After avoiding pitchers early in the amateur draft, the Orioles chose two in the second round a year ago, left-hander Joseph Dzierwa and right-hander JT Quinn.
Dzierwa, a 6-foot-8 left-hander from Michigan State, was selected with the 58th pick last July. Quinn, a 6-foot-6 right-hander from Georgia, was the 69th selection.
Neither pitched in the weeks after their selection, and both are off to excellent starts in professional ball, with the High-A Frederick Keys.
Dzierwa, MLB.com’s 12th ranked Orioles prospect, is 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts, allowing just 15 hits in 27 innings, striking out 29 and walking seven.
Quinn, the No. 19 prospect, pitched five scoreless innings for the Keys against Brooklyn in their 5-0 win on Wednesday, is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA. He allowed three hits, struck out five and walked two in his fifth start.
Four of his starts have been excellent. The exception was last Thursday when he gave up six runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings against Wilmington.
Three of his other four starts have been scoreless. In his first, he gave up a run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings.
“It’s been fun,” Quinn said last week at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick. “It’s getting your work in and making sure you’re doing the right things.
“I think it’s been pretty straightforward, a bunch of people here to lean on, a lot of great coaches and people around the organization and older guys, too. Everything culminates and has made it pretty easy and seamless.”
Quinn was a Friday night game starter for Georgia last year, and he said there’s not much difference in the talent level.
“I think it’s pretty similar, honestly,” he said. “You have to make good pitches to get guys out, and it’s the same here. Obviously, the level in competition is a little higher here. It’s pretty competitive. That just set me up to fit in seamlessly here and make an easy transition.”
Before pitching at Georgia, where he was 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA in 17 games, seven starts, he had two seasons at Mississippi where he wasn’t as successful. Quinn is appreciative of what he’s learned so far in the Orioles organization.
“A lot. It’s a completely different rotation than we would do in college,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest adjustment, and that’s what I’m working towards, is being able to bounce back and recover as fast as I possibly can. I [want to] feel healthy the whole time and hopefully feel good for starts.”
While fellow draftees Ike Irish, Caden Bodine and Wehiwa Aloy got to play a few weeks for Single-A Delmarva, Dzierwa and Quinn stayed in Sarasota to get acclimated to pro ball. It was the first time in several years he didn’t throw into the offseason.
“I put on a lot of weight. That was my first time in the fall, not throwing,” he says. “I think it was a good opportunity to work on my craft and get stronger, get bigger. It helped a ton, and helped keep my body fresh.”
He’s not worried about the steeper competition he’s facing.
“It’s more like, if I can control the things that I can control, I’m going to do my thing, I guess,” Quinn said. “That’s how my mindset has been not really worrying about who’s hitting. Pitching is kind of pitching in my mind. If I hit my spots and move my stuff, I should be able to get outs.”
Quinn, who turned 22 last week, and Dzierwa have been roommates for most of the time they’ve been in the Orioles organization.
“He’s a goofy person. It’s been fun to get to know him for sure,” Quinn said. “That boy is tall.”
Quinn says his teammates have a name for Dzierwa.
“We like to call him the crafty lefty. He’s got great stuff, too,” Quinn said. “He’s going to pound the zone, too, make these guys take good swings and trust his stuff. He’s going to give you a lot of length.’
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