The first half of the minor league baseball season got here to an in depth final week, with a four-day respite to coincide with the main league All-Star break. That creates an opportune time for The Baltimore Sun to generate an All-Star record for the Orioles’ farm system, that includes a starter at every place in addition to eight pitchers.
They come from a wide range of ranges, though a number of of the largest names on the record are enjoying for Triple-A Norfolk and making a case for main league debuts.
So as an alternative of the standard story itemizing prime performers from that week, right here’s a breakdown of which prospects have carried out one of the best thus far.
Catcher
Double-A Bowie’s Maverick Handley: There’s extra to Handley’s recreation than catching. His roommate, Andrew Daschbach, is commonly the beneficiary of Handley’s cookie in Bowie. He’s well-rounded, on and off the sphere, and it reveals. Handley, a sixth-round draft choose in 2019, holds a .787 OPS, the best of any catcher within the pipeline. And his wRC+ — which encompasses weighted runs created together with different exterior elements — is 121, or 21 factors larger than common.
Adley Rutschman is likely to be the star of the present, however Handley’s first half reveals there could possibly be room for him alongside Rutschman sooner or later.
First base
High-A Aberdeen’s TT Bowens: Jacob Teter and Bowens typically platoon first base for the IronBirds and so they have comparable offensive outputs, however Bowens has nearly twice as many plate appearances. The 24-year-old was an undrafted free agent in 2020, when the draft was shortened to 5 rounds. In his 75 video games this 12 months, he has 5 house runs, 32 RBIs and a .775 OPS.
Second base
High-A Aberdeen’s Darell Hernaiz: Hernaiz earned a midseason promotion from Low-A Delmarva to the IronBirds, and he’s saved the offensive output at a excessive degree regardless of the rise in competitors. Since his call-up, Hernaiz is hitting .304 with an .855 OPS. The 20-year-old, who was chosen within the fifth spherical of the 2019 draft, can play everywhere in the infield and is ranked because the No. 24 prospect within the Orioles’ group, based on Baseball America.
Third base
Triple-A Norfolk’s Gunnar Henderson: The No. 2 prospect in Baltimore’s pipeline, Henderson has leaped via the system and has succeeded in any respect ranges. Last 12 months, he rose from Low-A to Double-A. This 12 months, he’s gone from Bowie to Norfolk and his .963 OPS is the third highest within the system amongst batters with at the least 100 plate appearances. His 159 wRC+ can be the third greatest. And at 21, the second-round choose in 2019 is pushing for a spot within the majors, be it as a shortstop or third baseman.
Shortstop
Triple-A Norfolk’s Jordan Westburg: The former Mississippi State star, Westburg reached new heights this season after his promotion to Triple-A. In Double-A this season, Westburg hit .247. In his 35 video games on the highest degree of the minors, that common has jumped to .298 with a .872 OPS. Westburg can play everywhere in the infield whereas hitting for energy (16 homers), giving himself the type of flexibility that would assist the No. 4 prospect within the system attain Baltimore, maybe later this 12 months.
Outfield
Triple-A Norfolk’s Kyle Stowers: Stowers has already had a style of the massive leagues, enjoying for Baltimore as a alternative participant in Toronto final month for 2 video games and recording his first hit. But he quickly returned to Triple-A, the place he’s continued to carry out at a excessive degree. The 24-year-old Stanford product has hit extra homers than another Baltimore minor leaguer (17) and his .889 OPS is the fifth greatest. Stowers’ 54 RBIs are behind solely Henderson and Westburg.
Double-A Bowie’s Colton Cowser: As the No. 6 prospect within the group, Cowser is one other quick riser. He joined because the Orioles’ first-round choose in 2021 and has discovered his approach to Double-A Bowie a 12 months later, the place he has posted a 1.054 OPS in 19 video games. He’s walked nearly as a lot as he’s struck out (15 to 19) and his .851 OPS between each ranges ranks because the tenth greatest within the system.
Double-A Bowie’s Shayne Fontana: Fontana has handled a number of accidents this season, reducing his variety of plate appearances barely. But when he has been wholesome, Fontana has accomplished harm. A Twenty third-round draft choose in 2019, Fontana’s .856 OPS is the eighth-best mark within the Baltimore pipeline, and his .280 common ranks No. 13. He’s not as large of a reputation as the opposite two outfield prospects, however he’s acting at simply as excessive of a degree.
Utility
Triple-A Norfolk’s Terrin Vavra: Taken within the third spherical of 2018 draft by the Rockies, Vavra arrived in Baltimore’s group as a part of the commerce that despatched reliever Mychal Givens to Colorado. He’s nearing the best degree now, with a .312 batting common and a .812 OPS in Norfolk — good for the fifth-best common and seventh-best OPS within the group. He’s doing it whereas enjoying everywhere in the discipline, with most of his appearances coming at second base or in middle discipline.
Pitchers
Triple-A Norfolk’s DL Hall: Hall’s final 5 begins have displayed the swing and miss talent set he instructions. In these 21 2/3 innings, he struck out 42 of the 85 batters he confronted — 49.4%. His season has been simply as robust, pitching in a single recreation at Aberdeen and Bowie earlier than settling in at Norfolk, the place he has 3.60 ERA after lacking the second half of final 12 months with a stress fracture in his elbow. Hall’s 113 strikeouts are essentially the most of any Oriole minor leaguer, and he has allowed 26 earned runs in his 67 1/3 innings. As the No. 3 prospect within the group, his promotion to Baltimore ought to come quickly.
Triple-A Norfolk’s Grayson Rodriguez: Rodriguez changed Rutschman because the top-ranked prospect for Baltimore, however shortly earlier than his anticipated rise to the main leagues, Rodriguez suffered a Grade 2 proper lat muscle pressure. While his progress in Sarasota, Florida, has been regular, together with a clear MRI earlier this month, there isn’t a exact timeline for his return.
Still, what he did for the Tides earlier than his damage was spectacular. Even with out pitching for greater than a month, his 56 innings are tied for the 14th-most within the Orioles’ minor league system. Few have been extra dominant than Rodriguez, both, with a 0.84 WHIP, a 2.09 ERA and 80 strikeouts.
Double-A Bowie’s Noah Denoyer: Beyond Hall and Rodriguez, few pitchers in Baltimore’s farm system are handled as full starters. The identical goes for Denoyer, who often piggybacks off one other pitcher and averages 3 1/2 innings this season. Those appearances have been robust, no matter whether or not they come as a starter or reliever, with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in his 56 innings. The 24-year-old joined the group as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
Double-A Bowie’s Ryan Watson: A Thirty ninth-round choose in 2016 by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Watson is beginning to discover himself with the Baysox as a starter. His 76 1/3 innings are the second most within the group and his 84 strikeouts are the fourth most. He {couples} these with the eighth-best WHIP (1.07) and the seventh-fewest walks per 9 innings (1.89).
Triple-A Norfolk’s Nick Vespi: Vespi made his main league debut this season and returned to Baltimore on Monday, hanging out 4 of the 5 batters he confronted. His work for the Tides has been even higher. He’s but to permit an earned run in his 21 1/3 innings, including six saves to go together with his 0.56 WHIP. The left-hander’s slider is his greatest pitch, and he’s used it often as a part of his 28 strikeouts.
High-A Aberdeen’s Ignacio Feliz: Feliz has averaged 13.2 strikeouts per 9 innings this season with the IronBirds, as his 96 strikeouts path solely Hall within the group. He joined Baltimore as a waiver pickup following stints as a minor leaguer with the Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres. The 22-year-old allowed eight runs in his second look of the 12 months, which elevates his ERA. But since then, Feliz has a 2.90 ERA in 59 innings.
High-A Aberdeen’s Xavier Moore: A Sixteenth-round choose by the Texas Rangers in 2017, Moore joined the Orioles in 2019 as a part of a commerce. And this 12 months, Moore is tied for essentially the most saves of any Orioles minor leaguer and his 1.10 WHIP is the ninth lowest. Moore’s 1.52 ERA throughout 23 2/3 innings is available in because the third-best mark within the system.
Double-A Bowie’s Justin Armbruester: Armbruester has risen swiftly this season, taking the No. 26 rating in Baltimore’s prospect pipeline as he posts gaudy strikeout numbers as a beginning pitcher. In 78 1/3 innings, the Twelfth-round choose within the 2021 draft has held opponents to a few earned runs or fewer in 16 of his 18 appearances.
Honorable point out
There was loads of competitors within the outfield, with Hudson Haskin and John Rhodes deserving of recognition. Haskin has produced 10 homers and an .804 OPS for Double-A Bowie and Rhodes has hit 11 doubles with a .789 OPS for High-A Aberdeen.
Infielder César Prieto carried out nicely for Aberdeen, with a 1.000 OPS in 25 video games. That has dipped to .684 since his promotion to Bowie, though he’s nonetheless hitting .276 at that degree. Right-hander Connor Gillispie can be performing for Aberdeen, throwing 71 2/3 innings with 83 strikeouts and a 3.27 ERA.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com