Tony-OH

Looking at Gunnar's body already, it makes sense to move him to 3B. He's going to be too big for SS. His face is pretty thick which suggests he's really going to add weight.

Good catch. I imagine he must be injured since I have to imagine he would have made a team.

Thoughts: Cody Mayo did not make a full season club. Not a big surprise since he was so young and there wasn't really any playing time for him on this team with Henderson and Westburg. Zebron, Llaras and Sparks also did not make a full season club. Jean Carlos Encarancio was moved to the outfield. Primary Plays: C - Cannon 1B: Mundy 2B: Servedio and Hernaiz will see some time here. SS: Westburg should be the main starter but Servideo and Hernaiz and Henderson could all see time here. 3B: Henderson will mostly play here though I expect Westburg to get some time here as well. LF: Rotation CF: Haskins RF: Encarnacion

Age vs levels are going to be out of whack this year so you really can't use that as much. He has some very good tools, but I'm actually excited that the Orioles choose to start him so high. This is the organization that is starting Westburg in Low-A so they are not exactly known for pushing guys aggressively. He really only has that success in 2019 to hang his hat on, so it's really interesting see what he looks like when the season opens and how he handles such a big jump in competition.

I guess it depends on what he was doing. If he wasn't allowed to do anything over the last year, then I could see it taking some time to get his strength back.

Ferguson is the biggest surprise of these rosters for me. He has less than 200 PAs at Delmarva in his career so basically he's jumping almost two levels. He must have been very impressive this spring. Glad I put him on my 20 under he radar players to watch for. Oh, and Vavra will play some outfield.

Yeah, we haven't seen any releases reported yet but have to imagine he was hurt or released.

Primary Plays C- Handley 1B: Daschbach 2B: Hall SS: Ortiz 3B: Welk UTL Graffanino will play some SS with Ortiz maybe playing some 2B and 3B. LF: Rizer CF: Watson RF: Stowers

Biggest surprises for me: Jaylen Ferguson making the jump all the way to AA. Wow. Fenter getting the two level jump. No Baumann and Wells unless they have been pushed to AAA, they must be starting in the IL. Primary Plays: C - Rutschman 1B: Escarra but could be a rotation 2B: Vavra/Torres/Canelo SS: Grenier/Canelo 3B: Dorrian/Yahn LF: Jarrett/Vavra CF: Ferguson/Vavra RF: Neustrom

Wells is healthy and made the team but Baumann is nowhere to be found on a roster which is concerning. Primary plays should be: C - Rotation 1B: Nevin 2B: Jones SS: Martin 3B: Bannon LF: Shaw CF: McKenna RF: Diaz

JD Mundy was a sign after the 2020 season and draft. https://radfordathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/j-d--mundy/6543 AS A SENIOR (2020) VaSID First Team All-State selection ... Was named the Big South Preseason Player of the Year ... Started all 17 games, playing nine at first base and eight as the designated hitter ... Batted .385 with six doubles, four homers and 19 RBI's ...Tied for the lead on the team in doubles, while leading the team in homers and RBI's ... Led the Big South in home runs and RBIs, also led the league with a .662 slugging percentage ... Was ranked 31st in NCAA in toughest to strike out with the second-best batting average in the Big South, behind only teammate Colby Higgerson ... Homered in three of the final five games of the season ... Had a team-high nine multi-hit games, including a season-best three hits in the series finale against Canisius (Mar. ? ... Had a five-game hit streak and a 13-game on-base streak to close the season ... Went 3-for-3 with two walks, a grand slam and four RBI's in the series finale against Canisius (Mar. ? ... Went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and three RBI's in the series opener against the Golden Griffins (Mar. 6) ... Hit for the home run cycle (solo at Mercer - Feb. 23, two-run vs. Notre Dame - Mar. 11, three-run vs. Canisius - Mar. 6, grand slam vs Canisius - Mar. ?

Pitchers: Ryan Conroy, Shane Davis, Noah Denoyer, Jensen Elliott, Ignacio Feliz, Thomas Girard, Jack Lyons, Kyle Martin, Griffin McLarty, Xavier Moore, Zachary Peek, Shelton Perkins, Jack Prizina, Leonardo Rodriguez, Houston Roth, Adam Stauffer, Ryan Watson, Brandon Young Catchers: Jordan Cannon, Ramon Rodriguez Infielders: Gunnar Henderson, Darell Hernaiz, J.D. Mundy, Anthony Servideo, Jordan Westburg Outfielders: Jean Carlos Encarnacion, Dylan Harris, Hudson Haskin, Trevor Kehe, Doran Turchin

Pitchers: Felix Bautista, Kyle Brnovich, Garrett Farmer, Connor Gillispie, Blaine Knight, Dallas Litscher, Easton Lucas, Kevin Magee, Clayton McGinness, Morgan McSweeney, Jonathan Pendergast, Grayson Rodriguez, Drew Rom, Nick Roth, Garrett Stallings, Kade Strowd, Ryan Wilson Catchers: Christopher Burgess, Maverick Handley, Cody Roberts Infielders: Andrew Daschbach, AJ Graffanino, Adam Hall, Andrew Martinez, Joey Ortiz, Toby Welk Outfielders: Shayne Fontana, Kyle Stowers, Johnny Rizer, Zach Watson

Pitchers: Fernando Abad, Keegan Akin, Manny Barreda, Cody Carroll, Claudio Custodio, Marcos Diplán, Thomas Eshelman, Jay Flaa, Conner Greene, Eric Hanhold, Mickey Jannis, Dusten Knight, Zac Lowther, Isaac Mattson, Evan Phillips, Josh Rogers, Konnor Wade, Spenser Watkins, Alexander Wells Catchers: Brett Cumberland, Taylor Davis, Austin Wynns Infielders: Rylan Bannon, Jahmai Jones, Richie Martin, Mason McCoy, Seth Mejias-Brean, Tyler Nevin, Ryan Ripken Outfielders: Yusniel Diaz, Ryan McKenna, Chris Shaw, Stevie Wilkerson

Looks like Steve Scooped Roch. Let's create a thread for each roster.

The 2021 Baysox Break Camp Roster: RHP DIOGENES ALMENGO* LHP CAMERON BISHOP RHP KYLE BRADISH LHP TYLER ERWIN* RHP GRAY FENTER LHP D.L. HALL RHP BRENAN HANIFEE RHP WILLIAM HAYES RHP TYLER JOYNER RHP STEVEN KLIMEK* RHP DAVID LEBRON RHP TIM NAUGHTON* RHP OFELKY PERALTA RHP CODY SEDLOCK* LHP KEVIN SMITH LHP NICK VESPI C ADLEY RUTSCHMAN C CHRIS HUDGINS INF MALQUIN CANELO INF PATRICK DORRIAN INF J.C. ESCARRA INF CADYN GRENIER INF ALEXIS TORRES* INF TERRIN VAVRA INF WILLY YAHN* OF JAYLEN FERGUSON OF ZACH JARRETT* OF ROBERT NEUSTROM

This is going to be one of the more interesting years to see where guys start off and how they produce after losing an entire year last year. With very little ability to get information out of Sarasota this year, we don't know much about who showed up looking different ten in years past and who will be able to perform after basically losing a year of competitive play. While it's obvious that the top 30 prospects are guys you should look for as the minor league season get started, here are some under the radar guys to keep an eye on too. I'm going to keep these to guys who should break camp with full season clubs so I won't go into the Dominican Summer League guys. 1. Lamar Sparks - OF : Sparks has always been a guy with some tools but has struggled to stay healthy and to find success on the field when he has played. He's 22-years old this year so hopefully he will break camp with Delmarva but if not, it may be a sign that his potential has eroded. 2. Jake Zebron - SP : Zebron was a guy on the tail end of our 2019 Prospect list but fell off due to the new drafts picks and trades. He showed flashes in the GCL League but didn't have much endurance. He's 21 years old now and it would be nice to see that he pitched well enough to be a starter in Delmarva this year but he'll have a lot of competition. 3. Yeancarlos Lleras - P : A hard throwing but raw righthander taken in the 6th round on 2018, it will be interesting to see what he looks like this year. Actually pitched a bit in relief in the Puerto Rican Winter League this year. It's a good sign if he's pitching in Delmarva this year. 4. Joey Ortiz - SS : Reportedly put on 20 pounds and is hitting the ball with authority this spring. Defense was his calling card but if his bat perks up, he could become a top 30 prospect this year. 5. Toby Welk - 3B : Impressed everyone with his ability to barrel the ball often in games and tore up the New York Penn League. Will play at 24 years old so could get pushed to Aberdeen this year. While he showed some athleticism at 3B, he could be tried out at 2B or 1B but hs bat will be his calling card. 6. Zach Watson - OF : A 2019 3rd round draft pick who was pushed to Delmarva quickly, Watson has some tools to work from and could be pushed to Aberdeen due to the fact he will play most of the year at 24. There's a little pop in this bat and can play CF. 7. Jaylen Ferguson - OF: Talented toolsy outfielder who started to hit a bit in 2019, it will be interesting to see where he starts and if he's given everyday PAs. Don't sleep on him, he has some raw tools that have taken awhile to come out but will be guy to keep a close watch on in 2021. 8. Leonardo Rodriguez - SP: Tall right-hander who flashed a plus fastball and slider and feel for the change at Aberdeen in 2019. Should be pitching in an extended role with Delmarva and will be interesting to watch. 9. Dallas Litscher - P: Was starting to show some signs of becoming a prospect with a nice fastball-curveball combination. At 25 years old now, he's a guy that was really hurt by the layoff. Might be better suited in a bullpen roll but it will be interesting to see where he's pitching at the start of the year. Most likely needs to be at Aberdeen and pitching well to become a prospect. 10. Dan Hammer - SP: 13th round draft pick in 2019 really was impressive in Aberdeen. Maybe not a ton of upside here but an interesting arm to follow. 11. Griffin McLarty - SP: This was Luke's guy and he argued to put him on our 2019 prospect list. I'll be honest, I've never seen him pitch but he had some succes and showed a solid thre-pitch mix according to Luke back in 2019. 12. Johnny Rizer - OF: 7th Round pick who was signed to save some cash for overslots, all Rizer did was hit wherever he played. Not a ton of upside with power or speed but a good hit tool and reportedly a solid defender. 13. Grey Fenter - SP: Drafted in the Rule 5 draft by the Cubs for a look, Fenter was returned but it shows his potential. Fenter will pitch at 25 this year so he needs to get a moving a move to the bullpen might enhance his fastball-curveball combo. 14. Zach Peek - SP: Acquired in the Bundy trade, this 6th round pick has reportedly picked up velocity into the 92-94 range and makes him very interesting. 15. Garrett Stallings - SP: Acquired in the Iglesias trade, a 5th round selection, Stallings was the highest of the three Angels2019 draft picks Elias acquired. Hasn't pitched professionally but was coming a nice career at the University of Tennessee where he put up a 6.63 K to walk ration his Junior year. 16. AJ Graffanino - SS: Slick fielding shortstop who may be the best defensive SS in the system if his scouting reports are right. He missed all but one game in 2019 with an "undiagnosed gastrointestinal issue" so hasn't played in almost two years. Acquired in the Tommy Milone trade. 17. Greg Cullen - 2B: Also acquired in the Tommy Milone trade, the left handed hitting second baseman is known more for his stick than his fielding. 18. Davis Tavarez - OF: Hit pretty well in the GCL League in 2019 at 20-years old. Probably needs to make Delmarva and have a good season to get on the prospect scene. 19. Blaine Knight - SP: Had a horrendous 2019 that saw his prospect status take a tumble, but there is talent in that arm and may be better suited in a relief role. 20. Felix Bautista - RP: Can run it up to 100 MPH. Bautista has the arm to make a big jump, but command has always been his issue.

Yeah, I'm not sure why they are being so coy with this stuff.

Sounds like he has a long way to go to regain the strength and conditioning to play. It found it it interesting that Blood still says they haven't seen him play which tells me he's doing mainly strength and conditioning stuff. I doubt we see a lot of him this year and may not see him until July or maybe August.

Already one of the best of all-time. Watching this video, it's crazy how good he has been over his career already.

Really, really interesting interview. Holmes is very impressive and it's great to hear how much work he and Holt put in with the pitchers. He's a great example of an "old school" pitching coach that put in the effort to understand the analytics. As for the podcast, Hollander and Arnold are outstanding and their knowledge of the game and the Orioles really shines through.

What??? Seriously? Next you are going to tell me the stripper doesn't really like me too.

Good post. I was actually thinking that myself though I did say he's a young 36 earlier. The good news is he's seemed to be healthy for awhile now and seems to bounce back pretty well and can be stretched out a bit, all of which tend to be skills of pitchers that tend to stay healthy longer in their careers. I still wouldn't move him unless blown away this year, but starting next year, if he's continuing to dominate, then the Orioles should consider what they could get. He could help a contender right now no doubt, but i do worry when a pitch starts to get into the upper 30s of when they will break.

Unless I'm blown away, I wouldn't trade Valdez this year because he's cheap, controllable, and with his pitch, he very well may be more like 29 in pitching years vs 36.

Well, let's look at those "fancy" stats. OAA : -4 OAA towards 3B: -3 OAA to 1B: -1 Back: 0 Success rate: 68% Estimated success rate: 73% Success rate added: 68% Runs Prevented: -0.1 dWAR: -0.1 Rtot/yr: -16 UZR/150: -5.8 His OAA and Runs prevented are tied for worse in MLB with Justin Turner and Cavan Biggio. His -5 success added is tied for 3rd worse in MLB. While Franco does make some nice plays here and there, and he certainly has a nice arm, he's been a well below average defender so far overall across all three metrics of Statcast/baseball reference/Fangraphs.