Trace Bright Stats & Scouting Report

IP	221.333
ERA	3.985
WHIP	1.371
BB/9	4.88
SO/9	11.223

Full name Bob Ike Bright
Born 10/26/2000 in Montgomery, AL
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 199 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Auburn
Drafted in the 5th round (137th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2022 (signed for $400,000).

View Draft Report

Bright was a projection arm out of Alabama in high school, when he ranked as the No. 353 prospect in the 2019 draft class. At the time, he was touching 92-93 mph but three years later he’s now sitting with that velocity—and a strong trio of secondaries to complement it. This spring he started 17 games and posted a 5.13 ERA over 80.2 innings, with 94 strikeouts (26.4 K%) and 38 walks (10.7 BB%). He pitches off a fastball that has been up to 96-97 mph this spring, and regularly works in a mid-80s slider, upper-70s curveball and mid-80s changeup. Bright looks the part of a starter with a still-projectable 6-foot-4, 199-pound frame, but he’ll need to refine his control to make the most of what is a legitimate and deep arsenal of solid stuff. He gets hit around at times and has posted a career walk rate of 10.2% in his three seasons with Auburn, with a 6.01 career ERA to go with it.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.

Track Record: Bright’s pitch traits stood out more than his college stats at Auburn. The Orioles made him their highest-signed pitcher in the fifth round in 2022, signing him for a below-slot $400,000 as a senior. After building out a more complete arsenal over two levels in 2023, Bright spent all of 2024 at Double-A Bowie, where his stats backed up a bit even as his overall repertoire took a step forward.

Scouting Report: Bright averaged 93.3 mph with his four-seam fastball in 2024 and sat 93-95 mph at times at the end of the season at Double-A Bowie. Overall, he added a little velocity to a pitch that misses bats at the top of the zone and has good plane. His fastball pairs well with his plus curveball, which he threw a little harder in 2024 and with improved spin without sacrificing results with the pitch. His low-90s cutter improved in the Orioles’ eyes, while he made a leap with his changeup, which had a 15.5% swinging-strike rate and can be an average pitch. Bright has a repeatable delivery but has been a below-average strike-thrower in each of the last two seasons.

The Future: Bright’s improved stuff gives more visibility to a potential back-end starter role in the majors. He should spend most of 2025 at Triple-A Norfolk preparing for a chance at that.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 40.
BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: When the Orioles failed to sign third-rounder Nolan McLean in 2022, Bright became the highest-drafted pitcher they signed from that draft class. He signed for a below-slot $400,000 in the fifth round. Baltimore was drawn to his pitch shapes rather than his college performance. He spent most of 2023 at High-A Aberdeen and struck out 35% of batters before finishing well at Double-A Bowie.

Scouting Report: Bright spent his first full pro season expanding his pitch mix beyond his college repertoire. He throws an above-average 91-94 mph fastball that plays up at the top of the zone due to its plane. He tunnels a plus curveball in the mid 70s effectively off his heater. While he struggled with consistency on his slider and changeup early, both showed flashes of being at least average during the season. He ended the season with attractive swing-and-miss on his changeup, a pitch with depth and strong horizontal break. His hard, mid-80s gyro slider also progressed to be an effective pitch in the zone. Bright found success as the season went on due to improvements in those pitches as well as developing understanding of how to best use them. A high walk rate limits his upside.

The Future: Bright quietly had one of the more intriguing seasons on the Orioles farm, and the club believes further delivery refinements and strength gains can help his starter mix play up into a back-end rotation role. He’ll begin 2024 at Double-A Bowie.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45

Draft Prospects

School: Auburn Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.7
Bright was a projection arm out of Alabama in high school, when he ranked as the No. 353 prospect in the 2019 draft class. At the time, he was touching 92-93 mph but three years later he’s now sitting with that velocity—and a strong trio of secondaries to complement it. This spring he started 17 games and posted a 5.13 ERA over 80.2 innings, with 94 strikeouts (26.4 K%) and 38 walks (10.7 BB%). He pitches off a fastball that has been up to 96-97 mph this spring, and regularly works in a mid-80s slider, upper-70s curveball and mid-80s changeup. Bright looks the part of a starter with a still-projectable 6-foot-4, 199-pound frame, but he’ll need to refine his control to make the most of what is a legitimate and deep arsenal of solid stuff. He gets hit around at times and has posted a career walk rate of 10.2% in his three seasons with Auburn, with a 6.01 career ERA to go with it.
A lanky, 6-foot-4, 195-pound righthander, Bright is a projection arm out of Alabama who last summer showed an 87-90 mph fastball at the East Coast Pro showcase. While there Bright had below-average control of the pitch, but also flashed some promise with a mid-70s, three-quarter curveball that had good shape but early break. This spring Bright has added some weight, though he still has more room to add strength in the future. At his best, Bright has touched 92-93 mph. Bright is committed to Auburn.