Nationwide Road to The Show™ Ambassador Spotlight: Grayson Rodriguez

The Nationwide Road to the Show™ Ambassadors series, which provides fans an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at five of the best prospects in Minor League Baseball. Here's a look at Orioles prospect Grayson Rodriguez. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here.

Grayson Rodriguez often recounts tales of endless car rides to all corners of the Lone Star state to make the most of his exposure as a first-round talent. Now, he’s on the cusp of his Major League debut.

The hard-throwing right-hander’s days in the Minor Leagues may soon be numbered. He’s been incredible over the first two months of the season with the Tides, going 5-1 with a 2.32 ERA and 76 strikeouts through his first 10 starts.

MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 overall prospect leads his advanced four-pitch mix with a polished fastball-changeup combination. He can reach triple digits with his tight-spinning four-seamer and hangs in the mid-80’s with his deceptive, late-breaking change. His slider grades better than his curveball, but he’s used all four pitches effectively in a distinguished Minor League career.

Rodriguez developed into the game’s top pitching prospect after being selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 Draft. He enjoyed a dominant debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League that season but really came into his own as the leader of one of the best rotations in the Minors with Single-A Delmarva in 2019. Rodriguez went 10-4 with a 2.68 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 94 innings with the Shorebirds that season.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound hurler posted one of the best seasons in the Minors last year, finishing with a 2.36 overall ERA and 161 strikeouts in 103 frames in 23 starts with Double-A Bowie and High-A Aberdeen. He was the only pitcher in the Minors to complete 100 innings with 14 K/9, and he allowed two runs or fewer in all but three starts, including eight scoreless outings.

Injuries and promotions have limited the amount of starts Rodriguez has had with Adley Rutschman as his batterymate. Rutschman, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, was promoted to Baltimore for his Major League debut earlier this month. Rodriguez shouldn’t be too far behind and the two top prospects in MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 ranked farm system are destined to be reunited in perpetuity.