Eric Paul Orze Bio
Eric Paul Orze is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on August 21, 1997, in Carol Stream, Illinois, Orze has built his career as a relief pitcher after being selected in the 2020 MLB Draft by the New York Mets. He made his major league debut in 2024 and has since played for the Mets, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Minnesota Twins.
Across the minor leagues and majors, Orze has earned a reputation as a durable bullpen arm. His journey through professional baseball has been shaped by resilience, including a well-documented cancer diagnosis during his college years at the University of New Orleans.
Early Life and Background
Eric Paul Orze grew up in Carol Stream, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. He attended Glenbard North High School, where he first developed as a pitcher and established himself as a college prospect. The Chicagoland area has long produced major league talent, and Orze developed within that competitive pipeline.
After high school, Orze continued his baseball career at the University of New Orleans, suiting up for the New Orleans Privateers. During his time as a Privateer, he was diagnosed with both testicular cancer and skin cancer. He continued his collegiate development while undergoing treatment, a stretch that became a defining early chapter in his personal story.
Path to Professional Baseball
Orze’s performance with the New Orleans Privateers positioned him for the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft. The New York Mets selected him in the fifth round, with the 150th overall pick. The minor league season was later cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so he did not appear in a professional game in 2020.
He made his professional debut in 2021, working through the Mets’ developmental system. Orze pitched for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones before earning promotions to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Triple-A Syracuse Mets during the same season. Across 34 relief appearances between those three affiliates, he went 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 49 and 2/3 innings pitched.
Eric Paul Orze Career
Early Career (2022-2023)
Orze spent the majority of the 2022 season with the Syracuse Mets, also making two scoreless appearances for the Single-A St. Lucie Mets. In 32 bullpen outings for Syracuse, he recorded a 5.13 ERA with 64 strikeouts across 47 and 1/3 innings pitched. The workload helped him refine his approach against upper-level hitters.
He returned to Syracuse in 2023, where he made 39 appearances and posted a 3-4 record with a 5.31 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 61 innings pitched. Syracuse remained his primary home, and his continued innings gave the Mets organization a clearer picture of his role as a future relief option at the major league level.
New York Mets Era (2024)
Orze began the 2024 campaign once again with Syracuse, compiling a 3.76 ERA with 56 strikeouts and two saves across 38 and 1/3 innings pitched. On July 6, 2024, the Mets selected him to the 40-man roster and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time. The call-up marked the realization of a path that began with the 2020 draft.
During his rookie campaign, Orze made two appearances for the Mets, striking out one batter across 1 and 2/3 innings pitched. The cup of cup of coffee in the majors set the stage for his next chapter, even as the Mets reshaped their bullpen during the offseason.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2025)
On November 19, 2024, the Mets traded Orze to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Jose Siri. He was optioned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to begin the 2025 season, where he continued to build his workload against upper-level competition.
Orze returned to the majors and made 33 appearances for Tampa Bay, compiling a 1-1 record and a 3.02 ERA with 40 strikeouts and three saves across 41 and 2/3 innings pitched. On June 13, 2025, he recorded his first career win after tossing a scoreless inning of relief against the New York Mets, the organization that originally drafted him.
Minnesota Twins Era (2025-Present)
On November 18, 2025, the Rays traded Orze to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for prospect Jacob Kisting. The transaction marked his third major league organization in just over a calendar year and signaled continued belief from front offices in his bullpen upside.
Notable Events and Milestones
Orze’s signature moment came on June 13, 2025, when he recorded his first career MLB win with a scoreless inning of relief against the New York Mets. The debut with the Mets on July 6, 2024, and his first full stint with Tampa Bay rounded out a series of early milestones that have defined his young major league career.
Eric Paul Orze Career Wins
Through his first major league seasons, Orze has compiled a small but growing ledger of bullpen wins and saves. His first career MLB victory came on June 13, 2025, while pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays against the New York Mets. He has added multiple saves during his time at the Triple-A level as well.
Major League Highlights
Orze has recorded one MLB win, a 1-1 record with the Tampa Bay Rays, and three saves during the 2025 season, along with a 3.02 ERA across 33 appearances. With the New York Mets in 2024, he made two appearances and struck out one batter across 1 and 2/3 innings pitched.
Minor League Performances
In the Mets system, Orze posted a 4-2 record with a 3.08 ERA across 34 relief appearances in 2021, before moving on to bigger workloads at Syracuse. He also recorded two saves with Syracuse in 2024 while posting a 3.76 ERA in 38 and 1/3 innings pitched.
Eric Paul Orze Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Eric Paul Orze grew up in Carol Stream, Illinois, where he attended Glenbard North High School before continuing his education at the University of New Orleans. Public details about his immediate family are limited, and his personal life has largely remained out of the spotlight as he focuses on his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Orze’s first extended run in a major league bullpen. After being optioned to Triple-A Durham to begin the year, he returned to the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays and made 33 appearances, going 1-1 with a 3.02 ERA, 40 strikeouts, and three saves across 41 and 2/3 innings pitched. The workload demonstrated that he could handle a full season’s worth of high-leverage relief work.
His first career MLB win on June 13, 2025, against the New York Mets stood as the headline result of his campaign. He recorded three saves alongside Tampa Bay, showing versatility in late-inning situations, and his strong performance helped set up his next career move.
On November 18, 2025, the Rays traded Orze to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for prospect Jacob Kisting, handing him a fresh opportunity heading into 2026. The deal reflected continued confidence in his bullpen profile and gave the Twins another power arm for their relief corps.