Who is Grayson Rodriguez?
Dylan Svoboda
@dylanksvobodaGrayson Rodriguez was selected No. 11 overall by the Orioles in 2018, and enters 2023 ranked as the No. 7 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. But who is Grayson Rodriguez? Here's what to know about the big Texan right-hander.
FAST FACTS
MLB organization: Orioles
Birthdate: Nov. 16, 1999 (Age 23 in 2023)
Primary position: RHP
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 230 lbs.
Bats/throws: left/right
Hometown: Nacogdoches, Texas
School(s): Central Heights (TX.) HS
Drafted: 11th overall, 2018 (by BAL)
MLB Debut: April 5, 2023
He can kick a 40-yard field goal
Rodriguez’s arm got him to the brink of the big leagues. His leg isn’t so bad either. The 23-year-old can throw 95 mph-plus fastballs with his right arm and kicks 40-yard field goals with his left leg.
He once broke Adley Rutchsman's glove during a game
As stated above, Rodriguez throws gas. During a game on June 20 in Bowie in 2021, the righty broke Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman's glove with a 99 mph fastball.
He should make his Major League debut in 2023
Rodriguez ranked as baseball's top pitching prospect in 2022 and was expected to make his debut, before his season was derailed by a Grade 2 lat strain injury in early June. Rodriguez missed three months with the issue, then pitched well down the stretch with an eye toward making the Orioles' big league roster out of camp the next spring. Rodriguez had an uneven camp, however, and was not included in the Orioles' Opening Day roster. He will begin 2023 at Triple-A Norfolk, where he pitched to a 2.20 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings in 2022.
He makes up half of perhaps the best future battery in baseball
Rodriguez may end up arriving a year after Adley Rutschman, who put together a very impressive rookie season with the Orioles in 2022. But when he arrives, the pair may make up one of the best pitcher-catcher combos in the sport. Rutschman, who caught Rodriguez at Double-A Bowie in 2021, had high praise for Rodriguez when he spoke with MLB.com last March.
“The stuff, first, is elite," Rutschman said. "And then from a mental standpoint, he's one of those guys that just continues to work on his craft,” Rutschman said. “He gets better every day and comes to the field. You see the work ethic and then you see the stuff, and when you combine the two it’s just a really great player and also a great person.”
He was named the Double-A Northeast Pitcher of the Year and top Right-Handed Starting Pitcher in 2021
In 2021, Rodriguez posted a 6-1 record while pitching in 18 games following a May promotion to Bowie. The right-hander started the season with a 3-0 record for High-A Aberdeen. He posted a 2.60 ERA with 121 strikeouts over 79 2/3 innings pitched while with Bowie. He held opponents to a .165 batting average while giving up just 47 hits and walking 22.
His footwear when he takes the mound is a bit unusual
Rodriguez wears basketball shoes with cleats attached to them instead of traditional baseball cleats. The comfort they provide, Rodriguez says, is unmatched.
“I prefer the basketball shoes, because they have a little bit flatter base and sole,” Rodriguez explained to FanGraphs’ David Laurila. “The more ground contact that your foot has, the more force and power you can create. A company called Custom Cleats makes them for me. You just send in basketball shoes, or whatever kind of shoes you want, and they’ll slap some spikes on the bottom and send them back. [Fellow Orioles pitching prospect] DL Hall gets them as well.”
He made his spring debut with a childhood hero behind the plate
Rodriguez grew up a Texas Rangers fan during the team's successful run from 2010-16, during which Robinson Chirinos served as a backstop. In his big league Spring Training debut on March 21, 2022, Chirinos was behind the plate. Rodriguez allowed four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two across 1 1/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins. After a scoreless third inning, Rodriguez allowed four runs, recording just one out in the fourth.