Grayson Rodriguez had little trouble at the Double-A level in 2021, emerging as baseball’s top pitching prospect on the heels of a dominant summer at Double-A Bowie.

The early returns at Triple-A aren’t too shabby, either. 

Rodriguez breezed through his debut at the level Friday, firing four one-hit innings in Norfolk’s 12-1 win over Charlotte at Harbor Park. Rodriguez retired 10 of his first 11 hitters and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, striking out seven against one walk.

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That was more than enough for Norfolk’s offense, which received Robert Neustrom, Johnny Rizer and Rylan Bannon homers en route to its second win of the season. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was dominant and economical, throwing 40 of 61 pitches for strikes. All seven K's came swinging.

Consider it a characteristically electric outing from the hard-throwing right-hander, who Orioles fans are hoping arrives in Baltimore as early as this summer. A few more outings like Friday’s, and it shouldn’t be long. Baseball's No. 6 overall prospect (and Baltimore's No. 2), Rodriguez is MLB Pipeline’s reigning pitching prospect of the year and one of the jewels of Baltimore’s top-rated farm system after separating himself last summer.

The numbers were eye-popping: Rodriguez pitched to a 2.62 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 103 innings across two levels, leading all Minor League pitchers with at least 100 innings in K/9 (14.07), strikeout rate (40.5 percent) and batting average against. But just as impressive were the steps Rodriguez took in fine-tuning his craft, rounding out his high-voltage arsenal with two distinct breaking balls and refining his command of all four weapons.

That success earned Rodriguez, the 11th overall pick in the 2018 Draft, an invitation to big league Spring Training for the first time this year. But he was always going to begin the year at Triple-A, where he’ll be reunited soon with top prospect and battery mate Adley Rutschman. Rutschman began the year on Norfolk’s injured list with a minor triceps issue, but is expected back in short order. If both get off to hot starts, it’s not inconceivable both could be in Baltimore before the All-Star break.

"That feels like something that is within reach," Rodriguez told reporters shortly before camp started. "We'll see what's in store for me this year."

Triple-A hitters might not get very many more looks.