Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50 

Watts-Brown originally committed to Texas Tech as a California high schooler, but the Red Raiders backed off him when he injured his shoulder playing quarterback as a senior and he wound up at Long Beach State. After redshirting while getting healthy in 2021, he made his college debut last spring, threw the school's first nine-inning no-hitter and set a school record with 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings (the fifth-best rate in NCAA Division I). He starred in the Cape Cod League during the summer before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and strikeout rate (13.6) despite an up-and-down spring. 

Watts-Brown's best weapon is a plus 83-86 slider that he commands better than his other offerings, showing the ability to get swings and misses in and out of the strike zone. His fastball parks at 90-93 mph and tops out at 96 with decent running action, but it's fairly ordinary in terms of velocity and life and gets hit harder than any of his pitches. He also employs a solid low-80s curveball with bigger break than his slider and an average mid-80s changeup with some fade and tumble. 

More athletic than physical, Watts-Brown has a slender 6-foot-3 frame and some questions about how well he'll handle a pro starter's workload. He shows some feel for pitching and should be able to refine his control and command as he gets more innings. His biggest need is to add some power or movement to his fastball so he can keep it off barrels. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Watts-Brown began his college career at Long Beach State, changed its trajectory in the Cape Cod League and came into his own at Oklahoma State, leading the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and then becoming a third-round pick (89th overall) by the Blue Jays in the 2023 Draft. He signed for an above-slot $1 million and made his pro debut the following year, but the results were middling, with Watts-Brown pitching to a 4.72 ERA and reaching High-A. He was throwing better in Double-A when the Blue Jays sent him to the Orioles for Seranthony Dominguez at the 2025 Trade Deadline, and he finished the year with seven solid starts with Double-A Chesapeake in his new organization.

Watts-Brown lives and dies by his excellent mid-80s slider, which he can land for strikes and bury below the zone when he needs to thanks to his excellent feel for the pitch. It’s his only plus offering, though. His low-90s fastball is low on juice and can straighten out, making it quite hittable when batters know they can eliminate the slider. He can keep hitters off balance with an upper-70s curve and made strides with his changeup last season, though it remains a fourth offering. Walks were an issue in his debut, but he was much better at throwing strikes in ‘25 and can have average control.

Watts-Brown’s bounceback ‘25 campaign earned him the chance to keep developing as a starter, but fastball command will be paramount in determining his eventual role and ceiling. He may look to incorporate a two-seamer or cutter to take some pressure off the four-seam and better bridge the gap between that pitch and the standout slider. Otherwise, the Orioles might grow tempted to see what Watts-Brown’s wipeout pitch looks like in shorter stints.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Following a stint at Long Beach State and some success in the Cape Cod League, Watts-Brown landed at Oklahoma State, where he led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and K/9 (13.6) despite an up-and-down spring. The Blue Jays selected him in the third round (89th overall) in the 2023 Draft before signing him to an above-slot $1 million bonus. Watts-Brown didn’t pitch professionally in his Draft year, but threw 103 innings between Single-A and High-A in ‘24 with a 4.72 ERA, 131 strikeouts and 60 walks. He was putting up better numbers across the board and had climbed to Double-A when the Blue Jays sent him to the Orioles for Seranthony Dominguez.

Watts-Brown has improved his routines since becoming a professional and put on some weight, which has helped him hold up through a season. He has excellent feel for his low-80s slider, which will always be his headlining pitch, and his upper-70s curveball can be a whiff-heavy option too. But he could still benefit from some added juice on his fastball, which sits in the low 90s. Walks were a problem for Watts-Brown at times in ‘24, with a rate of 5.2 BB/9, but he was finding the zone more consistently in his second full season.

Pitching at age 23 all year, the 2025 season has proven to be a big bounce back campaign for Watts-Brown. He should continue to get every opportunity to develop as a starter given his gains, though the Orioles likely know how much that slider could play up in shorter relief stints should he have to shift to a bullpen.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Following a stint at Long Beach State and some success in the Cape Cod League, Watts-Brown landed at Oklahoma State, where he led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and K/9 (13.6) despite an up-and-down spring. The Blue Jays selected him in the third round at 89th overall before signing him to an above-slot $1 million bonus. Watts-Brown will be making his pro debut in ’24, and the Blue Jays are looking to find upside after envisioning some physical growth out of the Draft. 

Early reviews indicate that this is still a work in progress. Watts-Brown has a natural feel for pitching, which enabled him to have success in NCAA ball, but could still benefit greatly from adding weight and velocity. As it sits today, his fastball is on the lighter side at 90-93 mph, so it would need to be landed with precision to set up his slider and curveball, which could be legitimate out pitches at the upper levels. There should be room for Watts-Brown to add some bulk to his slender frame, but whether that happens still remains to be seen. 

Watts-Brown should have the feel and experience to succeed at the lower levels, but the important factors to watch are the development of his fastball and how he holds up physically through the year. It’s possible that Watts-Brown ramps up slower than some other pitchers in the early months. There’s still plenty of time to make good on the upside that the Blue Jays and evaluators envisioned around the Draft, given how early he is in his career, so he’s facing an important first step in ‘24.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45 

Watts-Brown originally committed to Texas Tech as a California high schooler, but the Red Raiders backed off him when he injured his shoulder playing quarterback as a senior and he wound up at Long Beach State. After redshirting while getting healthy in 2021, he made his college debut last spring, threw the school's first nine-inning no-hitter and set a school record with 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings (the fifth-best rate in NCAA Division I). He starred in the Cape Cod League during the summer before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and strikeout rate (13.6) despite an up-and-down spring. The Jays selected him in the third round at 89th overall before signing him to an above-slot $1 million bonus.

Watts-Brown's best weapon is a plus 83-86 mph slider that he commands better than his other offerings, showing the ability to get swings-and-misses in and out of the strike zone. His fastball parks at 90-93 and tops out at 96 with decent running action, but it's fairly ordinary in terms of velocity and life and gets hit harder than any of his other pitches. He also employs a solid low-80s curveball with bigger break than his slider and an average mid-80s changeup with some fade and tumble. 

More athletic than physical, Watts-Brown has a slender 6-foot-3 frame and some questions about how well he'll handle a pro starter's workload. He shows some feel for pitching and should be able to refine his control and command as he gets more innings. His biggest need is to add some power or movement to his fastball so he can keep it off barrels.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to Baltimore Orioles Prospects.
	07/30/2025	Chesapeake Baysox activated RHP Juaron Watts-Brown.
	07/29/2025	Baltimore Orioles traded RHP Seranthony Domínguez and cash to Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Juaron Watts-Brown.
	07/29/2025	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to Chesapeake Baysox.
	05/20/2025	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Vancouver Canadians.
	05/20/2025	New Hampshire Fisher Cats activated RHP Juaron Watts-Brown.
	03/06/2025	activated RHP Juaron Watts-Brown.
	06/30/2024	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to Vancouver Canadians from Dunedin Blue Jays.
	06/30/2024	Vancouver Canadians activated RHP Juaron Watts-Brown.
	04/04/2024	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from FCL Blue Jays.
	11/14/2023	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to FCL Blue Jays.
	08/10/2023	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to Blue Jays Organization.
	07/23/2023	Toronto Blue Jays signed RHP Juaron Watts-Brown.
	06/06/2023	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to College Workout.
	02/14/2023	RHP Juaron Watts-Brown assigned to Oklahoma State Cowboys.
	02/14/2023	Oklahoma State Cowboys activated RHP Juaron Watts-Brown.