Tyler Wells

Tyler Wells was drafted in the 15th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2016 out of Cal State San Bernardino — a 6'8" right-hander with an unusual delivery and a fastball that hitters struggle to pick up out of his massive frame. The Orioles selected him from the Twins in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2020, meaning Baltimore had to keep him on the active roster or return him to Minnesota. They kept him, and it's been one of the better Rule 5 decisions in franchise history. Wells has been part of the Orioles pitching staff in every season since 2021, first as a reliever, then as a starter, and now back in the bullpen as Baltimore figures out his best long-term role post-surgery.

Wells was the Orioles' best starting pitcher in the first half of 2023. Through the All-Star break he had a 3.18 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts against 24 walks in 104.2 innings — numbers that put him in the AL Cy Young conversation for a brief stretch. He had surpassed his career-high in innings before the break, and the second half exposed it: three starts, 11 earned runs in nine innings, demotion to Bowie. He eventually returned to the Baltimore bullpen and made eight scoreless appearances down the stretch. The first half of 2023 remains the best sustained run of his career.

Rule 5 picks must be kept on the active 26-man roster all season or offered back to their original club. The Orioles bet on Wells in December 2020, kept him through 2021 as a reliever, and never looked back. In the years since, he's been one of the more durable and versatile arms in their system — a starter in 2022 and 2023, a reliever in 2021 and again now in 2026. The Twins have probably seen enough of how that one turned out.