Orioles pitching prospect Michael Forret was committed to play baseball at East Carolina, then took a risk and passed over the opportunity. Now, he’s thriving with High-A Aberdeen.
Forret went the junior college route after graduating from high school, spending a year at the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. This gave him a quicker potential path to pro ball than if he attended a four-year college.
Players are eligible for the MLB Draft after one year of junior college ball, unlike players at four-year colleges who typically become eligible after their junior year.
Baltimore selected Forret in the 14th round of the 2023 draft. He just turned 21 this year, in his second full season of pro ball.
“My thoughts behind it was, if I can get into pro ball as early as possible, then I think I’m going to have the best chance down the road,” Forret said on Glenn Clark Radio July 23. “Went down to State College of Florida, and had a good year down there. Got picked up by the Orioles in the 14th round and here we are, so it all ends up working out.”
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander is pitching to a 1.65 ERA and 0.823 WHIP in 54.2 innings over 15 games (14 starts) with the IronBirds. He also holds a 70-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He throws a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider, curveball and splitter. He sits between 90 and 95 mph with his fastball.
Though players receive less exposure at the JUCO level than they would if they played at a high-level Division I school, Forret was undeterred.
“With the analytics now in baseball, and just all of the tools that they have to scout players, no matter where you are, if you have something that they like they will find you,” Forret said. “And at the same time, with the way that college ball is working out, the transfer portal and everything, there’s so much talent in the junior colleges all over the country.”
Some players parlay their time at a junior college into playing in a prominent conference such as the ACC or SEC. Though the level of competition in junior college may not rise to the level of those conferences, scouting departments don’t bypass players because of it.
“I feel like even if the talent isn’t as good as an SEC school, like if you’re showcasing that you can get people out, you can strike people out, you don’t walk people … that’s still going to open eyes for pro ball,” Forret said.
The Matthews, N.C., native finished the 2024 season with a 3.88 ERA and 1.294 WHIP in 26 games (17 starts) between Low-A Delmarva and High-A.
Forret attributes the improvement this season to a deeper understanding of the game that has come with a year of experience under his belt, rather than a drastic change in his pitching itself.
“With the work you put in [during] the offseason, and then compared to what I learned last year, I think it all is just coming together,” Forret said. “I just feel like when I’m on the mound, I have a much better understanding of what I need to do, and what I need to throw to get the results that I want.”
For more from Forret, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Jackie Kozloski