This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
BALTIMORE -- Braxton Bragg’s pitch mix is a bit different now than it was when he was selected by the Orioles in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The 24-year-old right-hander entered the ‘25 campaign with five offerings in his arsenal.
Bragg had a four-seam fastball and a sinker among his high-velocity offerings, but he implemented a cutter during the 2024 season. The Kansas City native also learned a new changeup grip this offseason, giving him another strong offspeed pitch to pair with his sweeper.
As Bragg broke down his upgraded mix during Spring Training in mid-March, he showed eagerness for the season ahead.
“I’m excited to showcase them and let it rip,” Bragg said then.
That’s exactly what Bragg has been doing this month.
After making 28 appearances (20 starts) for Single-A Delmarva across 2023 and ‘24, Bragg was bumped up to High-A Aberdeen to begin the year. He didn’t spend much time with the IronBirds, though, posting a 0.00 ERA (one unearned run) with six hits, five walks and 18 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings over three starts, earning a quick promotion to Double-A Chesapeake.
Bragg then made his Double-A debut on Wednesday, tossing 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in relief, with three hits, two walks and eight strikeouts against Altoona, preserving his sterling ERA on the year. He is scheduled to make his second appearance for the Baysox on Tuesday night at Hartford.
It’s not a huge surprise to see Bragg having this success while climbing Baltimore’s Minor League ranks. The Dallas Baptist University product showed promise during his first full professional season in 2024, recording a 3.36 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 96 1/3 innings over 24 appearances (20 starts) with Delmarva.
“To go through a full season and over time get used to routines, schedules and everything, I just got comfortable, got used to it,” Bragg said. “It really just came down to execution. I feel like I executed at a pretty high level, and I was fortunate to have some good results.”
Bragg may not be among the Orioles’ Top 30 prospects (per MLB Pipeline), but he’s putting himself on the radar with his April performance. If he continues to pitch this well for an extended run at Double-A, he could make another jump to Triple-A Norfolk before the season is over.
Here are some other recent standouts down on the O’s farm:
Triple-A Norfolk
Dylan Beavers (Baltimore’s No. 6 prospect) started to heat up last week, going 7-for-19 (.368) with one double, one home run and five RBIs during Norfolk’s six-game series vs. Memphis.
Through 24 games, Beavers is hitting .262 with three doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs and a .790 OPS. The 23-year-old outfielder, who was selected No. 33 overall in the 2022 Draft, is getting his first prolonged taste of Triple-A after playing six games at the level late last year.
Double-A Chesapeake
Bragg isn’t the only pitcher dealing at Double-A. Alex Pham (O’s No. 29 prospect) had a stellar showing last week, posting a 1.80 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 10 innings over two outings (one start) against Altoona.
Pham, a 19th-round Draft pick in 2021, racked up 11 of those strikeouts while tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball on April 22. The 25-year-old right-hander has a 3.42 ERA through five appearances (four starts) after recording a 4.24 ERA in 27 Double-A starts last year.
High-A Aberdeen
Michael Forret (the Orioles’ No. 8 prospect) has a 0.92 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings over four starts for the IronBirds this season. The 21-year-old right-hander had seven strikeouts over five innings of one-run ball in his most recent outing at Wilmington last Wednesday.
It has been an encouraging start to the year for the 2023 14th-round Draft pick, who had a 4.35 ERA in 16 appearances (nine starts) for Aberdeen in ‘24.
Single-A Delmarva
Yasmil Bucce, a 20-year-old catcher who signed out of Venezuela in January 2021, has been one of Delmarva’s hottest hitters. He went 7-for-21 (.333) with three doubles and one RBI in five games last week, raising his season average to .268.
Bucce has a team-high .825 OPS through 17 games for the Shorebirds, his first taste of the Single-A level.