Spartans’ top southpaw goes 58th overall to Baltimore Orioles in 2025 MLB Draft

The Baltimore Orioles may be having a bit of an off year — they’re currently last in the AL East with a 43-52 record — but they seem to have only good luck in the 2025 MLB Draft, which began Sunday in Cumberland, Georgia.

With the 58th overall pick in the second round, the Orioles invited No. 74 overall prospect and lefthander Joseph Dzierwa to the Show. 

Dzierwa, a junior out of Michigan State, was at the top of the Spartans’ rotation and earned 2025 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors. He maintained a 1.42 ERA over 18 starts last season, recording 137 strikeouts and 24 earned runs. 

The Ohio native is the highest-drafted Spartan pitcher since Mark Mulder went No. 2 overall to the Oakland Athletics in 1998.

“Dzierwa's size and arm angle help him hide the ball well and create deception without compromising his ability to throw strikes,” the pitcher’s draft profile reads. “He can pinpoint his entire arsenal wherever he wants, pounding the strike zone and also working the edges well. He offers a high floor as a near-certain starter and could fit in the middle of a rotation if he can find a reliable breaking pitch.”

As a freshman, Dzierwa was an immediate starter for Michigan State and has maintained the No. 1 spot since. Last summer, the pitcher entered the transfer portal and received multiple offers before committing to Vanderbilt, but he returned to the Spartans three weeks later.

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The 6-foot-8 lefthander has a four-pitch arsenal, including a 90-93 m.p.h. fastball that maxes out at 95. His changeup is in the low-80s, but his ability to sell the pitch with depth and locate the ball make up for the lack of velocity. However, Dzierwa’s draft profile notes “his mechanics don't make it easy to stay on top of a spin option,” making both his upper-70s slider and mid-80s cutter less reliable than his other pitches.

Dzierwa’s size and frame put his arm at an angle to hide the ball well from batters — if Orioles pitching coach Drew French can help Dzierwa hone his movements, they could develop the southpaw into a reliable rotation starter down the line.