Brandon Young wasn’t supposed to be here.
When the Orioles opened the season, the 27-year-old right-hander was viewed as pitching depth — a capable arm who could shuttle between Triple-A Norfolk and Baltimore if injuries created an opening.
Instead, as the Orioles searched for stability in a rotation battered by injuries and inconsistency, Young has become one of the club’s most dependable starters.
The numbers tell the story. Through 10 starts, he owns a 3.04 ERA, 42 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP. And Baltimore boasts a 9-1 record in games started by Young.
For Young, the ascent is the product of a career built on adaptation. An undrafted free agent who underwent multiple Tommy John surgeries before reaching Triple-A, he has spent years learning how to navigate the challenges of professional baseball. This season, those lessons have molded him into one of Baltimore’s most valuable pitchers.
“BY has been outstanding,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said after Young tossed seven shutout innings against the Mariners on June 10. “Attacking the strike zone. The split was real again. Just the way he throws strikes right now, attacking with all of his pitches, getting the curveball going, the slider, both fastballs.”
While Young’s rise may appear sudden from the outside, it is the result of a series of adjustments that have helped him establish himself this season.
The most significant came with his splitter. Young has long relied on the pitch as part of his arsenal, but ahead of a May start against the Detroit Tigers, he experimented with a new grip. The adjustment cost him a few mph in velocity, but it also created more movement and deception.
The results were immediate. The revamped splitter helped Young generate weak contact, induce chase swings and keep opposing hitters off balance. Combined with his fastball mix, the pitch has become a pivotal part of his success.
“It’s kind of become my equalizer,” Young said. “When I can get ahead and land that pitch where I want, it opens everything else up.”
Young’s emergence has come at a crucial time for Baltimore. The Orioles entered the season expecting to count on veterans Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer for innings. Instead, injuries and inconsistency forced the club to search for alternative options throughout the first half.
Young has emerged as one of them. Every fifth day, the right-hander has given Baltimore a chance to win. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, helping stabilize a rotation that spent much of the season in flux.
That adaptability has defined his baseball journey.
After going undrafted out of Louisiana-Lafayette in 2020, Young signed with the Orioles and began the long climb through the organization’s farm system. Along the way, he endured a second Tommy John surgery in 2022.
Few outside the organization expected him to become a key contributor in Baltimore’s rotation. Now, he has become one of the club’s most reliable arms.
What once appeared to be a temporary opportunity has evolved into a meaningful role in Baltimore’s rotation. With each quality start, Young has strengthened his case to remain there.
So far, Young has given the Orioles every reason to believe he should.
“[I’m] trying to stay present as best as I can,” Young said. “But I definitely do [think I’m taking the next step as a major leaguer].”
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox