Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Gibson didn’t blink when he was forced to move up his second start of the year because of an injury in the rotation.
Kyle Bradish was hit on the right foot by a 104 mph line drive in the second inning on April 3 on the road against the Texas Rangers, forcing him to leave the game. Tyler Wells took over, leaving manager Brandon Hyde shorthanded the following day.
Enter Gibson.
The 11-year veteran had a dominant performance against one of his former teams, allowing two runs and six hits with five strikeouts and no walks across seven innings in the 7-2 victory.
“I’m lucky that I have such great guys, honestly, and team-first pros on this club that are willing to do things for the team,” Hyde said.
The Orioles signed Gibson to a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason to help anchor a young rotation. So far, that looks to be a shrewd move by general manager Mike Elias.
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound right-hander posted a 3-0 record with a 4.18 ERA in his first four starts with the Orioles. Gibson says wearing the orange and black suits him well.
“It’s been awesome,” Gibson said. “As with everything in life, when you’re making a decision, you’re not really sure how it will turn out. Everything here so far has met and exceeded expectations. Everything I asked people about, it’s standing true. The organization has done a great job of building a great team, and lot of guys are going to mesh together and play well together.”
The Orioles have several young pitchers, headlined by Grayson Rodriguez. As a steely veteran, Gibson has been a sounding board for these young players and is happy to answer questions or provide advice if asked.
“I’m just trying to be myself,” Gibson said. “If the team sees me as a leader and wants me to do that, then that’s what I’ll try to do. I’m not necessarily trying to pull guys behind me. I’m just trying to be myself and do what I can to serve these guys, whether that’s answering questions or giving direction if needed.”
The right-hander has also not wasted any time endearing himself to his veteran teammates.
“A lot of experience, a lot of leadership, a guy that’s been there and has seen all this stuff that most of the people in this locker room aren’t that experienced, young guys especially,” second baseman Adam Frazier said. “I think he’s going to bring that leadership to be able to calm some guys down and show them the way. He’s pretty even-keeled. A lot of these young arms can lean on him for what to expect or maybe how to go about their day and prepare and stuff like that.”
Last year, Gibson showed his durability and made 31 starts for the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the fifth time in his career he made at least 30 starts in a season. He went 10-8 with a 5.05 ERA and a career-best 3.00 walk-to-strikeout ratio (144 strikeouts and 48 walks).
Gibson made his World Series debut in Game 3, throwing a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in Philadelphia’s 7-0 loss to the Houston Astros. In two relief appearances during the 2022 postseason, he pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Orioles starters struggled to go deep into games last year, and the hope is Gibson can eat some innings and help preserve the bullpen, which appeared to wear down late in 2022. Gibson is confident he can help get his team deep into games.
“I love pitching at Camden Yards,” Gibson said. “It’s been one of the fun places on the road for my whole career. It’s a fun place to pitch. When this place is packed, it’s a tough place to pitch as an opponent.”
Gibson was originally selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Missouri. He earned a 2011 All-Star Futures Game selection before undergoing Tommy John surgery later that year.
Gibson made his major league debut for the Twins on June 29, 2013, against the Kansas City Royals, allowing two runs and eight hits with five strikeouts across six innings. He became the third Minnesota pitcher to ever win his debut while recording at least five strikeouts.
Entering this season, Gibson was 89-91 with a 4.52 ERA in 267 career games (261 starts) between the Phillies, Twins and Rangers.
Now, Gibson is part of a young, energized Orioles roster that could be pushing for a spot in the postseason this year.
“This is a team that’s going to be fun to watch for years to come,” Gibson said. “We play defense, we steal bases, we pitch. It’s a fun type of baseball.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles
Originally published April 19, 2023