A Virginia native, Gibson was probably hurt by the shortened, five-round Draft in 2020 and went to Liberty instead of turning pro. He opened eyes with a standout freshman season, regressed as a sophomore and was suspended for his junior year, signing with the Orioles as an undrafted free agent after a stint in the Cape Cod League in 2023. He made one appearance in Rookie ball before making an impact full-season debut in 2024, racking up 118 strikeouts in 92 innings across two levels and finishing at High-A Aberdeen.
At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Gibson is a right-hander with a power-pitcher build and his success last year rested on the return of his power stuff. His fastball averages 94-95 mph, though he was consistently revving it up into the high 90s by the end of the year. A mid-80s sweeping slider is the best of his secondary offerings; he also throws a low-80s curve, a high-80s cutter and a developing changeup, all of which can miss bats and have the chance to turn into at least average pitches. He’s a fairly good strike thrower for a power pitcher, though his command can still get away from him at times.
It’ll be important to see how durable Gibson can be after adding velocity over the course of last year, but if he can prove health and build his workload, he has a chance to grow into a big league rotation piece. It’s also easy to see him emerging as a leverage reliever given his power stuff and swing-and-miss weapons, assuming they would play up in shorter stints.
