The Orioles system features several talented pitchers that could potentially debut in 2026 but cannot be counted as a sure thing quite yet. Michael Forret, Trey Gibson, and Levi Wells make for an intriguing
bunch, and Juaron Watts-Brown made an impression after coming over at the trade deadline.
Any one of those four could become a future member of the Orioles rotation, but none of the pitchers finished the season on a heater like Luis De León.
The Orioles signed De León for only $30,000 as an 18-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He made an impact at Delmarva in 2024 and carried some momentum into last season. Unfortunately, an injury caused a one-month delay to his 2025 season.
De León made four starts for the Shorebirds in May before jumping up to Aberdeen. He settled in at High-A and pitched to a 3.58 ERA and 1.193 WHIP over 13 games and 60.1 innings. He struck out 69 batters compared to 26 walks, and the front office deemed him ready for Bowie at the end of August.
The 6-foot-3 lefty continued to make hitters miss in three Double-A outings. De León limited opponents to only three runs over 16 innings while striking out 24 batters in three starts. He ended 2025 with a 3.30 ERA and 107 strikeouts over 87.1 innings.
The Orioles liked what they saw, but they wanted more. Baltimore selected De León as a player to compete in the Arizona Fall League, and Baltimore’s 21st-ranked prospect has continued to impress.
MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra provided a detailed update on Baltimore’s hottest pitcher just the other day. Dykstra profiled De León and catching prospect Ethan Anderson’s pairing in the AFL.
“This hot run is a sign of a pitcher peaking at the right time and a culmination of something that began long before August,” Dykstra said. He added that De León held a 1.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 12 strikeouts of 8.1 innings in the Fall League while providing a scouting report on his arsenal.
The 6-foot-3 pitcher is largely a sinker-slider pitcher, but both pitches flash comfortably plus. The sinker largely sat 95-97 mph Thursday with 16-20 inches of armside run, giving it heavy movement on top of impressive velocity. The slider comes in at 84-88 mph and with tighter movement with 0-7 inches gloveside. That difference and his command of the breaker is enough to keep hitters consistently frustrated
That type of stuff moves the needle—especially from the left side. De León possesses an innate ability to keep the ball on the ground, but he routinely made hitters miss with a lethal combination of horizontal and vertical action.
Perhaps more exciting is the notion that De León is still getting better. He referred to his slider as “one of his worst pitches” at the beginning of last year before using it to his advantage in 2025. The high 90s heater from the left side would play as a reliever, but De León appears to have the mix to make it as a starter. He’s not overly reliant on his fastball, and he’s learning how to pitch in Baltimore’s system.
Like most young hurlers, De León could cut down on the free passes. He walked 41 hitters over 87.1 frames last season, but his strong strikeout numbers kept the K/BB ratio in check.
De León will likely return to Double-A in 2026 but could receive a quick promotion if his positive run continues. Dykstra speculated that Baltimore “could be within reach by the second half of 2026.”
Samuel Basallo broke through as the face of the Orioles commitment to the international market, but talented players like De León are not far behind. It’s not difficult to imagine De León punching out hitters at Camden Yards and generating ground balls for Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg.
Tomorrow: Irish/Bodine/Aloy
