Nunez to earn another promotion last year, moving up to Double-A Binghamton and pitching to a 2.10 ERA in 22 games. He had become a top prospect, and the Mets -- looking to add to their big league roster and make a push into the postseason -- were willing to part with pieces from their farm system ahead of the Trade Deadline.
“All the guys in my first full year, they were warning me, ‘Just always be prepared, you never know,’” Nunez said. “And I was talking to my agent and he was like, ‘Hey, I don’t think you’ll get traded, but you never know.’”
Yet, last July 31, Nunez was dealt to the Orioles as part of a three-player package in exchange for center fielder Cedric Mullins.
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Nunez switched organizations, but his status as an exciting prospect hasn’t changed. In fact, he made only one appearance for Double-A Chesapeake last season before the O’s moved him up to Triple-A Norfolk, where he had a 3.45 ERA in 16 outings.
Baltimore added Nunez to its 40-man roster last Nov. 6, so he was a member of big league camp this Spring Training. He made a positive impression on the MLB staff by tossing five scoreless innings in five Grapefruit League games, giving up only three hits, striking out six and not issuing any walks.
“With him, it’s, yes, you see the stuff, you see the fastball quality, you see the slider shape. But it’s the strikes,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “He’s relentless in the strike zone, and every time he’s out there, it’s quick and efficient innings. And that’s something I love for any pitcher, especially relievers.
“He has a bright future. So it’s just good to see him go out and throw, and I’m excited to see what’s next for him.”
Although Nunez won’t make the Orioles’ Opening Day roster -- he was optioned to Minor League camp on Sunday -- he’s on track to make his big league debut in 2026. It may not take too long, either, as he shouldn’t need much more time at Triple-A before being ready to make an impact out of Baltimore’s bullpen, which doesn’t have a ton of proven pitchers.
For Nunez, his objective in 2026 is the same as it was back in ‘19.
“To be on a big league team, and then, to help a big league team win, and win a World Series. And that’s what I’m going to do, what I’m going to try to do,” Nunez said. “It doesn’t matter where I start. It’s just being the best version of myself wherever I’m at and being able to try to dominate whatever level I’m at.”
Because of Nunez’s high-powered right arm, he’s in a better position to do so this time around.