Orioles call up top pitching prospect Luis De Leon

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Luis De Leon. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Orioles call up top pitching prospect Luis De Leon

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Sep 1, 2026 3:59 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles have called up their No. 7-ranked left-handed pitching prospect, Luis De Leon, as rosters have expanded from 26 to 28 players.

While the 23-year-old has mostly pitched as a starter in the minors, the Orioles have recently transitioned him to a reliever for his MLB call-up in order to help the bullpen in high-leverage situations amid a pivotal stretch.

The Orioles have purposely reduced his outings in Triple-A Norfolk in order to have him ready for a bullpen role in the big leagues. He could potentially make his debut against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday and has been made available out of the bullpen.

On Aug. 26 for Norfolk, he made his third relief appearance and recorded a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and collected eight strikes on nine pitches.

LHP Luis De León, the Baltimore Orioles' No. 7 prospect, is being called up, per The Baltimore Banner's @afkostka. pic.twitter.com/Z3PD2mUhDA
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 1, 2026

Luis De Leon achieves goal of finishing year in big leagues

Back in March of this season, De Leon had one goal, and it was to finish his season in the majors. He stated, “My goal this year, God willing, is to hopefully finish the year in the bigs.”

In Double-A this season, he recorded 100 strikeouts across 81 innings and 19 starts before being promoted to Triple-A Norfolk on July 28. Across both levels in the minors, he has logged a 4.73 ERA with 121 punchouts.

His arsenal will provide elite raw stuff and a diverse pitch mix to the Orioles' MLB bullpen. In addition, his fastball and sinker hovered around 95-98 mph. Both his slider and splitter/changeup have generated whiff rates above 45 percent when his mechanics are on point.

His high-leverage potential and high-octane velocity will be valuable to the Orioles, as he can counteract left-handed hitters if he is capable of commanding the strike zone.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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