Joseph Dzierwa Stats & Scouting Report

IP	40.2
ERA	2.21
WHIP	0.810
BB/9	2.2
SO/9	11.1

Full name Joseph Wesley Dzierwa
Born 04/21/2004 in Toledo, OH
Profile Ht.: 6'7" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: R / Throws: L
School Michigan State
Drafted in the 2nd round (58th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2025 (signed for $1,497,500).

View Draft Report

School: Michigan State Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.2

BA Grade: 50/High

Dzierwa was the Big Ten’s best arm in 2025, winning the league’s pitcher of the year award and landing the only unanimous designation among first-team all-conference honorees. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound lefthander pitched to a 2.36 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 104 strikeouts to 22 walks in 91.2 innings, all of which ranked among the best in the nation. Dzierwa has a long, slingy arm action and attacks from a low three-quarters slot. His fastball doesn’t come with the same high-octane velocity as many of his projected early-round counterparts. He sat 91.6 mph in 2025 and grabbed 95 at peak with run and ride through the zone. The pitch produced a modest 26% whiff rate but a more impressive 34% chase rate. Dzierwa’s changeup is his best and most-used secondary. It produced 39% whiff and 44% chase rates in 2025. He threw nearly 85% of his changeups to righthanded hitters, who hit just .195 against it with a 43% chase rate. Lefthanders struggled against the offering too, mustering a .111 average and 50% chase rate. Dzierwa also has a good feel for a low-usage slider in the upper 70s which he can manipulate into different shapes. Dzierwa has comfortably plus control and commands his arsenal well, which he proved with a career-best 5.9% walk rate in his draft year. He has a solid foundation of command with physical projection remaining, and fits in the first three rounds.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average

Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Dzierwa was a three-sport star and all-state quarterback as a high schooler at Otsego High in Ohio. He thrived on the mound for Michigan State and was the Big Ten pitcher of the year in 2025, when he made 18 starts with a 1.42 ERA with 137 strikeouts and a 0.834 WHIP in 118.2 innings. The Orioles took him 58th overall—the highest they’ve taken a pitcher since Mike Elias took over in 2018—and signed him for a slightly below slot $1.5 million.

Scouting Report: Dzierwa threw one of the better changeups in the college class to drive a lot of his success in college, and has a mix that should scale well in pro ball as well. His fastball lives in the low-90s and reaches 95 mph, with run and ride, and he commands the pitch well in and around the zone. Dzierwa’s changeup is a platoon-neutral weapon that produced 39% whiff and 44% chase rates in 2025, and his slider is a significant development point. Dzierwa’s advanced command profile is also an asset and he could have plus control.

The Future: Dzierwa can climb quickly thanks to his command and plus changeup. Attention to his breaking ball and increased velocity could allow him to fit neatly in the back half of a major league rotation. He could begin his pro career in 2026 at Low-A Delmarva.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60

Draft Prospects

School: Michigan State Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.2

BA Grade: 50/High

Dzierwa was the Big Ten’s best arm in 2025, winning the league’s pitcher of the year award and landing the only unanimous designation among first-team all-conference honorees. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound lefthander pitched to a 2.36 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 104 strikeouts to 22 walks in 91.2 innings, all of which ranked among the best in the nation. Dzierwa has a long, slingy arm action and attacks from a low three-quarters slot. His fastball doesn’t come with the same high-octane velocity as many of his projected early-round counterparts. He sat 91.6 mph in 2025 and grabbed 95 at peak with run and ride through the zone. The pitch produced a modest 26% whiff rate but a more impressive 34% chase rate. Dzierwa’s changeup is his best and most-used secondary. It produced 39% whiff and 44% chase rates in 2025. He threw nearly 85% of his changeups to righthanded hitters, who hit just .195 against it with a 43% chase rate. Lefthanders struggled against the offering too, mustering a .111 average and 50% chase rate. Dzierwa also has a good feel for a low-usage slider in the upper 70s which he can manipulate into different shapes. Dzierwa has comfortably plus control and commands his arsenal well, which he proved with a career-best 5.9% walk rate in his draft year. He has a solid foundation of command with physical projection remaining, and fits in the first three rounds.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60.
School: Otsego HS, Tontogany, Ohio Committed/Drafted: Michigan State
Age At Draft: 18.2
Dzierwa is a double-projection lefthander who is young for the class and has an extra-lean, 6-foot-7, 180-pound frame. There’s very little now stuff to Dzierwa’s game, but he’s easy to dream on thanks to his athleticism, loose arm stroke and the fact that he could look quite different with 40 pounds of additional weight in a few years. He has mostly pitched in the mid-to-upper-80s from the left side, with a slow curveball around 69-73 mph and a changeup that could develop into a solid third pitch. Dzierwa was also a high school quarterback and is young for the class, so as he adds more weight and focuses on pitching full time, there’s plenty of upside potential. Dzierwa is committed to Michigan State and most MLB clubs want to see him head to school and continue his development, but a few organizations were scouting him heavily this spring. Dzierwa is also young for the class and only turned 18 in April.