NEW YORK -- Luis De León has only been a reliever since Aug. 19. The 23-year-old left-hander has only been a big leaguer since Sept. 1.
You certainly can't tell either of those things from watching how he has pitched for the Orioles over the past two-plus weeks.
After a bit of a bumpy start to his MLB career, De León has settled quite nicely into Baltimore's bullpen of late. The club's No. 7 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) most recently tossed two perfect innings in the O's 7-5, 11-inning win over the Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday night and has now posted 5 2/3 scoreless frames over his past four appearances.
De León's confidence wasn't shaken after he took a loss in each of his first two big league outings, allowing three runs (two earned) between a Sept. 1 matchup at Colorado and a Sept. 3 contest vs. Boston. In fact, the Barahona, Dominican Republic, native hasn't been fazed by anything.
COMPLETE ORIOLES PROSPECT COVERAGE
"We kind of had a glimpse of it in Spring Training, how he went about his business, so we’re not surprised by any stretch," manager Craig Albernaz said. "I think what I’m surprised by is you don’t know how guys are going to come out with the third deck and the lights in the big leagues and how they’ll respond, and every time LDL gets the ball, he’s been the same person. Doesn’t matter what it is."
How has that been the case?
"I just focus on competing and giving my best effort every time I go out there," De León said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. "I’ve been working a lot with the coaches here and talking to them and seeing what they need out of me. So I just try to follow that and do whatever the team needs me to do."
De León became a heralded prospect as a starter, and his long-term future could still feature a rotation role, as he'll likely return to starting to begin 2027. But the Orioles needed another left-handed reliever for their stretch run, so they decided to convert him while he was still at Triple-A Norfolk.
It took some time for De León to acclimate to life in the bullpen. But it was clear his stuff would play in a relief role, as the southpaw throws a sinker that averages 96 mph as well as an effective splitter and slider.
"I feel super comfortable right now, honestly," De León said. "I think at the start, maybe there’s a learning curve, trying to figure some things out in that new role. But yeah, right now, I have a lot of confidence out there and I feel really good."
Tuesday's showing was easily De León's best since arriving in the Majors.
Needing to keep the Orioles' deficit vs. the Mets at 3-2, De León was tasked with pitching both the sixth and seventh innings. He retired all six hitters he faced -- the group of Christopher Morel, Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Bo Bichette and Carson Benge.
That's a stacked list of names, and De León set each of them down, which included striking out Benge swinging to end the seventh.
"That was a big ask for him, to go two innings and keep the game where it is and ultimately go through Lindor, go through Soto, go through Bichette," Albernaz said. "He did a really great job of navigating that, throwing strikes, trusting his stuff."
De León hasn't needed much time to get comfortable around his new big league teammates, either. Prior to Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Mets, he sat at a table inside the visitors' clubhouse at Citi Field and played dominoes with outfielders Leody Taveras and Colton Cowser and right-hander Yennier Cano.
The welcoming culture established by the players on the O's roster has made for an easy transition for De León.
"They’ve treated me very well," De León said. "If I’m ever lost or need anything, they’ve been very quick to help me figure out where I need to go next. So, it’s been great. They’ve been very helpful."
Will De León return to the big leagues for the start of the 2027 season? Potentially not, as his development as a starter could mean he goes back to Triple-A Norfolk.
However, getting to pitch in meaningful games in mid-September should surely help De León for whatever comes next after this season.
"Just seeing the way they work up here, seeing how my teammates go about their business, I think I have a much better understanding and a much better plan going into this offseason of what’s needed and what I need to do," De León said. "So, I feel like this experience has been good for me."