Andrew Stetka: A look at the O's secondary pitching prospects

As the Orioles offense continues to plod along through May, the organization's pitching depth is also being tested. The young arms are passing the exam so far. Over the last week or so, we've seen Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson and Oliver Drake make their major league debuts with the Birds. These are three O's draft picks that aren't nearly as highly touted as the three No. 1 choices that have been ranked at the top of the team's farm system.

We're talking, of course, about 2011 pick Dylan Bundy, 2012 choice Kevin Gausman and 2013 selection Hunter Harvey. Those are three names everyone has heard. Bundy received a cup of coffee in the bigs in 2012 and Gausman has had more than his fair share of time on the 25-man roster. Harvey has yet to make his mark, and could be looking at some lengthy time off after some recent forearm and elbow issues, which almost always lead to Tommy John surgery. The three guys we've seen recently are lesser known, but could be just as valuable to the franchise's overall makeup going forward.

Wright, a 2011 third-round pick out of East Carolina University, has started his career with two starts that span 14 1/3 scoreless innings. He's made a case to continue pitching at this level in just a pair of outings, possibly making way for Bud Norris' role to change. The thing that has impressed me most about watching Wright pitch is the way his ball moves. He seems to be able to command the strike zone well and even pumps his fastball up to around 97 mph when needed. I'm very interested to see where his path takes him as the season goes on. Even if he's eventually sent back to Triple-A Norfolk, which is likely because it provides the team with roster flexibility, Wright is a guy that can help the team going forward.

Wilson is a 2011 10th-round pick out of the University of Virginia. He was previously selected in the 2010 draft by the Reds. The 25-year-old has already been optioned down to Triple-A Norfolk since making his debut last week by pitching a scoreless inning. He then logged his first win on Friday after allowing a run one-plus innings of work. Wilson is heading back into the Tides rotation where he'll continue to work on his 3.43 ERA. He's another one of these secondary pitching prospects that could prove valuable later in the season because of the flexibility he provides for the bullpen.

Drake was perhaps the longest shot of the three to make an impact on the big league roster. The 28-year-old was taken in the 43rd round of the 2008 draft out of the U.S. Naval Academy. Drake has fought back from a shoulder surgery a few years ago and was placed on the 40-man roster before the season. Drake's story is also unique because he's just the third player from Navy to play in the majors, but the second this season. St. Louis Cardinals reliever Mitch Harris made his debut in April, becoming the first Midshipman to play in the majors since Nemo Gaines pitched for the Washington Senators in 1921. Drake has been brilliant for the Tides this season, posting a 0.96 ERA in 18 2/3 innings so far. He provided the O's with three scoreless frames on Saturday. He gets added to the list of players who can provide some depth in the bullpen going forward, and again, has flexibility to be optioned.

While the Orioles continue to find their way in the muddied American League East, they are getting a glimpse at the future, as well. The O's haven't lit the world on fire through the first two months, but they are also still well in the race and able to get a view of what is coming down the pipeline. For a team that could very well lose two members of its rotation to free agency going into 2016, these prospects can provide an idea of what's next. What's most encouraging is that these three pitchers are the so-called secondary prospects when compared to Bundy, Gausman and Harvey. We're getting the chance to learn about the guys who can fill in the holes and provide the pitching staff with more depth going into the future.

Andrew Stetka blogs about the Orioles for Eutaw Street Report. Follow him on Twitter: @AStetka. His thoughts on the O's appear here as part of MASNsports.com's continuing commitment to welcome guest bloggers to our little corner of cyberspace. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.