For Tyler Wilson, a memorable few weeks ends with his addition to 40-man roster
This has been a November to remember for Orioles pitching prospect Tyler Wilson.
The right-hander turned 25 in September and got married on Nov. 15. Two days later, he and his wife Chelsea left for their honeymoon in Jamaica and three days later, he got an important phone call. It was the one where he found out he was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster.
"Yeah, it was a big week and it was my wife's birthday that Tuesday. A lot going on that week," Wilson said.
Big week indeed, and now he has a big chance to impact the Orioles' 25-man roster during the 2015 season. He's now one step closer to the big leagues.
The Orioles drafted Wilson in the 10th round in 2011 out of the University of Virginia. He capped a big 2014 season when he won the Jim Palmer Award as the O's minor league Pitcher of the Year.
Wilson went a combined 14-8 with a 3.67 ERA in 166 2/3 innings between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He led all Orioles minor leaguers in wins and strikeouts (157) and ranked seventh in ERA. He was the organizational Pitcher of the Month for April, when he went 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA in five starts for the Baysox.
Wilson went 10-5 with an ERA of 3.72 in 16 starts for Bowie and went 4-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 12 starts for Norfolk.
While it may have been only the second-biggest event in his life recently, getting added to the 40-man was big for his career.
"Was very excited," he said. "This is definitely a milestone that every minor leaguer works toward in their career. It provides a little affirmation for what you've accomplished.
"To be added to the roster of a team that has such a storied franchise and such recent success, and I love the way they play, it was just really humbling. Very grateful for the opportunity."
Wilson tied for third in all of the minors with 14 wins and he tied for ninth in innings pitched.
His game took a step forward this year as he gained some fastball velocity and also improved his slider and changeup. In the past, his fastball often topped out at 91 or 92 mph and this year he was touching 93 and 94.
Wilson lives in Charlottesville, Va., where he played college ball and he said a winter of tough workouts that included work with weighted baseballs paid off.
"I used a heavy ball program with my pitching coach from the University of Virginia," he said. "I did it in college and had kind of gotten away from it my first couple of years in pro ball. Felt like it worked and that my arm was stronger and my body was more prepared for 170 innings or whatever it ends up being moving forward.
"There are a variety of techniques and a variety of weighted balls - some heavier, some lighter - that helps your arm get stronger and faster from a velocity standpoint."
And the experience he got along the way helped him improve. Some players get rushed and some players drafted out of college can move fast through the minors. But over the 2012-13 seasons, Wilson made 30 starts at Frederick. Over the 2013-14 seasons, he made 32 starts at Bowie.
"It's been extremely beneficial for me in that at each level I've had the opportunity to have coaches really invested in me," Wilson said. "And a chance to develop something, whether it be a pitch or something about your routine, whatever it may be it has allowed me to hone in on one variable of my game and to really commit to getting better at each level."
While his fastball gained some juice this year, he continued to work hard on his slider and changeup, as well.
"My last two full seasons have really focused on reshaping my breaking pitch to give it more depth, the ability to make it harder and sharper when I need to. Just being able to manipulate the pitch in general," he said.
"I think it is pretty well-documented that Dan Duquette and Rick Peterson put a lot of weight in the fastball-changeup combination. This past year, I really felt and saw the importance of having a good changeup, being able to add and subtract and being able to see the results in a game.
"The changeup was something I never threw in college. Was mainly a fastball-slider guy and the game is different at that level. But that has really been a point of growth in time I have spent with Rick over the last three years."
Wilson has never been in major league spring training, but he'll be there in February. With a new wife and a new spot on the O's 40-man roster, he's had an eventful last few weeks.
(Photo courtesy of Christopher McCain)
The Orioles drafted Wilson in the 10th round in 2011 out of the University of Virginia. He capped a big 2014 season when he won the Jim Palmer Award as the O's minor league Pitcher of the Year.
Wilson went a combined 14-8 with a 3.67 ERA in 166 2/3 innings between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He led all Orioles minor leaguers in wins and strikeouts (157) and ranked seventh in ERA. He was the organizational Pitcher of the Month for April, when he went 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA in five starts for the Baysox.
Wilson went 10-5 with an ERA of 3.72 in 16 starts for Bowie and went 4-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 12 starts for Norfolk.
While it may have been only the second-biggest event in his life recently, getting added to the 40-man was big for his career.
"Was very excited," he said. "This is definitely a milestone that every minor leaguer works toward in their career. It provides a little affirmation for what you've accomplished.
"To be added to the roster of a team that has such a storied franchise and such recent success, and I love the way they play, it was just really humbling. Very grateful for the opportunity."
Wilson tied for third in all of the minors with 14 wins and he tied for ninth in innings pitched.
His game took a step forward this year as he gained some fastball velocity and also improved his slider and changeup. In the past, his fastball often topped out at 91 or 92 mph and this year he was touching 93 and 94.
Wilson lives in Charlottesville, Va., where he played college ball and he said a winter of tough workouts that included work with weighted baseballs paid off.
"I used a heavy ball program with my pitching coach from the University of Virginia," he said. "I did it in college and had kind of gotten away from it my first couple of years in pro ball. Felt like it worked and that my arm was stronger and my body was more prepared for 170 innings or whatever it ends up being moving forward.
"There are a variety of techniques and a variety of weighted balls - some heavier, some lighter - that helps your arm get stronger and faster from a velocity standpoint."
And the experience he got along the way helped him improve. Some players get rushed and some players drafted out of college can move fast through the minors. But over the 2012-13 seasons, Wilson made 30 starts at Frederick. Over the 2013-14 seasons, he made 32 starts at Bowie.
"It's been extremely beneficial for me in that at each level I've had the opportunity to have coaches really invested in me," Wilson said. "And a chance to develop something, whether it be a pitch or something about your routine, whatever it may be it has allowed me to hone in on one variable of my game and to really commit to getting better at each level."
While his fastball gained some juice this year, he continued to work hard on his slider and changeup, as well.
"My last two full seasons have really focused on reshaping my breaking pitch to give it more depth, the ability to make it harder and sharper when I need to. Just being able to manipulate the pitch in general," he said.
"I think it is pretty well-documented that Dan Duquette and Rick Peterson put a lot of weight in the fastball-changeup combination. This past year, I really felt and saw the importance of having a good changeup, being able to add and subtract and being able to see the results in a game.
"The changeup was something I never threw in college. Was mainly a fastball-slider guy and the game is different at that level. But that has really been a point of growth in time I have spent with Rick over the last three years."
Wilson has never been in major league spring training, but he'll be there in February. With a new wife and a new spot on the O's 40-man roster, he's had an eventful last few weeks.
(Photo courtesy of Christopher McCain)
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