The Orioles no longer hold the level of farm system that received national praise at the beginning of the decade, but the team has quietly improved its prospect depth after a pair of losing seasons. Pitchers Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa and Caden Hunter all rank in the club’s Top 5 according to MLB Pipeline, and Luis De León flashed significant potential out of the bullpen at the end of 2026.

If Orioles fans know one thing, it’s that high-rated pitching prospects are not guaranteed to pan out. At the same time, those following along know that it’s not always the highest rated prospect that develops into the best major leaguer. Baltimore possesses several other pitchers that could develop into contributors down the road. Michael Forret, Boston Bateman, Kyson Witherspoon and JT Quinn likely represent the next tier, but there are a few other pitchers still lurking. Trey Gibson and Cade Povich hope to mimic Brandon Young’s success from last season.

It’s always exciting to see players climbing prospect rankings, but they have to take someone’s place. Juaron Watts-Brown fits the mold of a player that has trended down on those lists. W-B was the Blue Jays 10th ranked prospect when they shipped him to Baltimore in exchange for reliever Seranthony Dominguez. Less than two years later, MLB Pipeline does not include Watts-Brown in Baltimore’s Top 30.

Watts-Brown made a fine first impression in 2025. The righty pitched to a 1-3 record and 3.82 ERA over his first seven starts in his new organization. Watts-Brown struck out 43 and walked 12 over 35.1 innings at Double-A Chesapeake.

The Oklahoma State product started 2026 on the injured list and made three rehab appearances at Frederick before rejoining Chesapeake on May 1. He proceeded to post a less-than-inspiring 1-7 record with a 5.76 ERA over 14 starts for the Baysox. He delivered only one scoreless outing and rarely worked beyond the fifth inning. In a season when other starters were beginning to pop, the 24-year-old struggled to match his peers.

W-B failed to keep runners from reaching home plate, but he continued to demonstrate the swing-and-miss potential that made him an attractive target for the Orioles in 2025. The righty struck out 74 batters over 59.1 innings at Double-A. He walked 25.

The Orioles did not hold his inflated ERA against him. The organization promoted Watts-Brown to Triple-A at the end of July. He made 10 appearances for the Tides (seven starts) and posted 1-4 ERA with a 10.22 ERA. He struck out 41 batters over 37 innings but walked a whopping 37 Triple-A hitters. He surrendered 10 home runs in 10 appearances.

That face you’re making right now? It’s justified. A walk an inning is not what the Blue Jays had in mine when they selected Watts-Brown in the third round of the 2023 draft. It’s not what Baltimore envisioned when they acquired him two years ago. But the strikeout numbers remain attractive. Nobody is confusing Watts-Brown with a rotation candidate in 2027, but there’s no reason to give up on the guy either.

Watts-Brown should return to Norfolk’s rotation next season. The Orioles may have more than five starters capable of filling those positions, but teams get creative in the minor leagues. Baltimore will provide Watts-Brown an opportunity to get back on track next year, and the California native can still see a pathway to the big leagues.

Watts-Brown struggled briefly with his first taste at High-A, but last season marked his first extended taste of adversity in pro ball. Baseball is a game of adjustments, and W-B will look to make some next season. Limiting the free passes appears to be the right place to start.