The Evolution of Dylan Bundy for the Baltimore Orioles

Aug 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dylan Bundy (37) pitches during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Dylan Bundy is currently showing Baltimore Oriole fans, and all of Major League Baseball, why he deserved to be the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft.

In the first five innings of Dylan Bundy’s previous start before August 2, he went five perfect innings before running into trouble in the sixth, allowing three runs and getting chased from the game. But, he still ended up with eight strikeouts in the game, and showed a ton of promise.

Then, Tuesday night Bundy went seven innings, allowing one hit and one walk. Bundy was excellent. He changes speeds, he has good control. He was everything the Orioles hoped he would be.

Bundy was drafted out of high school in 2011, and made his major league debut in 2012 in September as a 19-year-old. He was the second youngest player in the league at the time, with only Jurickson Profar being younger. Manny Machado, by the way, was third youngest.

Bundy only appeared in two games in 2015, going 1.2 innings total, leaving up one hit and walking one,

He pitched a total of 105.1 innings that year across several minor league teams and the O’s.

On June 27, 2013, Bundy had Tommy John surgery. He would miss the next year, returning to the Orioles’ A affiliate, Aberdeen in the middle of 2014 and posting somewhat pedestrian numbers the remainder of the season.

In 2015, Bundy again looked average until he was shut down in late July due to calcification in his shoulder.

Which led to Spring Training, where Bundy was automatically on the 25-man roster. There was fear that the team would have to hide him (much like they do Ubaldo Jimenez now).

Instead, Bundy made himself a key cog in the Orioles’ bullpen. Through his first nine relief appearances of the season (covering April), he had allowed two runs. However, in the next nine appearances (covering May), he allowed 10 runs, only going two outings not allowing runs. However, he did get his first professional win in May.

In June, the Orioles used him in longer appearances and he responded well, allowing 3 runs in 14.2 innings.

Which leads us to July, where Bundy earned his first start. The first start was a struggle with three home runs allowed, but in reality home runs have been his only issue as a starter.

In the last three starts, Bundy has went 17.2 innings, allowing four runs and two home runs, eight hits and two walks, for a very low WHIP.

Bundy has now gone 59 innings, with 59 hits allowed, 17 walks, 20 earned runs, and eight home runs this year with a very good ERA of 3.05.

The Orioles had previously thrown out numbers around 75 innings as the cap for Bundy this season.