Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Forret wasn’t hugely recruited coming out of the North Carolina prep ranks, but pitched collegiately right in the Orioles’ spring backyard at the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. That proximity gave Baltimore the inside-track at some early looks at the right-hander in 2023. They made him a 14th-round pick that year and spent over the $150,000 slot value for Day 3 picks to sign him for $450,000. Forret spent his pro debut making that look like a worthwhile investment, experiencing a velocity jump, posting a 28.8 percent strikeout rate as a 20-year-old and finishing at High-A Aberdeen. He built on that breakout with a 1.58 ERA and 91 strikeouts at High-A and Double-A in 2025, while working around lower back discomfort, and was traded to the Rays in the offseason in the Shane Baz move.

Forret is a 6-foot-3 righty with a varied pitch mix and a lot of projection, but all his stuff is pointing in the right direction. He has two potentially plus fastballs -- a mid-90s four-seamer that touches 97 and a runny two-seamer. He has two sliders, with the sweeper the best of his secondary offerings. He also throws two changeups, including a kick change, and a splitter. It’s a deep pit of weapons, one that’s proven effective in this age of the pitch mix. 

Though Forret kept the ball in the strike zone relatively well during his debut, his control picked up even further in year two with a 7.4 percent walk rate. He’s still yet to throw more than 100 innings in a single Minor League season, clouding his ceiling somewhat. The depth of his pitch mix could make him a mid-rotation starter. It’ll at least give his new Rays coaches and coordinators plenty to work with in his new system.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

The Orioles had some bonus pool money left over in 2023 and it’s looking like the decision to spend it on Forret in Round 14 may have been a worthwhile investment. A product of the North Carolina high school ranks, Forret showed enough upside in his year at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota that the Orioles went over the $150,000 slot value for Day 3 picks to sign him for $450,000. A jump forward velocity-wise during his pro debut with Single-A Delmarva to kick off the 2024 season was a good sign and he earned a bump up to High-A Aberdeen after 10 appearances.

The 6-foot-3 Forret still has a lot of projection, with all of his stuff pointing in the right direction. He has a lively fastball that can sit in the mid 90s, showing he can maintain his velocity throughout a start and it’s easy to dream there will be more in the tank. His low-80s sweeper has the chance to be a plus pitch in time, serving as an out pitch that misses a lot of bats. His mid-80s changeup has the chance to give him a third very effective offering.

Just 20 for all of the 2024 season, it’s too soon to know exactly how high Forret’s ceiling is. If he can refine his command a bit more, he has every chance to start, though his delivery is a little difficult to repeat. If he can’t stick in a rotation, it’s easy to envision him throwing a lot harder with a nasty heater-sweeper combination coming out of the bullpen.

Awards

SAL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	12/19/2025	Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Shane Baz to Baltimore Orioles for C Caden Bodine, OF Slater de Brun, RHP Michael Forret, OF Austin Overn and Draft Pick. 2026 Competitive Balance Round A pick (No. 33).
	12/19/2025	RHP Michael Forret assigned to Montgomery Biscuits.
	12/19/2025	RHP Michael Forret roster status changed by Tampa Bay Rays.
	09/29/2025	Chesapeake Baysox activated RHP Michael Forret from the 7-day injured list.
	09/02/2025	Chesapeake Baysox placed RHP Michael Forret on the 7-day injured list.
	08/12/2025	RHP Michael Forret assigned to Chesapeake Baysox from Aberdeen IronBirds.
	06/04/2025	Aberdeen IronBirds activated RHP Michael Forret from the 7-day injured list.
	05/02/2025	Aberdeen IronBirds placed RHP Michael Forret on the 7-day injured list.
	03/06/2025	activated RHP Michael Forret.
	06/04/2024	RHP Michael Forret assigned to Aberdeen IronBirds from Delmarva Shorebirds.
	06/04/2024	Aberdeen IronBirds activated RHP Michael Forret.
	04/04/2024	RHP Michael Forret assigned to Delmarva Shorebirds from FCL Orioles.
	07/25/2023	RHP Michael Forret assigned to FCL Orioles.
	07/25/2023	Baltimore Orioles signed RHP Michael Forret.
	05/09/2023	RHP Michael Forret and assigned to College Workout.
	06/11/2022	RHP Michael Forret and assigned to College Workout.
	07/13/2021	PG National 1 - Black activated RHP Michael Forret.