| Player: Joseph Dzierwa | |||||||||||
| Org: Baltimore Orioles | Highest Level: Double A | Position(s): LHP | |||||||||
| Height: 66’8″ | Weight: 200 lbs. | Bats: Left | Throws: Left | ||||||||
| Summary: A three-sport athlete who earned all-state recognition as a quarterback before channeling the competitive background into a decorated college pitching career — conference pitcher of the year honors, three years as the program’s ace, and the highest-drafted left-hander of the current Orioles front office. A towering southpaw who creates an unusual and difficult look from a closed setup and low arm slot that generates a challenging approach angle — the delivery is unorthodox but repeatable with clean arm speed across the arsenal and nothing in the mechanics that raises concern for a starter’s workload. The changeup is the carrying pitch and it’s genuinely special. A weapon against hitters from both sides with the ability to deploy two distinct versions — one with late fade for strike-zone management, another with dramatic late sink and drop as a chase offering. The fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s and touches higher with sinking arm-side action that plays naturally off the changeup’s path, creating genuine deception when both are executing together — generating weak contact and groundballs that give the two-pitch foundation real starter viability. The command of both pitches is advanced enough to maximize the deception, with the ability to locate in the zone and on the edges with consistency. The slider is the developmental priority and the pitch that determines whether the ceiling lands in the back or the middle of a rotation. Currently showing lateral movement without the sharp finish needed to drive consistent bat-missing results, with flashes of a better version that haven’t sustained across full outings. A cutter gives the arsenal a fourth shape to add variety in early counts. A southpaw with plus changeup quality and above-average command has a well-established path to big league longevity — the slider taking a meaningful step would unlock the mid-rotation ceiling that the two-pitch foundation already hints at. | |||||||||||
Shaun Kernahan is the founder and lead writer of Three Quarter Slot, where he blends scouting precision with a storyteller’s eye for the human side of the game. Based in Parker, Colorado, he has covered baseball prospects at every level since 2013, delivering in-depth evaluations, draft analysis, and developmental insight. Over the years, he has built Three Quarter Slot into a trusted home for thoughtful prospect coverage, detailed scouting reports, and a grounded look at how talent evolves
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