A draft eligible sophomore out of Florida State University nabbed by the Orioles in the 2nd round pick of 2023 draft, Baumeister is all about projection and comes in as the #16 prospect.
Jackson Baumeister
Throws: Right
Age (as of Jun 30th) : 20
2023 Level: NCAA (Did not pitch professionally)
Pitches (current/future value)
Fastball: 55/60
Slider: 35/45
Change: 40/50
Curveball: 45/50
Command: 35/45
Most Likely Future Role: 4th/5th starter or high leverage reliever
Ceiling: Mid-rotation starter
What we know: A draft eligible sophomore who turned 21 a few days before the draft, the Orioles took the 6-foot-4 225 pounder mostly on the great frame, a good carry fastball that has reached 97-98 mph early in outings, and two different breaking balls with promise. With the leverage of going back to be the Friday night starter in 2024, Baumeister was able to command an overslot $1,605,100 bonus in a $1,243,300 second round slot.
Outside of his strike out numbers (12.4 K/9), Baumeister’s stats weren’t all that impressive at Florida State (5.09 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 9.0 H/9, and 3.8 BB/9), but the Orioles believe he wasn’t taught how to use his stuff well and believe they can maximize his raw stuff. On top of it, he’s a fairly recent convert to pitching (converted his senior year of high school) and with only 96.1 college innings under his belt, he’s considered a “low-milage” pitcher. Lastly, he lands a bit closed on his front foot often and straightening that out can add some additional velocity as well.
The fastball reportedly has good induced vertical break (IVB) which is a fancy way of saying it has good carry. He sat 92-95 MPH in games and would touch 97-98 at times, but the Orioles did not think he used it enough up in the zone in college and would have been more effective doing so.
He spins two different breaking balls, a traditional curveball and more of a sweepy slider. Both can miss bats, but both are inconsistent offerings that will need work to command more often. He will flash a decent change on occasion but it’s another offering that will need some shaping.
Not only does he land a bit closed, but he also has a little bit of a head whack and some effort to the delivery so there are some of think he may be better in relief long term.
What we don’t know: After being used in relief only in his Freshman year, he only has one season of starting under his belt so his ability to command his pitches and maintain his velocity deep into games is still unknown. We know the Orioles will have him use his fastball more up in the zone, but can he command it up there? Can he command his offspeed pitches more consistently and will the change develop in order for him to defend himself against lefties? Can he hold up to 180 innings one day when he’s never thrown more than 69 innings?
What we think: Baumeister is projectable prospect with upside, but he definitely has reliever risk to him. The Orioles choose not to start him back up after being off so long after his college season (something they did with most of their drafted pitchers this year with draft being so late). It will be interesting to see if the Orioles start him straight into High-A (Aberdeen) or get his feet wet in Delmarva first. Either way, he’s an intriguing arm to follow in 2024.
