TORONTO -- With only two weeks to go in the Orioles’ 2025 season, some fresh faces could show up during the club’s final 13 games. It’s a good time for Baltimore (69-80) to evaluate talent and see exactly what it has in the organization heading into ‘26.
On Sunday, it was right-hander Carson Ragsdale, who made his MLB debut as the O’s took an 11-2 loss to the Blue Jays in the series finale at Rogers Centre. The 27-year-old covered three innings of a bullpen game, though he had a tough time, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits and one walk with two strikeouts in a 79-pitch showing.
On Monday, it could be Chayce McDermott becoming a new member of Baltimore’s bullpen.
McDermott was in Toronto the past two days on the Orioles’ taxi squad, but the 27-year-old wasn’t recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. However, the righty may be promoted in Chicago -- where the O’s will play a three-game set vs. the White Sox -- as it’s quite possible Ragsdale will be sent back to Triple-A in favor of a fresher arm.
For those who haven’t been following McDermott closely, he is no longer starting, as he had been his entire five-year professional career. In late July, he was converted to a reliever.
“It was interesting at first, just trying to get used to a different [role],” McDermott said. “I’ve never really thrown out of the ‘pen, so it’s a different mindset and everything.”
At first, McDermott struggled, allowing six runs in 2 1/3 innings over a pair of outings for Norfolk on July 26 and 30. Since then, he has a 1.26 ERA (two earned runs in 14 1/3 innings) over 13 appearances. His most recent showing came Thursday at Durham, where he collected four strikeouts over two scoreless innings.
The Orioles have been pleased with how McDermott has embraced the change in duties.
“Continuing to maintain good attitude and focus with a bit of a role change and has shown well,” director of player development Anthony Villa said. “So it’s good stuff.”
The pitches coming out of McDermott’s hand can also be described as “good stuff.” Now that he’s being used in relief, his fastball velocity has shown an uptick, often sitting around 96 mph and even ramping up to 98.
The increased heat benefits his other offerings (cutter, slider, sweeper), with a wider gap in the velocity readings.
“Only throwing one inning, you can kind of let it eat,” McDermott said. “That’s kind of been the mindset, and it’s helped the offspeed pitches kind of improve, too.”
McDermott hasn’t gotten a ton of opportunities in the big leagues. Over the past two seasons he’s made three spot appearances (two starts and one bulk-relief outing) and has recorded a 7.71 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.
When McDermott has struggled, it’s often been due to a lack of command, as he has issued eight walks in his brief big league tenure.
If McDermott can locate his pitches better, then he has the ability to become a solid contributor out of Baltimore’s bullpen -- whether that opportunity comes as soon as Monday or further down the line.
“It’s never been stuff. It’s never been his ability to throw the ball hard or spin the ball good. It’s just simply staying in the zone,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “So I think kind of limiting the innings and getting him into that role where he can just let it rip, simplify some things, attack the middle part of the plate ... I think it’s lending itself nice to success for him.
“If and when he does get activated here, I think if he does that exact thing and attacks the middle part of the plate, I think his stuff will play, I think he’ll have some success.”
At one point, McDermott was considered among the Orioles’ top prospects. Entering the year, he was ranked No. 4 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 rankings, a list he is no longer included on.
But McDermott’s future could still be bright, especially now that he’s seemed to have found his footing as a high-octane bullpen arm.
“It’s been awesome, just kind of getting to feel out the different side of it,” McDermott said. “If it’s what gets me to the big leagues, it’s what gets me to the big leagues. If it’s what helps the team, it’s what helps the teams. So I’ve enjoyed it.”