The Orioles enter the ultimate week of the MLB season with an inside monitor to the American League’s prime seed. Their magic quantity is simply three with six video games remaining, and an AL East title might be just some days away.
As Baltimore pushes for its first AL East title since 2012 this week, the group’s Triple-A membership can be aiming to succeed in new heights. With the minor league common season over, the Norfolk Tides, winners of the first-half International League title, will play within the IL Championship Series this week.
As the Orioles hope to fend off the Tampa Bay Rays for AL East supremacy, the Tides will tackle the Rays’ Triple-A squad, the Durham Bulls, to say the IL crown. The winner will tackle the Pacific Coast League’s champion within the Triple-A title recreation on Saturday.
The final time Baltimore’s Triple-A membership performed within the IL Championship Series was when the Rochester Red Wings did so in 1997. That similar 12 months, the Orioles received the AL East, making it to the AL Championship Series.
The undeniable fact that the Orioles, who’re on the verge of their first 100-win season in additional than 40 years, even have the most effective Triple-A golf equipment within the sport and Baseball America’s top-ranked farm system bodes nicely for Baltimore’s possibilities to maintain its 2023 success. That’s why every Tuesday this season, The Baltimore Sun has targeted on the Orioles’ farm system with a deep dive into how the group’s prospects have performed.
With the minor league season formally ending Saturday, the ultimate minor league report of 2023 will characteristic this record of the highest performers amongst prospects within the Orioles’ system this 12 months.
Catcher
Double-A Bowie’s Samuel Basallo: No participant within the Orioles’ system improved his inventory extra this season than Basallo, who rose from No. 15 to No. 4 amongst Baltimore’s prospects, in accordance with Baseball America. In his age-18 season, the backstop climbed three rungs on the ladder to change into one of many youngest gamers on the Double-A stage. Basallo is the gem of Baltimore’s worldwide operations, because the membership signed him in January 2021 for a then-organization document $1.3 million. The 6-foot-3 teenager bought higher because the season progressed, ending it with a glowing .313/.402/.551 slash line — good for a .953 OPS — and 61 walks in opposition to 94 strikeouts.
First base
Baltimore’s Heston Kjerstad: The 2020 first-round choose is the one participant on the record who’s now with the Orioles, as Kjerstad was promoted earlier this month to supply a left-handed bat for supervisor Brandon Hyde to deploy in opposition to right-handed pitchers. Kjerstad, the membership’s No. 5 prospect, is now within the majors because of his constant efficiency within the minors this 12 months, crushing Double-A pitching earlier than doing the identical in opposition to Triple-A arms. The 24-year-old hit .303 with a .904 OPS between Bowie and Norfolk in his first full season {of professional} baseball after lacking two calendar years with coronary heart and hamstring illnesses. He’s primarily an outfielder, however he performed about one-third of his video games this 12 months at first base.
Second base
Triple-A Norfolk’s Connor Norby: A gradual April brought about Norby’s inventory to fall, because the 23-year-old went from being ranked inside Baseball America’s prime 100 to outdoors of Baltimore’s prime 10. But the 2021 second-round choose posted an OPS of .800 or higher in every of the season’s last 5 months with the Tides and ended the 12 months with numbers just like what he put up final 12 months when he led all Orioles minor leaguers in homers. Norby, who additionally performs left discipline, hit .290 with an .842 OPS and totaled 40 doubles, 21 dwelling runs and 92 RBIs.
Third base
Triple-A Norfolk’s Coby Mayo: Like Basallo, Mayo’s ascent this season is probably going why the Orioles might go into 2024 with considered one of MLB’s greatest farm methods after gamers like Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez and Jordan Westburg graduated from prospect standing this 12 months. Mayo, who additionally performs first base, clobbered Double-A pitching to earn a midseason promotion to the Tides. Between the 2 ranges, the 21-year-old has a .410 on-base share and leads all Orioles minor leaguers with 45 doubles, 29 dwelling runs and 99 RBIs. After coming into the 12 months outdoors Baseball America’s prime 100, Mayo is ranked because the publication’s Twenty fourth-best prospect.
Shortstop
Triple-A Norfolk’s Jackson Holliday: What else will be stated about Holliday that hasn’t already? This season, he grew to become the No. 1 prospect within the sport, rose from Low-A Delmarva to Triple-A Norfolk in historic trend at age 19 and on Monday was named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year. He carried out at each stage, displaying elite plate self-discipline with solely 17 extra strikeouts (118) than walks (101) in 125 video games. He slashed .323/.442/.499 — good for a .941 OPS — between the 4 ranges with 30 doubles, 9 triples, 12 homers, 75 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
Outfield
Triple-A Norfolk’s Colton Cowser: Cowser’s first two stints within the majors didn’t go as deliberate, however that doesn’t take away from his excellent 12 months in Triple-A. The 23-year-old hit simply .115 in 77 MLB plate appearances, however he slashed .300/.417/.520 for a .937 OPS with the Tides this season. He blasted 17 homers and walked 64 instances in 87 video games as his rating on Baseball America’s prime 100 rose from No. 41 to No. 11.
Double-A Bowie’s Dylan Beavers: Like Norby, Beavers’ inventory, in accordance with Baseball America, has fallen this 12 months, because the publication ranks him 9 spots decrease amongst Baltimore’s prospects now than at first of the season. Beavers, the No. 33 general choose within the 2022 draft, struggled this spring, however he bought red-hot this summer season, hitting .346 over his last 61 video games. He truly hit about 50 factors larger in his 34 video games with the Baysox than in his 85 video games with High-A Aberdeen. On the season, Beavers tallied 35 doubles, six triples and 11 homers whereas stealing 27 bases and strolling 70 instances.
Double-A Bowie’s Billy Cook: Cook is the one place participant on this record to be outdoors of Baltimore’s prime 30, in accordance with Baseball America, though MLB Pipeline has the 24-year-old ranked No. 27. As a Tenth-round choose in 2021, Cook isn’t thought-about a prime prospect, however he performed like one in some ways this season, displaying his mixture of velocity and energy. In 120 video games for the Baysox, Cook hit .251 with a .776 OPS to go together with 24 dwelling runs, 81 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.
Utility
Triple-A Norfolk’s Joey Ortiz: If it weren’t for Holliday, Ortiz would simply slot in at shortstop on this record. If this had been a real lineup with a delegated hitter, Kjerstad would seemingly DH, Mayo would play first and Ortiz would shift to 3rd. But given Ortiz performed 75% of his video games at shortstop this 12 months but additionally confirmed throughout his transient stints within the majors that he’s able to enjoying three infield positions, he slots in at utility. He wasn’t in a position to stick on the Orioles’ roster, however he’s carried out higher at Triple-A than maybe any prospect earlier than him, together with Adley Rutschman and Henderson. Ortiz, who’s ranked as Baltimore’s No. 6 prospect, hit .321 with an .885 OPS with the Tides this season.
Starting pitchers
Triple-A Norfolk’s Justin Armbruester: Baltimore’s farm system is dominated by top-tier place gamers, with solely two pitchers ranked inside its prime 12, in accordance with Baseball America. But Armbruester, considered one of 5 arms ranked between Nos. 13 and 19, stood out this season between Double- and Triple-A. The 6-foot-4 right-hander posted a 3.56 ERA in 121 1/3 innings with 109 strikeouts. While he posted a 4.70 ERA in his time with the Tides, he improved his strikeout price about eight share factors on the new stage.
Double-A Bowie’s Trace Bright: No beginning pitcher within the Orioles’ system strikes out a better share of batters than Bright. The 2022 fifth-round choose totaled 147 strikeouts in simply 99 2/3 innings with a price of 33.9%. Bright, a 6-foot-4 righty, posted a 3.97 ERA between Aberdeen and Bowie, together with a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings with the Baysox. Baseball America ranks the 22-year-old as Baltimore’s Twenty ninth-best prospect.
Triple-A Norfolk’s Chayce McDermott: The membership’s third-best pitching prospect, McDermott dominated Triple-A hitters after his midseason promotion. The right-hander posted a 2.49 ERA with the Tides after managing a 3.56 ERA in Double-A. McDermott, whom the Orioles acquired final summer season within the Trey Mancini commerce, is probably the very best pitcher within the minor leagues at stopping hits with a 4.8 hits per 9 innings and .156 batting common in opposition to in Triple-A. The 25-year-old’s success this season is why he jumped 10 spots on Baltimore’s prospect record to No. 13.
Double-A Bowie’s Alex Pham: In his first skilled season as a beginning pitcher, Pham maybe put up the very best season out of any starters in Baltimore’s system this 12 months. The 23-year-old right-hander went from being outdoors Baltimore’s prime 30 to No. 16 after posting a 2.57 ERA in 112 innings between Aberdeen and Bowie. He allowed simply 5.8 hits per 9 innings whereas hanging out 29.4% of batters.
Triple-A Norfolk’s Cade Povich: After DL Hall, who’s now within the Orioles’ bullpen, Povich is ranked as Baltimore’s prime pitching prospect at No. 10 general. The left-hander led all Orioles minor leaguers with 171 strikeouts in 126 2/3 innings, although he struggled at instances and ended the common season with a 5.04 ERA. Povich, whom the Orioles acquired final summer season within the Jorge López commerce, struggled after he was promoted to Triple-A in late July. But the 23-year-old discovered his footing after a couple of begins and posted a 3.26 ERA with a .167 batting common in opposition to in his last 30 1/3 innings.
Relief pitchers
Triple-A Norfolk’s Wandisson Charles: A 12 months in the past, Charles posted an 11.43 ERA with extra walks than innings for Oakland’s Double-A affiliate. He ended this season as Norfolk’s nearer. Charles, a 6-foot-4 right-hander out of the Dominican Republic, pitched to a 4.75 ERA in 45 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A. He saved 11 video games, together with eight with the Tides, as one of many group’s prime strikeout pitchers with a 33.2% price.
Double-A Bowie’s Keagan Gillies: In his first full 12 months of full-season ball, Gillies struck out 61 batters in 40 2/3 innings with the IronBirds and Baysox. The 6-foot-8 righty allowed only one earned run in 15 appearances with Aberdeen earlier than posting a 3.75 ERA in 18 outings with Bowie.
Triple-A Norfolk’s Nolan Hoffman: The sidearmer doesn’t have the flashy strikeout numbers, however he was probably the most efficient relievers in Baltimore’s farm system. Hoffman, whom the Orioles claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners in December 2021, posted a 3.05 ERA and 7 saves in 44 1/3 innings between Bowie and Norfolk. The 25-year-old righty allowed simply one of many 191 batters he confronted to homer with a stroll price of seven.3%.
Honorable mentions
The system’s depth leaves loads of deserving candidates outdoors of this record, together with these gamers: Outfielder Jud Fabian, ranked as Baltimore’s ninth-best prospect, hit 24 dwelling runs and stole 31 bases between Aberdeen and Bowie. … Outfielder Kyle Stowers opened the season on the Orioles’ 26-man roster, however after struggling within the majors, he returned to the minors and hit 21 dwelling runs in 75 video games. … Right-hander Jean Pinto was one of many group’s greatest beginning pitchers within the first half of the season, ending the 12 months with a 3.10 in 81 1/3 innings with the IronBirds and Baysox. … Left-hander Deivy Cruz posted a 3.62 ERA and struck out 103 batters in 97 innings with Delmarva at simply 19 years previous. … Right-handed reliever Yaqui Rivera, one other 19-year-old, posted a 2.52 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 50 aid innings between Delmarva and Aberdeen. … Right-handed reliever Dylan Heid struck out 36.4% of batters with a 2.58 ERA with the IronBirds and Baysox.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com