They say people grieve differently. How did you handle the 2026 trade deadline? The Orioles trading Adley Rutschman—the face of a long and painful rebuild under Mike Elias—marked a symbolic end to Baltimore’s first winning window. Rutschman had emerged as a beacon of hope during the dark years at the end of the last decade. He developed into an All Star, a fan favorite, and eventually a valuable commodity.

The Orioles traded Rutschman to a division rival in exchange for Carlos Narváez, Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar and Harold Rivas. Were you the type to dive right in and analyze all of the prospects? Many credited Baltimore’s front office for receiving a “haul.” If the whole thing felt a little too painful, or if you were simply checked out after another disappointing first half, we’ve got you covered.

Eyanson and Azocar are currently ranked inside of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, but this deal had depth. Today, we’ll focus on the other arm that arrived from Boston.

The Red Sox selected Kyson Witherspoon with the 15th overall pick in the 2025 draft. Witherspoon and his twin brother Malachi cut their teeth at Northwest Florida State JC before transferring to Oklahoma. The Tigers selected Malachi in the second round of the draft, but we’ll keep the attention on Kyson today.

MLB Pipeline assigned Witherspoon a 60 grade on his fastball with the curveball and cutter both earning 55’s. His arsenal also includes a slider and a changeup, and Pipeline credits his ability to get chases and whiffs with all five pitches. The fastball sits firmly in the mid 90s with the ability to top out around 98 MPH. The stuff is there.

His top secondary offering is an upper-80s cutter that reaches 92 mph, with his tight mid-80s slider and big-breaking upper-70s curveball close behind. He doesn’t have the same trust and consistency with his upper-80s changeup, which is too firm but flashes interesting fade.

The 6-foot-2 righty looks like a big league starter with the ability to put hitters away with multiple plus pitches. Witherspoon, now ranked Baltimore’s 12th ranked prospect, joined the Orioles at an exciting time for young arms. Eyanson and Witherspoon bolstered a group that also includes Joseph Dzierwa, Caden Hunter, and Michael Forret. Luis De León made his big league debut last fall, while guys like Boston Bateman, JT Quinn, and Nestor German continue to provide value.

Witherspoon posted a 3-5 record and 4.78 ERA with Boston’s High-A team before the trade. The initial stats didn’t jump off the page, but the former Raider made a strong first impression in Baltimore’s system. He posted a 1.26 ERA over his first three starts for Frederick. He walked 10 batters over 14.1 innings, but he struck out 20 over the three appearances.

Witherspoon capped the stretch with five no-hit innings against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Unfortunately, the gem marked his final outing of the season. Frederick placed Witherspoon on the injured list on August 26 with a right shoulder impingement. He did not return in the final weeks of the minor league season.

As of now, there’s no reason to believe Witherspoon will not have fully recovered by the start of next season. Baltimore could ease him back at Frederick or send him straight to Bowie. Either way, the organization will look to see the same swing-and-miss with some improved command.

Orioles fans may be pulling a little extra for guys like Eyanson and Witherspoon in hopes of “winning” the Rutschman trade. But at the end of the day, Witherspoon is focused on making it to the big leagues. Orioles fans also know that every pitching prospect isn’t guaranteed to pan out, so it helps to have several quality prospects down on the farm.