NEW YORK -- Trey Gibson smiled, patted the inside of his glove and let out just a smidge of frustration with himself. The 23-year-old right-hander then received a pat on the shoulder from Coby Mayo, tapped Adley Rutschman on the chest, fist-bumped Weston Wilson, Jeremiah Jackson and Blaze Alexander and began talking to Orioles manager Craig Albernaz.
After throwing 87 pitches (53 strikes) in 4 2/3 innings, Gibson’s MLB debut was over in the bottom of the fifth on Sunday afternoon. It was time for Baltimore’s No. 3 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) to walk off the mound at Yankee Stadium and let it all soak in.
But Gibson was a bit chatty with his teammates and Albernaz before he departed.
“I just said -- I honestly don’t really remember what I said, to be quite fair,” Gibson said with another smile afterward. “I just know that [Albernaz] said, ‘Good job,’ and I thanked all the guys that came up to the mound for a special day.”
Fortunately, Albernaz remembered.
“He wanted [Aaron] Judge,” Albernaz said. “Yeah, he wanted Judge. And I love that.”
There was a lot to like about Gibson’s first big league start. The O’s lost, 11-3, to the Yankees, but the score was tied at 3 when the righty exited. He was poised, aggressive and, most importantly, gave Baltimore a chance to win.
Yet, Gibson was upset his outing ended with a two-out walk to Judge and that he couldn’t complete five innings.
That type of competitiveness is impressive. But what was most impressive was how Gibson handled his monumental day like a seasoned veteran. A crowd of 43,416 roaring fans in the Bronx amid an American League East rivalry matchup? Not a problem.
“To be honest, leading up to the game, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be,” Gibson said. “I felt pretty composed with myself.”
Gibson’s composure drew rave reviews from his skipper and his catcher.
“It looked like he wasn't fazed,” Albernaz said.
“Always amazing to be able to see a guy make his debut and come out with confidence and just fill up the zone. I thought he did a really good job,” Rutschman added. “I was really impressed with how he handled today.”
Although Gibson allowed three runs, there were only two pitches he’d want back. In the first, Ben Rice pounced on a first-pitch curveball and jolted it to right field for a solo home run. Then, in the third, Judge swatted a 1-0 curve to center for a two-run homer.
Both pitches were mistakes, especially considering they were to two of the AL’s top home run hitters (Judge has 13 while Rice has 12). But Gibson limited the rest of New York’s lineup, with the other seven hitters going a combined 1-for-15 (.067).
Gibson showcased the vast arsenal that makes him one of the top pitching prospects in the O’s system and allowed him to quickly ascend the organization’s Minor League ranks after signing as an undrafted free agent in August 2023. He threw 24 sliders, 18 sinkers, 16 four-seam fastballs, 15 cutters and 14 curveballs.
In the second, Gibson collected his first MLB strikeout by getting Austin Wells to swing and miss at a 2-2 “death ball” -- his gyro slider that has less horizontal movement and more vertical drop.
Fellow right-hander Shane Baz retrieved the ball from that strikeout and gifted it to Gibson, who had it in his locker postgame and planned to gift it to his mom, Karen.
“She loves mementos,” Gibson said.
COMPLETE ORIOLES PROSPECT COVERAGE
Section 226 at Yankee Stadium was filled with faces familiar to Gibson. In addition to his parents (JR and Karen), his supporters included Matt Lewellen (his former coach at Grafton High School in Yorktown, Va.), Tyler Cotton (his friend and former high school catcher) and members of their families.
That made the day even more special for the Newport News, Va., native.
“I think the best part of the day was just being with them on the field after the game and just to be able to say, ‘Thank you,’” Gibson said. “This is definitely a day I’m not ever going to forget.”
It is not yet known whether Gibson will get another start for Baltimore or be sent back to Triple-A Norfolk. The O’s currently have six starters on their active roster -- the other five are Kyle Bradish, Baz, Chris Bassitt, Brandon Young and Cade Povich -- and they only needed a fresh arm on Sunday because of Thursday’s doubleheader vs. the Astros.
Also, left-hander Trevor Rogers (illness) is eligible to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list on May 11 and is expected to rejoin that rotation at that time.
But Gibson proved he’s worthy of more opportunities down the line, whether those come now or in the near future.
“Obviously, his first outing was really encouraging. I was just impressed with the strike-throwing, that was the biggest thing, and how he attacked,” Albernaz said. “There's definitely some upside there.”