Kyson Witherspoon has been simply dominant since joining the Orioles organization as a key part of the Adley Rutschman trade. And he turned in his best start yet on Friday.
Witherspoon spun five hitless innings for High-A Frederick, striking out eight and walking three. The Keys couldn’t quite get him a win, however, as they fell 1-0 to Wilmington -- the first leg of a seven-inning doubleheader -- at Frawley Stadium.
Witherspoon, Baltimore’s No. 12 prospect, issued a leadoff walk to Eli Willits (Nationals) and saw a second runner reach on an error, but he worked a lineout and strikeout to quiet the first inning. Only one more baserunner reached second base against him, the result of a fifth-inning walk and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. He added 1-2-3 frames in the second and fourth.
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Witherspoon threw 56 strikes on 89 total pitches. He’s now down to a 1.26 ERA in three starts since the trade, with opponents hitting just .184 against him. This strong stretch actually dates back to before he was dealt, too, as he has allowed two or fewer runs in five consecutive starts.
The 22-year-old righty, who was a 2025 first-rounder and spent significant time on the Top 100 prospect list this year, has lowered his season ERA to 4.22 in the process. Witherspoon’s strikeout stuff has been working, with 98 punchouts in 89 2/3 innings.
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Paired with fellow right-hander Anthony Eyanson (BAL No. 2), the Rutschman deal is seeing strong early returns for the Orioles. Eyanson threw a career-best seven innings with eight strikeouts on Thursday.