Orioles pitching prospect Bradley Brehmer has been a starter for almost his entire baseball life, but the 24-year-old was moved to the bullpen to begin this season and has reaped the benefits.
In 19 appearances with High-A Aberdeen this year, Brehmer posted a 2.80 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings. His performance led to a midseason promotion to Double-A Bowie, where he’s still getting used to the better competition. In 15 innings across seven appearances with the Baysox, Brehmer has recorded a 7.80 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 8.40 strikeouts per nine innings entering play on Aug. 2.
“I was kind of throwing behind guys during spring training and I kind of got the sense that I might be out of the bullpen this year,” Brehmer said on Glenn Clark Radio July 25. “Maybe it’s because of [a 2023] injury, I don’t know, but they kind of came up to me at the end of the year like when we break for spring training, they were like, ‘Hey, you’re going to be in a flex role, longer relief out of the ‘pen, maybe a tandem here or there.’ So, I don’t know, I’ve enjoyed the bullpen, it’s been good to me, so no complaints.”
While it was not Brehmer’s decision to move to the bullpen, it has certainly helped him climb the ladder.
Brehmer was drafted in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Indiana University, where he spent his fourth and final year of college ball. At Indiana, he posted a 5.30 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 17 appearances (14 starts). He spent his first three years of college at Wright State, starting in 29 of his 32 appearances.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound right-hander spent his first full season as a professional with Low-A Delmarva in 2023. He started in 14 of his 16 appearances, posting a 4.61 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Elbow trouble ended his season two months early, though.
Now a reliever, Brehmer prepares and approaches the game differently than he has in the past.
“I feel like as a starter, you have this whole day or week routine that you do,” he said. “Specifically on the day, like you have your whole routine. ‘Hey, I’m starting today,’ and you build up for this whole start. And then as a reliever, I mean, every three or four days you’re ready to go when your name’s called, and I feel like I kind of like that a little more.”
Brehmer has been adjusting well to his new role, but the priority for him this season has been developing an effective changeup. His circle change was too firm, so he introduced a splitter to his repertoire.
“I don’t throw it a ton, but it’s like a good pitch to get guys off of the sinker and the slider,” Brehmer said.
While Brehmer still likes starting, he’s willing to do whatever the organization needs.
“I like starting for sure, but honestly, whatever it takes,” he said. “I’m just ready to throw whenever, so if it’s in the bullpen or if they need me to start, I mean, I’m ready to go.”
For more from Brehmer, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Joe Noyes/Bowie Baysox