Baltimore Orioles promote recently acquired top prospect to Triple-A

Nunez was originally drafted out of high school by the San Diego Padres as a 17-year-old in the 29th round of the MLB Draft. He initially played as an infielder in the Padres' farm system but was released after the 2021 season, playing in only six professional games.

The now 24-year-old went back to school after qualifying for amateur deregulation, making him eligible to play collegiately again, this time for Division II Tampa. During his stint there, Nunez converted from an infielder to a relief pitcher in his final collegiate season in 2024, with the Mets signing him that June.

In nine games pitching for both the Florida Complex League and the Single-A St. Lucie Mets last year, Nunez was sharp, posting a 2.70 ERA with 12 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP across 10 innings. The right-hander followed up his impressive first stint in the Mets' minor league system by going 1-1 in 10 appearances this season for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, with a 0.63 ERA and 24 strikeouts in just 14.1 innings of work.

Nunez would end up being promoted this year to Double-A, pitching for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. In 22 appearances at the Double-A level, he went 1-0 with a 2.10 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and an impressive 36 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.

After coming over from the Mets and pitching a scoreless outing for the Orioles' Double-A affiliate, the Chesapeake Baysox, Nunez is now reportedly being promoted to Triple-A. The Orioles are hoping he can be one of the pieces to help them become a contender again in the years ahead.