Orioles pitching prospect Trace Bright called being selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft a “surreal moment” … because he grew up an Orioles fan.
Wait, really? The Montgomery, Ala., native and Auburn right-hander grew up a fan of the Orioles? Well, there’s more: He has family in Havre de Grace, meaning he was familiar with Harford County before ever pitching at Ripken Stadium for High-A Aberdeen.
Between growing up an Orioles fan and seeing the player development success stories that have come out of the Orioles’ farm system, Baltimore was the perfect fit in Bright’s mind.
“It was really more of a surreal moment for me because being a lifelong Orioles fan and having family in the area,” Bright said on Glenn Clark Radio May 10. “So it was full circle not only because of that but also because you look at the prospects that they’ve put out and the young talent that they have in the organization stands out as a young draftee.”
Bright wore No. 8 growing up in honor of Cal Ripken Jr. He’s already attended games at Camden Yards. He knows some good spots to eat in the area. That didn’t stop friends from asking why he was a fan of the Orioles.
“With the Braves being not too far away from me in Alabama, everybody’s like, ‘What fan are you?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m an Orioles fan,'” Bright said. “And they’re like, ‘Huh? That doesn’t make any sense. The Braves are few hours away.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, my team’s about 12 hours away,’ so it was a little bit different.”
Bright got off to a good start in pro ball with the Orioles last year. The 6-foot-4, 199-pound right-hander threw 9.2 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Delmarva after being drafted, posting a 1.86 ERA and nine strikeouts.
It has been an up-and-down season for Bright with Aberdeen so far this season. He has a 5.82 ERA and twice hasn’t made it out of the first inning, but he has also struck out 30 of the 79 batters he has faced this year.
“I feel like my fastball has played really well consistently to hitters so far this year,” Bright said. “That’s allowed me to really be able to expand to my off-speed pitches, my curveball being my go-to out pitch. That’s been what’s been working the best.
“Really I think the minor leagues for a pitcher are all about development, bringing my third and fourth pitch — my slider and my changeup — along is kind of my big key for me developing as a pitcher. That’s something that I’m focused on each outing and each bullpen throughout the week is kind of getting those pitches as even with my fastball and my curveball right now.”
Bright pitched at Auburn for three years, gradually getting more work as his career went along. He had his best year as a junior, recording a 5.69 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. However, there were tools for better results below the surface, and the Orioles took a chance on him.
Bright said Auburn allowed him to “develop as a pitcher, both mentally and physically.” That now continues in pro ball.
“The hitters obviously can be very good throughout a lineup in pro ball, but the same can be said for an SEC team,” Bright said. “It’s been a pretty smooth adjustment so far. Each level you move up, it gets tougher and tougher but I feel like I was very well prepared coming out of college.”
For more from Bright, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Kadalena Messiano