Orioles #26 Prospect Kiefer Lord - RHP

[Tony-OH]

Kiefer Lord
Throws: RHP
Age (as of Jun 30th): 21
2023 Level: College

Pitches (current/future value)
Fastball: 50/60
Curveball: 35/45
Change: 30/45
Slider: 40/55
Command: 40/50

Most Likely Future Role: Reliever
Ceiling: Back of rotation starter

Bio:  The Orioles 3rd round selection out of the University of Washington, this 6-3 right-hander is all about projection. Lord brings a fastball that can sit in the mid-90s and touch 97 MPH, but that velocity fell off during the season at times and caused his stock to fall.

He offsets his fastball with a good two-plane slider and a curve with the slider being the better of the two more often.  He's shown a change at times though he didn't throw it often, but there is belief it's a pitch that can work if he uses it more. His 6.19 ERA looks terrible, but that was due to his last four starts when he allowed 27 earned runs over just 13.2 innings. Through his first 11 outings, he had a 3.63 ERA. Of course the question is, why did he end the year so poorly?

He threw his fastball nearly 70% of the time during his junior year and it can miss bats, especially up in the zone. Some scouts believe with a better mix of offspeed offerings, his fastball could play up even more. He's a bit of a late bloomer who was not highly recruited out of high school, so there is still some projection left in the arm.

The Orioles will develop Lord as a starter in order to improve the consistency of his offspeed offerings, but he could end up in the pen where his velocity could spike. Lots of unknowns with him overall, but the upside is good.