Orioles’ 6-foot-8 left-handers Joseph Dzierwa and Boston Bateman deliver standout starts in the minors

Double-A Chesapeake and High-A Frederick each got a strong pitching performance Tuesday, and for the Orioles the details carried extra weight: two of the organization’s most notable recent pitching additions, both listed at 6-foot-8 and both left-handed, delivered scoreless stretches in their respective starts. Joseph Dzierwa helped lead Chesapeake to an 11-4 win over Altoona by throwing five scoreless innings, while Boston Bateman turned in five scoreless frames to support Frederick’s 3-0 shutout of Brooklyn.

The Orioles have long emphasized developing talent in their farm system, particularly among hitters, but Tuesday’s games highlighted that their pitching pipeline is producing tangible results as well. Dzierwa, 22, became Baltimore’s highest-drafted pitcher since Mike Elias took over in 2018 when the club selected him 58th overall last July out of Michigan State. Eighteen days later, the Orioles added Bateman in a separate move, acquiring him 18 days after Dzierwa’s draft day selection in an eight-player trade with San Diego. Bateman entered the organization as the 52nd overall pick in 2024 and, according to MLB, was the highest-ranked prospect involved in that deal.

Dzierwa’s outing was notable not just because it was clean, but because it appeared to match his described profile at the mound. reported that his low release point creates deception and odd angles, and that his fastball-changeup combination has served as a foundation for his results. On Tuesday, Dzierwa struck out six batters, including six of them on his fastball which touched 96 mph. He also allowed four hits, issued one walk, and hit a batter, as Baltimore’s opponent never got sustained traction against him.

Broader season context also matters for a pitcher at this stage, and Dzierwa’s early performance has been productive. reported that he has punched out at least six batters in eight of his 12 starts. The same report placed his strikeout total at 79 across 62 1/3 innings (second-most in the minors at the time of publication) and his earned run average at 2.31. Control remains a key developmental checkpoint, and the Orioles will like that said Dzierwa has issued multiple walks in a start just twice this season.

Bateman’s role in the organization is similarly prominent, positioned as a major piece of Baltimore’s pitching group and ranked within the top tier of the Orioles’ prospects. described him as the Orioles’ No. 9 prospect, and it also tied his arrival to the San Diego trade that preceded the 2024 season. On Tuesday, his start in High-A mattered in the only way that counts for the win: he worked five scoreless innings in Frederick’s 3-0 decision over Brooklyn.

The shared theme across both outings is the Orioles’ ability to convert high-ceiling arms into repeatable innings in games that are meaningful for development. For fans, the standout common denominator is height and left-handedness, but the longer-term storyline will be how both pitchers handle the next step of refinement. That includes whether Dzierwa’s low-angle delivery continues to suppress hitters’ timing, and how Bateman uses command and sequencing to keep games from getting away once opponents adjust.

As the season progresses, the Orioles’ farm attention will likely follow these two in tandem. If their early results hold up, both could become central names in Baltimore’s conversation about pitching depth, not just as prospects with tools but as arms capable of surviving the grind of weekly minor league starts. In the short term, Chesapeake and Frederick’s next games will offer an immediate test of consistency rather than one-game flashes, which is usually where prospect value becomes clearer.

Key measures for teams and scouts continue to be the same, even at different levels: strike-throwing, swing-and-miss quality, and keeping damage limited once a hitter finds timing. With two tall left-handers producing scoreless innings on the same day, the Orioles have a reminder that their pitching development work is reaching the point where it can show up in box scores, not just scouting reports.