Keegan Akin Bio
Keegan Lee Akin is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed starter and reliever, he has spent his entire major league career with the Orioles after working his way up through the Baltimore minor league system. He made his MLB debut in 2020 and has remained a fixture in the Baltimore pitching staff in the years since.
Born and raised in Michigan, Akin developed into a draft prospect at Bullock Creek High School before starring at Western Michigan University. The Orioles selected him in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft, and he progressed steadily through the team’s farm system before reaching the majors in 2020.
Early Life and Background
Keegan Lee Akin was born on April 1, 1995, in Midland, Michigan. He grew up in the same central Michigan community that shaped his early athletic life, attending local schools and developing an interest in baseball from a young age. The Midland area has produced a steady stream of athletes, and Akin emerged from that environment as a promising pitching prospect.
Akin attended Bullock Creek High School, where he played for the school baseball team and established himself as one of the more closely watched arms in the region. His performance on the mound for Bullock Creek drew attention from college recruiters, and he ultimately chose to continue his career at Western Michigan University, where he joined the Western Michigan Broncos baseball program.
At Western Michigan, Akin developed into a reliable weekend starter and gained valuable experience in the Mid-American Conference. He supplemented his college schedule with two summers of collegiate baseball, playing for the Chillicothe Paints of the Prospect League in 2014 and then for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2015, the latter regarded as one of the premier summer leagues for college players in the country.
Path to Baseball
Akin’s path to professional baseball accelerated during his college years. His summer stint in the Cape Cod League in particular helped raise his profile among major league scouts, and his junior campaign at Western Michigan further solidified his draft stock heading into the spring of 2016.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Akin in the second round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, a sign that the organization viewed him as a future contributor to their pitching depth. He signed with the Orioles and received a $1.17 million signing bonus, then began his professional career that summer in the short-season New York-Penn League with the Aberdeen IronBirds.
Keegan Akin Career
Early Career (2016-2019)
Akin made his professional debut with the Aberdeen IronBirds in 2016, posting a 1.04 ERA across 26 innings as he adjusted to the routine of professional baseball. The Orioles were patient with his development, moving him through their system one level at a time and using him as a starter at every stop.
In 2017, Akin spent the season with the Frederick Keys, where he recorded a 7-8 record and a 4.14 ERA in 21 starts. He advanced to the Bowie Baysox in 2018 and turned in a strong campaign, going 14-7 with a 3.27 ERA in 25 starts. He opened 2019 with the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate, going 6-7 with a 4.73 ERA and 131 strikeouts over 112 and one-third innings, and the Orioles added him to their 40-man roster following that season.
MLB Debut and Orioles Tenure (2020-2022)
The Orioles promoted Akin to the major leagues on August 8, 2020, during the shortened season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He made his major league debut on August 14 against the Washington Nationals. Akin finished his first MLB season with a 1-2 record and a 4.56 ERA while striking out 35 batters across 8 games and 25 and two-thirds innings pitched.
The 2021 season proved more difficult. Akin pitched to a 2-10 record and a 6.63 ERA in 24 appearances, and his year ended on September 24 when the Orioles shut him down because of a left adductor strain that required abdominal surgery. He bounced back strongly in 2022, making 45 appearances and posting a 3.20 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 2 saves across 81 and two-thirds innings, reestablishing himself as a dependable arm in the Baltimore bullpen and rotation mix.
2023 Season and Baltimore Orioles
Akin struggled to a 6.85 ERA in 24 appearances during the 2023 season before lower back discomfort landed him on the injured list on June 30, 2023. The Orioles transferred him to the 60-day injured list on August 23 as he worked through the issue. Even with the interrupted campaign, Akin remained part of Baltimore’s long-term pitching plans.
Notable Events and Milestones
Through his first several major league seasons, Akin reached several personal milestones, including his major league debut against the Washington Nationals in 2020, his first major league win, and his first major league save during the 2022 bounce-back season. He is also noted for being selected in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft and for his assignment to the 40-man roster following the 2019 season, milestones that reflected his standing within the Orioles organization.
Keegan Akin Career Wins
Keegan Akin has built his professional resume across the Orioles’ farm system and at the major league level, with a mix of starts and relief appearances that has produced double-digit major league victories. He has recorded regular-season wins at multiple minor league stops and has contributed wins in the major leagues as both a starter and a reliever.
MLB Highlights
Akin earned his first major league win during the 2020 season, the year of his debut with the Baltimore Orioles. He added further wins during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with 2022 representing his most productive major league campaign, when he posted a 3.20 ERA in 45 appearances and helped anchor a young Orioles pitching staff.
Other Wins and Performances
In the minor leagues, Akin posted a 14-win season with the Bowie Baysox in 2018, going 14-7 with a 3.27 ERA in 25 starts, one of the most productive stretches of his professional career. He also contributed strong innings for the Aberdeen IronBirds, Frederick Keys, and Norfolk Tides, building the foundation that led to his major league opportunity.
Keegan Akin Family
Personal Life
Keegan Lee Akin was raised in Midland, Michigan, and has continued to be closely associated with the state where he grew up and played college baseball. Public details about his immediate family, marital status, and personal life are not widely confirmed in available sources, and any further specifics are not included here to avoid speculation.
2025 Season Performance
Keegan Akin entered the 2025 season as a returning member of the Baltimore Orioles pitching staff, continuing in a multi-inning role that combined spot starts and relief appearances. The Orioles, coming off a competitive stretch in the American League, leaned on Akin as one of the experienced arms in a pitching group that also featured several younger starters.
Through the early months of the 2025 season, Akin contributed innings out of the bullpen and in starting assignments, working to provide length when the rotation needed a breather. His role within the pitching staff allowed the Orioles to manage workloads for other hurlers and to navigate the long regular season.
Looking ahead through the rest of the 2025 season, Akin remained a candidate to factor into the Orioles’ late-season plans as the team pursued a postseason berth. His ability to handle multiple innings and adapt to different roles made him a useful piece of manager Brandon Hyde’s staff as Baltimore aimed to remain a factor in the American League.
